The Invincibles of '48 Trivia Quiz

Answer: 17

They also won one by 9 wickets, two by 8 wickets, and one by 409 runs.

Answer: 47

Of the seventeen tourists, seven scored over 1000 first-class runs, and Sam Loxton fell short by just 27 runs. Only 7 centuries were scored against them.

Answer: 1

While Bradman got the worst of the tosses, England certainly got the worst of the weather. In 3 Tests they batted in poor light, and rain possibly robbed them of victory at Old Trafford.

Answer: Bedser

The first three were caught by Hutton at short-fine leg. This completed a sequence of 5 straight dismissals of Bradman for Bedser, having taken his wicket in the last Test of the 1946-47 tour. Hollies was the bowler in the famous fifth Test dismissal, when Bradman was bowled for a duck in his last Test appearance.

Answer: 721 against Essex

Essex's first innings reply was 83 all out, and in their second innings reached Bradman's score of 187. Australia won by an innings and 451 runs. They did score 774 against Gloucestershire, but not in one day.

Answer: Scored a Duck

There was confusion at the end of the match. Barnes hit a four and thought they were the winning runs. He grabbed a stump, and was halfway up the pavilion steps before he realised his mistake. When Hassett scored the required run, in the scramble for souvenirs, Barnes this time missed out.

Answer: 404 for 3

England set Australia a target of 404 in 345 minutes. Yardley batted for 5 minutes before declaring on the 5th morning, thus he could call for the heavy roller which he hoped would break up the pitch. It did take spin and the ball was turning sharply, but an unbalanced bowling attack & poor fielding allowed the Australians victory.

Answer: Had his hands in his pockets

Bradman and the team spent time with King George V1 and his family at Balmoral. A photograph of the King & Bradman walking and chatting (Bradman's hands were in his pockets) caused an outcry among certain elements, namely cringeing colonial royalists.

Answer: Hassett

Australia's fielding was in the main quite fine. On occasions however, England's ground fielding and catching was superior to Australia's. Two vital missed stumpings by the normally reliable Evans helped in a large measure to ensure Australia's victory at Leeds.

Answer: Barnes

At Manchester he was hit in the ribs for his trouble, and was in hospital for ten days. During one match he responded to a strong appeal being turned down by catching a dog that came on the field, presenting it to the umpire with the words: "Now all you want is a white stick!"

Answer: 6 for 20

At the Oval, Lindwall demolished English with fast, accurate bowling. After lunch on the first day, he bowled 8.1 overs, and had 4 maidens and took 5 wickets at a cost of 8 runs. England were all out for 52. Only Hutton made it into double figures, being last out to a brilliant catch by Tallon, catching a leg glance low to the ground.

Answer: McCool

McCool didn't play in any of the tests of 1948, but took 57 at 17.82 on the tour. When his career ended in 1960 he had taken 602 at 27.47 and had scored 12,420 runs, including 18 centuries.

Answer: How he had spent the previous evening

A famous carouser, he lived life in the fast lane, which is why he probably never captained Australia. He never made runs for the sake it, and allowed himself to be dismissed for a duck in the 700 run feast at Essex because he was bored. Often seen changing from dinner suit to whites after a night on the town.

Answer: Harvey

He made his debut against England at Headingley, making 112 runs. He was one of 4 brothers who all played for Victoria, his brother Merv played one Test.

Answer: Yorkshire

...And one last story about Bradman. A British newspaper's fund for Bradman's testimonial was so successful, that after receiving a silver trophy, he asked that the surplus money be spent on the provision of concrete pitches, similar to the ones he learned his cricket on. Didn't seem to do English cricket any good though.