Victory Tests facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Victory 'Tests' |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | 19 May 1945 – 22 August 1945 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Result | five match series drawn 2–2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Victory Tests were special cricket games played in England in 1945. They happened right after World War II ended in Europe. People in England loved these games. They helped everyone feel like life was getting back to normal after the war.
These matches were called "Victory Tests" because they celebrated the end of the war. However, they weren't officially "Test matches." This was because the Australian Cricket Board worried their team wasn't strong enough. So, the games were given a special status called "first-class" matches instead.
In total, the teams played five matches. Each match lasted three days. England won two games, Australia won two games, and one game ended in a draw. A huge number of people, 367,000, came to watch these matches. The final game at Lord's stadium had a record 93,000 fans!
Contents
Meet the Teams: Australia and England
The Victory Tests featured two main teams. One was from Australia, and the other was from England. Both teams had some amazing players.
The Australian Services Team
The Australian team was made up of soldiers and airmen. Many were already in England during the war. Australia's prime minister, John Curtin, really wanted cricket to start again. He thought it would help people feel better after the war.
The team was like a military unit. Their captain on the field was Lindsay Hassett. He was the only player with experience playing in official Test matches before. Other players were from Australian state teams.
One player, Keith Miller, became a star during these games. He was known as a promising batsman. After the Victory Tests, he became a key player for Australia's famous "Invincibles" team.
Another Australian player, Graham Williams, had a tough time. He had just been released from a German prisoner of war camp. He was much lighter than before the war. He drank special sugary water during games to keep his energy up.
The English Team
England's team had a very strong group of batsmen. These included famous players like Len Hutton, Wally Hammond, Les Ames, Bill Edrich, and Cyril Washbrook. All of them had played for England in official Test matches.
Len Hutton held the record for the highest score in a Test match at that time. Wally Hammond was also a legendary player. Even though he was over 40, he still played very well.
Even with their strong batsmen, the English team didn't score as many runs as expected. They only scored over 300 runs in one game during the whole series.
England's bowling (the players who throw the ball) was seen as their weak point. They changed their bowlers a lot during the series. One bowler, Dick Pollard, did very well. He took 25 wickets (outs) in his four matches.
How the Matches Played Out
The series ended in a 2–2 tie, with one match drawn. Here's a quick look at each game:
First Match: Australia Wins
|
19–22 May 1945
Scorecard |
|
v
|
 Australian Services |
|
|
267 (100.1 overs)
LEG Ames 57 AG Cheetham 3/49 (13.1 overs) |
455 (125.3 overs)
KR Miller 105 JWA Stephenson 5/116 (36 overs) |
|
|
294 (115.4 overs)
JDB Robertson 84 CG Pepper 4/80 (32.4 overs) |
107/4 (22.4 overs)
CG Pepper 54* AR Gover 1/51 (11.4 overs) JWA Stephenson 1/51 (11 overs) |
- England won the toss and elected to bat.
- 20 May was taken as a rest day
- JA Workman, CFT Price and RS Ellis (all Australian Services) made their first-class debuts.
The first match was held at Lord's in London. England batted first and scored 267 runs. Australia then scored a big 455 runs, with Keith Miller getting 105. England tried to catch up in their second turn, scoring 294. But Australia easily reached the runs they needed to win by 6 wickets.
Second Match: England Wins
|
23–26 June 1945
Scorecard |
|
v
|
Australian Services |
|
|
286 (110.5 overs)
WR Hammond 100 GH Pope 5/58 (21.5 overs) |
147 (52.5 overs)
DK Carmody 42 |
|
|
288 (102.4 overs)
JA Workman 63 R Pollard 5/76 (33 overs) |
- Australian Services won the toss and elected to field.
- 24 June was taken as a rest day
This game was played in Sheffield. England batted first again, with Wally Hammond scoring 100 runs. Australia struggled in their first turn, scoring only 147. England then added 190 more runs. Australia needed 329 runs to win, but they only managed 288. England won by 41 runs.
Third Match: Australia Wins Again
|
14–17 July 1945
Scorecard |
|
v
|
Australian Services |
|
|
225/6 (77 overs)
KR Miller 71* DVP Wright 2/59 (25 overs) |
- England won the toss and elected to bat.
- 15 July was taken as a rest day
- JG Dewes, LR White and DB Carr (all ENG) made their first-class debuts.
Back at Lord's, England's Len Hutton scored 104 runs in the first innings. England made 254. Australia replied with 194. In the second innings, England scored 164. Australia needed 225 runs to win. They reached the target with 4 wickets to spare, thanks to Keith Miller's 71 not out.
Fourth Match: A Draw
|
6–8 August 1945
Scorecard |
|
Australian Services
|
v
|
|
|
388 (130.3 overs)
KR Miller 118 GH Pope 4/83 (43 overs) |
||
|
140/4 (38 overs)
J Pettiford 39 GH Pope 2/42 (12 overs) |
- Australian Services won the toss and elected to bat.
- J Pettiford (Australian Services) made his first-class debut.
This match, also at Lord's, ended in a draw. Australia batted first and scored 388, with Keith Miller getting 118 runs. England then scored 468 runs, with Cyril Washbrook making 112. Australia batted again but the game ended before a winner could be decided.
Fifth Match: England Wins the Series Tie
|
20–22 August 1945
Scorecard |
|
Australian Services
|
v
|
|
|
173 (59 overs)
KR Miller 77* R Pollard 4/78 (22 overs) |
||
|
210 (87 overs)
DR Cristofani 110* WE Phillipson 6/58 (29 overs) |
141/4 (45.1 overs)
WJ Edrich 42* CG Pepper 2/18 (12 overs) |
- Australian Services won the toss and elected to bat.
The final match was in Manchester. Australia scored 173 in their first turn. England then took the lead with 243 runs. Australia scored 210 in their second innings, setting England a target of 141 runs to win. England reached this target with 6 wickets to spare, winning the match and tying the series 2-2.
What Happened After the Victory Tests?
After the games in England, the Australian Services team traveled to India and Sri Lanka. They played cricket there for four months. This was a very busy schedule for the players.
When they finally returned to Australia, they were very tired. They often lost easily to local teams.
Even so, the Victory Tests were very important. They helped people feel hopeful and happy after the war. They also showed the world some great new cricket stars who would become famous later on.
See also
- Australian Imperial Forces cricket team
- 1945 English cricket season
