Warren Bardsley facts for kids
Bardsley in 1926
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name |
Warren Bardsley
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| Born | 7 December 1882 Warren, New South Wales, Australia |
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| Died | 20 January 1954 (aged 71) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
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| Batting | Left-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relations | Mick Bardsley (brother) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Test debut (cap 94) | 27 May 1909 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 18 August 1926 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1903–1926 | New South Wales | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: CricketArchive, 26 January 2009
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Warren "Curly" Bardsley (born December 6, 1882 – died January 20, 1954) was a famous Australian cricketer. He was an opening batsman, which means he was one of the first two players to bat for his team.
Bardsley played in 41 Test matches for Australia between 1909 and 1926. He also played over 200 first-class games for the New South Wales state team. In 1910, he was named Wisden's Cricketer of the Year, a big honor in cricket.
Contents
Warren Bardsley's Cricket Journey
Early Career and First Big Moments
Warren Bardsley had a great cricket season in 1908–09. He scored 748 runs in just 9 games, showing he was ready for international cricket. This led to him joining the Australian team touring England in 1909 for the Ashes series.
He made his Test debut at Edgbaston in Birmingham. At first, he found it tough to score many runs in Test matches. However, in the Fifth Test at The Oval in London, Bardsley made history.
He became the first Test cricketer ever to score a century (100 runs or more) in both innings of the same Test match. This was a huge achievement!
Playing Against Other Countries
The 1910–11 series against South Africa in Australia was one of Bardsley's best. He scored 573 runs, showing how strong he was.
The next year, playing against England, he had a bit of a struggle. He was even replaced by another player for one match. But Bardsley quickly got back into form.
He was the top scorer in the 1912 Triangular Test series. This series included England, Australia, and South Africa, all playing in England. He scored 392 runs in 6 games.
Impact of World War I
World War I meant Bardsley couldn't play cricket for five years. By the time Test cricket started again in 1920, he was in his late thirties. His game wasn't quite the same as before.
In the 21 Test matches he played from 1920 to 1926, he only scored one century. It became hard for him to keep his spot in the Australian team. This was because younger, talented batsmen were emerging.
Even though he struggled a bit in Test matches, Bardsley continued to play well for New South Wales. He kept scoring good runs in domestic games.
Last Test Tour and Captaincy
Warren Bardsley was 43 years old when he went on his last Test tour to England in 1926. During this tour, the team's captain, Herbie Collins, became ill.
Bardsley was asked to take over as captain, even though he didn't have much experience leading a team. Both matches he captained ended in a draw. He was also the oldest player to become a Test captain for the first time, at 43 years and 216 days old.
He played in all five Tests of the 1926 series. His score of 193 runs, not out, at Lord's in the Second Test was his highest Test score ever. This also made him the oldest Australian player to score a Test century. His score was a record for Lord's at the time, later beaten by Don Bradman.
Life After Cricket
After he stopped playing Test and first-class cricket, Bardsley briefly worked as a national selector. This meant he helped choose players for the Australian team.
He continued to play club cricket for his local team, Glebe, even into his fifties. People said he stayed fit for so long because he exercised a lot and rarely ate meat.
In 1945, when he was 62, Bardsley married Gertrude Cope. They were married until he passed away in 1954. He was known for his thoughtful nature and sense of humor.
