Just some checking from the first test of the 20/21 Ashes. Not a single player under 25, 16 players over 30, 6 of those over 35.
England
Jack Russell 33
Jack Hobbs 38
“Young Jack” Hearne 29
Patsy Hendren 31
Frank Woolley 33
Johnny Douglas* 38
Wilfred Rhodes 43
Bill Hitch 34
Abe Waddington 27
Ciss Parkin 34
Bert Strudwick+ 40
Average age: 34 and a half
Australia
Charles Macartney 34
Herbie Collins 32
Warren Bardsley 38
Charles Kelleway 34
Warwick Armstrong* 41
Jack Gregory 25
Johnny Taylor 25
Nip Pellew 27
Jack Ryder 31
Bert Oldfield+ 26
Arthur Mailey 34
Average age: 31 and a half
Players who were debuting: Russell, Hendren, Waddington, Parkin, Collins, Taylor, Pellew, Ryder, Gregory, Oldfield and Mailey.
Players whose test careers were done by the following summer: Hitch, Waddington, Armstrong and Pellew. Pretty impressive for such old teams that 9 players were still in test cricket 3 years later. (i’m sure some weren’t regular selections but still)
Rhodes’ debut was in 1899 and Oldfield’s swansong was in 1937.
