by Mayukh Ghosh

Tom Garrett was twelve when he found that his mother was suffering from tuberculosis.
He had already seen his brother die in front of him.
Now, staying in a hostel, he could come home once in a few months to meet his mother.
A few months later she passed away.
Tom's father never looked after the family.
He was usually drunk and often had no money.
Tom knew he needed to be strong.

Three years later, Tom left his studies and began his stint as a clerk under a solicitor.
His cricket by then was making news.
He could bowl a heavy ball.
His batting was often impressive.
When John Conway invited him to play in what turned out to be the very first of all Test matches, Garrett had no hesitation in saying 'yes'.

He did reasonably well in the 19 Test matches he played.
He was even more impressive as a first-class cricketer.
Twenty years at that level despite trying to make a career in a different field was commendable.
Moreover, the duels with his father were often stressful.
He could have continued for a few more years if his bowling didn't deteriorate drastically.

At the same time, though, his batting improved.
The improvement in Australian pitches played its part.
They were no longer playing on the 'natural' pitches.

After retirement, he became a public servant and once again did well.
His name had appeared in the roll of solicitors since 1882 but he never practised in the next 42 years.
The last dozen or so years of his life was most intriguing.
He had developed strange OCDs.
He not only caught the same train to work each day but insisted upon taking the same seat.

The other striking feature was his homburg hat which he wore everywhere.
There were more and can be attributed to a rather troublesome childhood.

In cricketing circles, he became an icon.
He outlived everyone else who played in that first Test match.
He was often invited to speak in player reunions and even the likes of McCabe and Brown enjoyed his presence.
In 1938, when a match was played to mark the 150th year of white settlement in Australia, Garrett was invited to bowl the first ball of the game.
He removed his coat but not his hat and bowled!
Arthur Mailey, in his report, wrote: " Apart from Fleetwood-Smith and Mr. Tom Garrett I do not think the bowling on either side was particularly hostile."
Garrett was 80 at that time!

A father figure in early Australian cricket but almost forgotten.
Like most of his contemporaries.
Tom Garrett was born on 26 July 1858.

P.S. The picture with the article is the only action photograph of Garrett. Captured when he bowled in that 1938 match.