Ernie Toshack

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Ernie Toshack
Australia
Personal information
Full name	Ernest Raymond Herbert Toshack
Nickname	The Black Prince
Born	8 December 1914(1914-12-08)
	Cobar, New South Wales, Australia
Died	11 May 2003 (aged 88)
	Bobbin Head, New South Wales, Australia
Role	Specialist bowler
Batting style	Right-hand
Bowling style	Left-arm medium-pace
International information
Test debut	29 March 1946: v New Zealand
Last Test	22 July 1948: v England
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1945–1949	New South Wales
Career statistics
	Tests	FC
Matches	12	48
Runs scored	73	185
Batting average	14.59	5.78
100s/50s	0/0	0/0
Top score	20*	20*
Balls bowled	3140	11901
Wickets	47	195
Bowling average	21.04	20.37
5 wickets in innings	4	12
10 wickets in match	1	1
Best bowling	6/29	7/81
Catches/stumpings	4/0	10/0
As of 27 December 2007 Source: Cricinfo

Ernest Raymond Herbert Toshack (8 December 1914–11 May 2003) was an Australian cricketer who played in 12 Tests from 1946 to 1948. A left arm medium paced bowler who was known for his accuracy and stamina in his application of leg theory, Toshack was best known for being as member of Don Bradman's Invincibles that toured England in 1948 without incurring a defeat, where he reinforced Australia's new ball attack of Ray Lindwall and Keith Miller.

Born in 1914, Toshack overcame many obstacles to reach international level cricket. He was orphaned as an infant, and his early cricket career was hindered because of financial difficulties caused by the Great Depression. The Second World War prevented Toshack from competing at first-class level until he was into his thirties. In 1945–46, the first season of cricket after the end of the War, Toshack made his debut at first-class level and after only seven matches in the Sheffield Shield he was selected for Australia's tour of New Zealand. In Wellington, he opened the bowling in a match that was retrospectively classed as an official Test match. Toshack became a regular member of the Australian team, playing in all of its Tests until the 1947–48 series against India. He took his career-best match bowling figures of 11/31 in the First Test but began to suffer recurring knee injuries, and a medical board had to approve his selection for the 1948 England tour. Toshack played in the first four Tests before being injured. After a long convalescence, he attempted a comeback during Australia's 1949–50 season, but further injury forced him to retire. He was a parsimonious bowler, who was popular with crowds for his sense of humour.

Contents 1 Early years 2 First-class and Test debut 3 Invincibles tour 4 Style 5 Test match performance 6 Notes 7 References 8 External links

[edit] Early years

Born in the New South Wales bush town of Cobar on December 8, 1914, he was one of five children born to a stationmaster, but was orphaned at the age of six.^[1][2] He was raised by relatives in Lyndhurst, in the northwest of the state. He played his early cricket and rugby league for Cowra.^[3] In his youth he was also a boxer, and earned the nickname "Johnson" for his dark-skinned resemblance to American black heavyweight champion Jack Johnson. In the mid 1930s, he made brief appearances for the State Colts and 2nd XI,^[4] and played cricket against the likes of Stan McCabe,^[1] an inductee into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame.^[5] His cricket aspirations, already hindered due to economic difficulties caused by the Great Depression were further interrupted when he was wheelchair-bound for months after a ruptured appendix in 1938.^[3] He was not allowed to enlist in the Australian Defence Force during the Second World Warand worked at Lithgow's Small Arms factory, in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. Only at the end of the war, aged 30 did he go to Sydney. At the time, he was a medium-fast left-arm bowler and approached Petersham—since Toshack lived in their locality, they had the right to register him ahead of other clubs. They did not select Toshack, so he joined Marrickville in Sydney Grade Cricket, starting in the third grade team in 1944–45.^[4] Within two matches, he rose to first grade.^[3]

[edit] First-class and Test debut

Upon the resumption of first-class cricket in 1945–46, he made his debut for New South Wales against Queensland as an opening bowler aged almost 31, and was quickly among the wickets. He took four wickets for the loss of 69 runs (4/69) in his first innings as his team fell to a six wicket loss.^[6] At the end of the season in March 1946, Toshack had taken 35 wickets in seven first-class matches, at an average of 18.82, making him the second highest wicket-taker behind George Tribe with 40. He performed consistently and his innings best was 4/30.^[7] Toshack was selected for a tour of New Zealand and found himself opening the bowling for Australia with fellow debutant Ray Lindwall in a match at Wellington which was retrospectively recognised as a Test two years later.^[3] The eight years since Australia's last Test saw a new post-war generation of international cricketers make their debut. Toshack was one of seven Australians making their Test debut.^[8] New Zealand were routed in two days on a damp pitch, having been dismissed for 42 in their first innings after winning the toss and choosing to bat.^[8] Toshack's first wicket was that of opposing captain Walter Hadlee, who was caught by Keith Miller. Toshack took three further wickets to end with innings figures of 4/12. Toshack did not bat as Australia made 8/198. New Zealand were then bowled out in their second innings for 54, with Toshack taking 2/6 as Australia took an innings victory.^[9] He dismissed Eric Tindill and Ces Burke in both innings.^[8] The performance ensured that Toshack would become an integral part of Australia’s attack for the next three years.^[4][10]

