Fuller Pilch
Hall of Fame Member
He played 60 rugby tests, but Jeff Wilson.
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Greatest Team to never play a test
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the big bambino
Cricketer Of The Year
@jimmy101. I'm not sure what the situation is with Dizzy but I don't think there's been a full blood aborigine like Gilbert play for Australia. This could be down to sporting preferences as heaps of aborigines have played rugby league tests for Australia and a high number play top level AFL here.
I've looked through Gilbert's career and cannot find to any time he should have been picked for Australia. He had a chance before the 4th test test against SA but missed a crucial shield match in Sydney which would have stood as a trial for his selection. His Qld new ball partner got 5 wickets in the 2nd innings and earned himself his only test at Adelaide. Subsequently Gilbert bowled well in a match against Victoria that could have earned him a spot in the final test. Problem was Nash took 7 wickets in an innings against the tourists in a lead up to the test and got the spot on merit. Those two games were the closest he got to a test call but injury and a better form by a better player meant he never got to represent.
I've looked through Gilbert's career and cannot find to any time he should have been picked for Australia. He had a chance before the 4th test test against SA but missed a crucial shield match in Sydney which would have stood as a trial for his selection. His Qld new ball partner got 5 wickets in the 2nd innings and earned himself his only test at Adelaide. Subsequently Gilbert bowled well in a match against Victoria that could have earned him a spot in the final test. Problem was Nash took 7 wickets in an innings against the tourists in a lead up to the test and got the spot on merit. Those two games were the closest he got to a test call but injury and a better form by a better player meant he never got to represent.
jimmy101
Cricketer Of The Year
Yeah it's funny isn't it. Aboriginals have thrived in football codes down here for decades. And then you have people like Lionel Rose & Anthony Mundine who flew the flag for Indigenous Australians in boxing, whilst Evonne Goolagong was doing the same in the field of tennis. Then there's Cathy Freeman. Yet somehow cricket never took flight in Aboriginal communities.
And that's actually some really good insight into Aussie team sections circa bodyline. Actually makes sense Gilbert didn't get a Test cap. I also believe, like you mentioned earlier, Woodfull's reluctance to fight fire with fire prevented Gilbert (and Nash) getting selected to a large extent.
Fuller Pilch
Hall of Fame Member
Bill Carson who was killed in the war
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12038505
Add Tom Pritchard to the expatriates-in-England list.
89 wickets @ 16 in NZ before WW2, then 729 wickets @ 24 post war, mainly for Warwickshire.
172 wickets @ 18 in 1948, and NZ administration sounded him out about joining 1949 tourists, but he chose to retain his English country qualification.
weldone
Hall of Fame Member
Utpal was a much better bowler than Venkatapathy Raju (and a way better batsman). But Raju played as many tests as he did because captain Mohammad Azharuddin who led the Ranji team that Raju played in was partial to him.
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He went this route to maximise chances of a professional career long before it was clear he was good enough for RSA, or even a professional career in RSA.
kingkallis
International Coach
Henry Fotheringham
Saait Magiet
Saait Magiet
Dendarii
International Debutant
He was also playing at a time when South Africa still had a plethora of allrounders, so it may have been difficult for him to get a look in even if he had stayed in South Africa.
And I suppose you've got to give the Netherlands credit for good recruiting. An opportunity to play international cricket can be tough to turn down, even if it is just for an Associate.
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Coronis
International Coach
idk man, 47/33 in first class seems pretty special to me.
As far as I know, he kinda just fell into the Dutch side. Got recruited by county cricket because he held a Dutch passport on something a bit like kolpac. Played for Holland before he was a regular 1st class 1st team player. Playing for Holland would have just been a bonus, but it wasn't a gig that paid enough to live off (or paid at all?)
Agricultural
Banned
Ten Doeschate is definitely a high quality player. Would have averaged over 40 in tests.
Agricultural
Banned
Anyone able to shed any proper light on this?
Howe_zat
Audio File
His record for Essex (mostly in division 2) is much more modest. Rarely goes a season averaging 40+.
A very special associate player, but there are lots of players like him in first class cricket.
morgieb
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His Essex average is only 42.55 (which is actually a little bit higher than I expected), the 47 is from belting the Intercontinental Cup. And most of his time at Essex was in Division 2.
morgieb
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Lots of Indian guys from that time had insanely high averages but rarely got much of a crack. Ajay Sharma for example average nearly 70 at FC level but only played one Test. The quality of that era can't have been particularly strong.