Harry Donnan – Silver in The Golden Age
Archie Mac |Published: 2023
Pages: 146
Author: Cardwell, Ronald and Anderson, Nathan
Publisher: The Cricket Publishing Company
Rating: 3.5 stars
As a cricket tragic, when I am struggling to fall asleep, I don’t count sheep. Instead, I recite the names of old Ashes touring teams. Two names in the 1896 side always cause trouble; the reserve wicket keeper Alf Johns, who I always remember as Ford, and the opener Harry Donnan. Frustratingly, I know the last one begins with ‘D’, but I just can’t recall the correct pronunciation. Donovan, Donston, Doustan, are some of the names that come to mind. Well now, after reading this splendid biography on Harry Donnan, I don’t think I’ll ever misremember his name again.
The authors, Nathan Anderson and long time Cricket Web friend Ronald Cardwell, are heavily involved in the St. George cricket club and no doubt the fact that Donnan was the first captain of St. George was a motivating factor in writing his biography. We learn that by the time Donnan took the hegemony role in 1912, he was well past his best having played his last first class match in 1900/01. Apart from his captaincy, Donnan was also the club treasurer until he had an unfortunate falling out with the club, after the players voted him out of the leadership role. Eventually, Donnan came back to the club, and the exact reason(s) he lost the captaincy are not totally clear.
Silver in The Golden Age is set out a little differently to the average cricket book. Instead of a linear approach by year, the book sums up his cricketing efforts by starting with his club exploits, followed by his first class record and eventually his one Test tour in 1896. This approach works well and makes the book easy to follow. After his playing days we learn about his other sporting interests in baseball and lawn bowls, which Donnan also excelled in. Finally, we learn about his later years. Donnan was, for a long time, the oldest living Australian Test cricketer and as such was often called on for his reminiscences. As with most old cricketers he tended to favour those of his own generation. For example he did not think Harold Larwood – of Bodyline fame – as dangerous as the Golden Age bowlers he faced, such as Ernie Jones, Charles Kortright or Tom Richardson. It was a little disappointing that Donnan was never asked for his all-time XI.
In his personal life, Donnan married 1896 fellow tourist Syd Gregory’s sister, who was at the time one of the best female cricketers in NSW. The 1896 tour was the highlight of Donnan’s cricketing career and he always considered the victory in the second Test of that series as the greatest by an Australian team. The authors suggest that Donnan, with only a little bit of fortune, could have been on both the 1890 and 1893 tours too. In the end Donnan’s Test career amounted to just five Tests and a batting average of only 8.33, although his overall first class average of a tic over 29, is a truer reflection of his batting ability.
This is a thoroughly enjoyable read on one of the forgotten cricketers of the Golden Age, and while not a leading light, as the authors write, he was at least a Silver level player in the Golden Age. This book really should have received four stars. It has some quality pics, a full index and a complete stats section. I, perhaps churlishly, took off half a star for the lack of a contents page. Still, this is a quality read and as always from this publisher a pleasure to have in your cricket book collection.
Finally, I wanted to mention the introduction to this book, which had me mesmerised. In it, co-author Cardwell talks about a cricket picture he had acquired in an old frame. He left this picture, covered in dirt and dust in his garage for many years, only cleaning it up in 2022, after coming across it in his garage by happenstance. After cleaning it up, Cardwell worked out it was Harry Donnan. We don’t hear about this picture again but I assume it’s the cover picture on the front of the book. I would really have enjoyed seeing the photo and frame, but you can’t have everything.
At least now I only have to worry about remembering the name Johns when listing the 1896 side, as I drift off to sleep.
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