Toshack was selected to make his Ashes debut against the England cricket team in the First Test of the 1946–47 home series in Brisbane.^[11] With the emergence of leading all rounder Keith Miller, Toshack was relegated to first change bowler as Miller began his much celebrated partnership with Lindwall.^[12] Toshack was unbeaten on one in his first innings with the bat when Australia were bowled out for 645 on the third day.^[12][13] On a sticky wicket, Toshack initially struggled, bowling his characteristic leg stump line. England managed to amass 117 runs for the loss of five wickets (5/117) at the end of the fourth day despite many interruptions caused by rain.^[12] Norman Yardley and captain Wally Hammond had defied the Australian bowlers since coming together at 5/66.^[12] On the fifth and final morning, captain Don Bradman advised him to pitch straighter and at a slower pace.^{[13][3][4][10]} Having started the day wicketless, Toshack dismissed Yardley and Hammond in the space of 13 runs to break the English resistance and finished with an economical 3/17 from 17 overs as England were bowled out for 141.^[12] Bradman enforced the follow-on, and with Lindwall indisposed,^[13] Toshack took the new ball with Miller. He continued where he finished in the first innings, taking four of the first six wickets as the English top order were reduced to 6/65. He ended the match with 6/82 as England were bowled out twice in a day to lose by an innings and 332 runs.^[4][10][12] The remaining four Tests were less successful: only in one innings did he take more than one wicket. In the Second Test, the pitch favoured spin bowling and Toshack only bowled 13 overs without taking a wicket as Australia claimed another innings victory. He took match figures of 2/127 before returning to form in the Fourth Test in Adelaide Test, where he took 5/66 from a long spell of 66 eight ball overs in extreme heat.^[4][10] Toshack finished the series with 17 wickets at a bowling average of 25.71.^[11][14] His first-class season was not a productive as in his debut year; he took 33 wickets at an average of 30.93 in eleven matches, making him the sixth highest wicket-taker for the season.^[15]

The following 1947–48 season, in the First Test against India at Brisbane on a wet pitch,^[16] Toshack took ten wickets for the only time in his Test career.^[11] In reply to Australia's 382, India had been reduced to 5/23 by Lindwall, Miller and Bill Johnston before Vijay Hazare and captain Lala Amarnath took the score to 53 without further loss, prompting Toshack's introduction into the attack. He dismissed both to end with 5/2 in 19 balls as India were bowled out after adding only five further runs.^[17][16] Bradman enforced the follow on and India reached 1/27 before a spell of 6/29 from Toshack reduced them to 8/89. India were bowled out for 98 as Australia won by an innings and 226 runs.^[10][17] Injury persistently curtailed Toshack during the season, and he played only in one further Test, the Fourth, where he was less successful with match figures of 2/139.^[11] When fit, Toshack was a heavy wicket-taker; his 41 wickets at 20.26 placed him second only to Johnston's 42 among Australian bowlers in the season.^[18]

[edit] Invincibles tour

See also: Australian cricket team in England in 1948

By the end of the Indian series, knee injuries had begun to hamper Toshack, and he only made the trip to England for the 1948 tour on a 3–2 majority vote by a medical team,^[10] despite being one of the first selected by the board. Two Melbourne doctors ruled him unfit, but three specialists from his home state presented a more optimistic outlook that allowed him to tour.^[19] The tour was to guarantee him immortality as a member of Bradman's Invincibles. He grew tired of signing autographs during the voyage, and entrusted a friend with the task. As a result, there are still sheets circulating with his name mis-spelt as Toshak.^[4] Between the new-ball attacks of Lindwall, Keith Miller and Johnston every 55 overs, Toshack played the role of stifling England's scoring. In one match against Sussex, his 17 overs yielded only three scoring shots. He finished the match bowling 32 overs while conceding 29 runs.^[4] At Bramall Lane, Sheffield, he recorded the best innings analysis of his first-class career, taking 7/81 from 40 consecutive overs, ^[20] bemusing the Yorkshire spectators with the his accent and distinctive "Ow Wizz Ee" appealing. Bradman considered his 6/51 against the Marylebone Cricket Club at Lord's as the best performance of all.^[4][10]

