August 22, 1912. The long two and a half month tedium of the first Triangular Test Tournament drew to a hurtling end at The Oval. Arunabha Sengupta looks back at the day when sixteen wickets tumbled on a rain affected pitch.
The Oval, August 22, 1912
The Three Captains in the ill-fated tournament
The day dawned bleak, as was the norm of the season. It had been one of the wettest summers the country had endured, with rainfall over twice the annual average, chasing the three sides across the cricketing centres all through the experimental tournament.
England resumed at 64 for four. However, with a 134-run cushion in the first innings, they were not too bothered. On a treacherous wet pitch, Australia had lost eight wickets for 21 runs on the third day, with Sydney Barnes and Frank Woolley sharing the haul. The ground, according to the disgruntled visitors, was more suitable for water-polo.
Gerry Hazlitt did use the conditions well with his medium-pace when England proceeded in the second innings, but Australian supporters rued absence of the past masters of the quality of Fred Spofforth and Hugh Trumble, who could have skittled out any opposition on this surface.
In what was to be his last Test innings, CB Fry, the English captain, demonstrated immense skill and technique to battle through the difficult period. He found an able ally in Johnny Douglas.
The administrators had not drafted any tie-breaking condition for two teams finishing with the same number of points in this tournament. The only guarantee of a winner was that the last match was to be played to a finish. It was thus scheduled as a timeless Test and Fry was in no hurry to close the innings. The grim march of the English batsmen was stopped when Hazlitt picked up the last five wickets giving away just one run.
At 170, Fry was sixth out for 79 impeccable runs, and the remaining four wickets could manage just five more, Hazlitt finishing with seven for 25.
It proved to be a blessing in disguise for England, and for at least some of the spectators who had braved the weather for two and a half months to follow the tournament.
When Australia batted again, Harry Dean got Chris Kelleway for nought. Requiring an impossible 310 to win on a damp wicket, Claude Jennings and Charley Macartney started hitting out, both in desperation and in a bid to enjoy themselves. In frantic pace, 46 were added with Macartney in particular sending the ball to every part of the ground.
However, it was too good and too hectic to last. Nine wickets now tumbled for 19 runs, a second collapse in two successive days.
Jennings skied one to cover point. Macartney was bowled. William Bardsley was surprised by a brilliant direct hit by Jack Hobbs from cover point – a much debated run out appeal upheld by umpire John Moss.
Woolley, whose elegant strokes had brought him 62 in the first innings, now picked up five more wickets with his left arm medium-pace, making it the only time in his career he would capture ten in a match.
Australia crumbled for 65 and England won by 244 runs, emerging as winners of the first-ever Triangular Test Tournament. As if in relief, the skies opened up and rain fell incessantly for the next two days.
The Daily Telegraph later observed, “Nine Tests provide a surfeit of cricket, and contests between Australia and South Africa are not a great attraction to the British public”
Wisden noted: the experiment is not likely to be repeated for many years to come – perhaps not in this generation.
That generation was soon called into the greater game, battling it out in the Great War. In the sounds of cannons, the idea of Test Tournaments was drowned, and thus it remained for many, many years – before it was retrieved from the long neglected shelf, dusted and reused for the Asian Test Championships of 1998-99.
Final Standings – 1912 Triangular Tournament
