‘All-Rounder’ Foster’s Test Debut
At Centurion on Thursday, Indian left arm quickie Jaidev Unadkat made his Test match debut against South Africa, the proudest moment of his career, I am sure.
I hope, for his sake, it is a debut to remember.
If he is lucky, he will be able to follow in the footsteps of one of life’s true ‘all-rounders’. RE Foster was a remarkable individual who packed so much into a life which was cruelly cut short by diabetes at the age of 36.
RE ‘Tip’ Foster produced the performance of his life on Test debut. His 287 for England in the 1st Test at The Sydney Cricket Ground in 1903 was a remarkable achievement. It remains the highest score by an Englishman in a Test in Australia, and is one of only five debutant Test double-hundreds, in the history of the game.
Today (Friday 17th December), is the anniversary of Foster’s debut performance in 1903.
‘Tip’ was one of seven Foster brothers to play for Worcestershire in the years before World War 1, and the only man to captain England at football and cricket. He went on to play only seven more Tests but his debut innings remains the highest score by an Englishman in Australia.
He was an outstanding all-round sportsman, who remains the only man to captain England at Cricket and Football.
ESPNCricinfo records that Foster played only one full season of county cricket, (in 1901), when he made 2128 runs at 50.66. The previous year he had set the record for the highest score in the Varsity match (171), and scored a hundred in each innings in the Gentlemen v Players clash.
He graduated to the captaincy against South Africa in 1907 – but declined the offer to lead England in Australia that winter because of business commitments, such was the world 100 years ago.
Some current England players have adorned their debuts with exceptional performances, including captain Andrew Strauss (who made a century and an 80 at Lord’s) Matt Prior, who made a century at Lord’s v West Indies, and Alastair Cook, who scored a century v India in Nagpur. Jonathan Trott will always remember his second innings century on debut in the 2009 Ashes-decider at The Oval.
London County International Ambassador, Monty Panesar will also treasure his Test debut, as he dismissed Sachin Tendulkar for his first Test wicket in Nagpur.
My favorite England batsman, David Gower, announced himself to the cricketing world with a pull stroke for four off his first ball in Test Cricket, and set in chain a motion of poetic batsmanship which thrilled spectators all around the globe for more than a decade.
However, some of the greatest players have experienced inauspicious debut matches.
Sir Donald Bradman made 18 and 1 on his Test debut and was promptly dropped after only one match! He was recalled for the following match, and made his maiden Test century in the process. It is the understatement of the century to say he never looked back!
England’s leading Test Match run-scorer Graham Gooch also suffered a nightmare on Test debut, making ‘a pair’ against Australia in 1975 at Edgbaston.
Legendary opening batsman Sir Leonard Hutton went one run better on his debut, making 0 and 1 against New Zealand at Lord’s.
Legendary South African batsman, Jimmy Cook, had to wait until he was forty to make his debut because of South Africa’s isolation from international sport, and was dismissed first ball of the match in Durban. It happens to the best…
In 1975, the great Michael Holding made his debut in the first Test between Australia and West Indies in Brisbane. He took 0 for 127 in the match as West Indies were thrashed by eight wickets in a series they lost 1-5.
London County International Ambassador Devon Malcolm made his Test debut at Trent Bridge in 1989 when Australia’s openers Geoff Marsh and Mark Taylor put on 301 for 0 wicket at the close of play on day one! Big Dev’s debut figures were 1-166, the one wicket being the legendary Steve Waugh for nought. Waugh had been in the form of his life in the first three Tests and Dev’s wicket in this the 4th Test was only the second time Waugh had been dismissed, the first being at Edgbaston at the hand sof Angus Fraser on Test debut. However, Big Dev went on to become one of the most feared bowlers in world cricket and his 9 for 57 at the Oval in 1994 ranks as one of the great Test performances.
However, the most spectacular debut pair was the one acquired by the South African wicketkeeper Tommy Ward against Australia at Old Trafford in 1912: he was dismissed first ball in both innings, each time being the third victim in legspinner Jimmy Matthews’s unique haul of two hat-tricks in the same Test match (ref ESPNCricinfo).
The remarkable thing about some debutants who made centuries, is that some of them only played a handful of Tests subsequently, as they were unable to re-produce their magical debut form. For England, Frank Hayes and John Hampshire struggled, while Graham Thorpe went on to play 100 Tests after making a century on debut v Australia at Trent Bridge in 1993.
From a bowler’s perspective, the most magical Test debut must be Bob Massie’s at Lord’s in 1972. The West Australian fast bowler had previously played in the Scottish Leagues as a professional in 1970, and his good performances led to a trial with Northamptonshire. In two 2nd XI matches, Massie took 3 for 166, and failed to gain a county contract. However, he gained selection for Australia’s Tour of England after bowling well at home, and produced the remarkable match return of 16 wickets for 137 runs on Test debut, by swinging the ball ‘around corners’. Sadly for Massie, he only played five more Tests, and took another 15 Test wickets.
Sir Alec Bedser once told me about his Test debut, in England’s first post-war Test. He was 87 at the time of our conversation, but the recall of his eleven wickets against India at Lord’s made it seem like the event had taken place the day before, such was Alec’s recall and satisfaction.
The legendary Australian bowler Clarrie Grimmett also took eleven wickets on debut. His career took off at 33 and finished with a third successive ten-for in the series against South Africa where he took 44 wickets (his age at the time) and was deemed to be too old to continue his Test career!
Meanwhile the Yorkshire and England fast bowling legend Fred Trueman took three wickets on debut to reduce India to 0 for 4, with Alec Bedser the other wicket-taker. What a start to Test Cricket!
And what about Shane Warne? The most admired bowler of the last two decades, began with figures of 1-150 on his debut v India at The Sydney Cricket Ground!
I wonder how much more we will hear of Jaidev Unadkat?
