Stan McCabe was a batsman renowned for taking on the best bowlers of his day with his enterprising strokeplay, fearless nature and unmatched ability against pace.
There were three defining innings in the career of McCabe, the first coming during the now-infamous Bodyline series. His 187*, made from only 233 balls in 242 minutes, proved him as the only batsman to truly handle the bowling of Larwood, Voce, Allen and co. In a match lacking Bradman, his talent came to the fore as he shored up an uncertain batting order – only two other batsmen passed 30 – hooking with little regard for his safety as those around him crumbled. Ray Robinson, writing in Between Wickets, compared the innings to a blood transfusion for the Australian side.
In 1938 he made his second tour to England, following on from a highly successful 1934 outing, and it seemed unlikely that he could surpass his previous achievements. However, his 232 in the opening match at Trent Bridge made Bradman look decidedly amateur; when McCabe came back to the pavilion at the conclusion of his innings, made at a strike rate of 80, Bradman is reported to have said “If I could play an innings like that, I’d be a proud man Stan”.
What made the 232 even more special was McCabe’s form leading in to the match – he was having a torrid time, and suggested to selectors that he be left out. To quote Robinson once more, “If McCabe’s 187 was a blood transfusion for his side, his 232 in the Nottingham Test, 1938, was a heart-massage that revived the patient when hope had been given up.”
S.F. Barnes, the greatest bowler of the early 20th Century, spoke of the innings as the finest he had seen, surpassing the efforts of Victor Trumper. In a conversation with Neville Cardus, he is reported as saying “I don’t think I could have kept him quiet”, such was the ferocity of the innings.
His third innings of spectacular proportions was at Johannesburg in 1935, as he made 189* to steer a chase widely believed to be impossible. Set 399 to win in just over a day, on a wearing wicket, up against a strong attack, and entering the fray at 1/17, McCabe used attack as the best form of defence, making 148 of a 2nd wicket stand of 177 with Jack Fingleton, speeding to a century in 91 minutes (at that point, the third fastest in history by time). At a quarter to three on the final day, an appeal against the light was upheld and a thunderstorm destroyed any chance of a result with the score at 2/274. It is crucial to note, however, that the appeal came from the South African captain, who believed McCabe’s aggressive strokeplay to be putting his fielders at risk.
He was a master of the sticky wicket, unlike many of his Australian contemporaries, and was universally liked – even the bowlers whom he despatched mercilessly found him impossible to dislike. He was also a useful medium pace change bowler, with a ‘wrong-un’ that broke back into the right hander and a delivery style that came through a yard quicker than expected. At second slip, his fielding was unparalleled and he was fearless in close.
As Robinson said “When McCabe got out, the melody lingered on, and often it was some time before you noticed what kind of tune the next batsman played”.