Toshack's performance in the First Test at Trent Bridge was a quiet one, taking a wicket in each innings.^[11] He was involved in an aggressive final wicket partnership of 32 with Johnston, scoring 19 runs, his best at Test level to date in just 18 minutes. Toshack's best Test performance was his 5/40 in the second innings of the Second Test at Lord’s when Miller was unable to bowl after being injured,^[10] including the wickets of Cyril Washbrook and John Edrich. During this performance, he employed two short legs and a silly mid-off.^[20] He had a moderately successful Third Test, taking figures of 3/101 in the only Test that Australia did not win. His knee injury flared again in the Fourth Test after taking an ineffective 1/112 in the first innings and he was taken to London for cartilage surgery, ending his tour and his Test career.^[11] An inept batsman with an average of 5.78 in first-class fixtures, Toshack managed a Test average of 51 on the 1948 tour after being out only once, behind only Arthur Morris, Sid Barnes, Bradman and Neil Harvey. The unbeaten 20 he managed in the Lord's Test was his best first-class score, made in an uninhibited tenth-wicket stand with Johnston.^[4][10] Due to the fragility of his knee, Toshack was used sparingly in the tour games, playing in only six of the 29 non Test matches on the tour.^[21]

The back injury prevented Toshack from playing during the 1948–1949 Australian domestic season.^[22] At the start of the 1949–50 season, after he took nine wickets in a Shield match in Brisbane, the injury resurfaced and forced him to retire from first-class cricket. Toshack subsequently joined a firm of builders and spent 25 years as a foreman and supervisor on construction sites around Sydney.^[3] He also wrote about cricket and enjoyed cultivating his vegetable garden. Toshack died on 11 May 2003. He was survived by a wife Cathleen Hogan, whom he married in 1939, their only daughter, three granddaughters and two great-granddaughters.^{[4][10][2][23]}

[edit] Style

Bowling primarily from over the wicket, his accuracy, changes of pace, and movement in both directions, coupled with a leg stump line to a packed leg-side field, made scoring off him difficult.^[3][2] He achieved his success in a manner not dissimilar to Derek Underwood a generation later. His accuracy and stamina allowed Ray Lindwall and Keith Miller, one of Australia’s finest fast bowling pairs of all time, to draw breath between short and incisive bursts of pace and swing.^{[3][4][10][2]} Standing 6 feet 2 inches (188 cm), he was particularly effective on sticky wickets, reducing his speed to slow medium pace and using a repertoire of off cutters, inswingers, outswingers and leg breaks. Bowling a leg-stump line from over the wicket with a leg side cordon of two short legs and a silly mid-on, he was described by Bradman as "unique in every way".^[4][10] He usually bowled with four men on the off side including a slip, and five on the leg.^[1] When the pitch was wet, he moved a further man to the on side to field at leg slip.^[19]

Nicknamed the "Black Prince", Toshack's looks and sense of humour made him a crowd favourite, as did his theatrical appealing. His sense of fun was often on show. While on tour, he would often wear a bowler hat, grab a furled umbrella, and place a cigar in his mouth, parodying an Englishman.^[4][10][2]

[edit] Test match performance

Key: *–not out

		Batting[24]				Bowling[25]
Opposition	Matches	Runs	Average	High Score	100 / 50	Runs	Wickets	Average	Best (Inns)
England	9	65	16.25	20*	0/0	801	28	28.60	6/82
India	2	8	8.00	8	0/0	170	13	13.07	6/29
New Zealand	1	–	–	–	0/0	18	6	3.00	4/12
Overall	12	73	14.60	20*	0/0	989	47	21.04	6/29

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

• Pollard, Jack (1988). The Bradman Years: Australian Cricket 1918–48. Harper Collins. ISBN 0-207-15596-8. 
• Pollard, Jack (1990). From Bradman to Border: Australian Cricket 1948–89. Harper Collins. ISBN 0-207-16124-0. 

[edit] External links

• Cricinfo article on Ernie Toshack

v • d • e Australia squad - "The Invincibles" 1 Sid Barnes • 2 Don Bradman (c) • 3 Bill Brown • 4 Ron Hamence • 5 Neil Harvey • 6 Lindsay Hassett (vc) • 7 Ian Johnson  • 8 Bill Johnston • 9 Ray Lindwall • 10 Sam Loxton • 11 Colin McCool • 12 Keith Miller • 13 Arthur Morris  • 14 Doug Ring • 15 Ron Saggers (wk) • 16 Don Tallon (wk) • 17 Ernie Toshack • Coach: Keith Johnson

Persondata
NAME	Ernie Toshack
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	The Black Prince
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Australian Test cricketer
DATE OF BIRTH	December 8, 1914
PLACE OF BIRTH	Cobar, New South Wales
DATE OF DEATH	May 11, 2003
PLACE OF DEATH	Bobbin Head, New South Wales