Bill Brown With The Australian Cricket Team in England in 1948 - Early Tour

Early Tour

Australia traditionally fielded its first-choice team in the tour opener, which was customarily against Worcestershire. Brown gained selection, although Bradman batted him out of position in the middle order while Barnes and Morris opened. Brown came in 6/335 and scored 25 at a typically placid pace, accumulating his runs at a lower strike rate than the other recognised batsmen. He was out with the score at 6/402 as Australia went on to declare at 8/462 and win by an innings.

In the next match against Leicestershire, Bradman rested Morris, so Brown opened with Barnes. Brown scored 26 in an opening stand of 46, as Australia amassed 448 and won by an innings.

The Australians proceeded to play Yorkshire at Bradford, on a damp pitch suitable for slower bowling. In the first innings, Brown took three catches from the bowling of Keith Miller—who had resorted to bowling off spin—as Yorkshire were bowled out for 71 in difficult batting conditions. Opening with Morris while Barnes was rested, Brown made 13 as the match remained finely balanced after Australia was bowled out for 101. Brown took another catch from Miller in the second innings as the hosts were bowled out for 89. Chasing 60 for victory, Brown fell to Frank Smailes for two as the Australian top order collapsed to 6/31—effectively seven wickets down with the injured Sam Loxton unable to bat—before scraping home by four wickets.

Brown was rested for the next match against Surrey, which Australia won by an innings. After the first four matches, five Australians hade made centuries, and another had passed fifty. Brown had scored only 66 runs with a highest score of 26, while Morris and Barnes, the incumbent openers, had scored 223 and 298 runs with a century and fifty apiece.

Brown was recalled for the match against Cambridge University, opening with Morris while Barnes rested. After putting on 64 for the opening wicket with Morris, Brown added 176 for the second wicket with Ron Hamence. He added a further 140 for the fourth wicket with Lindsay Hassett, who was captaining the team while Bradman rested himself. Brown top-scored with 200 and Hassett declared when his double-centurion was out with the score at 4/414. Australia went on to win by an innings. In the following match against Essex, Brown opened with Barnes while Morris was rested. The pair put on 145 in 97 minutes—the highest opening stand by the Australians on the tour to that point—before Barnes was out hit wicket. In the meantime, Brown had reached 50 in 90 minutes. Bradman came in and he and Brown accelerated to put on a second-wicket partnership of 219 in 90 minutes, before the latter was out for 153 from three hours of batting with the score at 2/364. Brown had scored his last 100 runs in less than 90 minutes. Australia went on to score 721 runs on the first day, the highest number of runs amassed in one day of first-class cricket, before completing victory by an innings and 451 runs, their largest winning margin for the tour. Opening with Morris while Barnes was rested, Brown completed his third century in as many innings with 108 against Oxford University, after putting on an opening stand of 139. This meant that he had scored 461 runs in eight days of cricket, and put him atop the batting aggregates, ahead of Bradman. Australia went on to complete their fourth successive innings victory.

The next match was against the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) at Lord's. The MCC fielded seven players who would represent England in the Tests, and were basically a full strength Test team, while Australia fielded their first-choice team. Bradman installed Barnes and Morris as his preferred opening pair, while Brown batted out of position at No. 6. Barring one change in the bowling department, the same team lined up in the First Test, with the top six batsmen in the same positions. It was a chance for players from both sides to gain a psychological advantage, but Brown failed to capitalise. He came to the crease with the score at 4/280 to join Keith Miller and scored 26 in a stand of 63 before being dismissed as Australia amassed 552 and won by an innings. This was followed by Australia's first non-victory of the tour, against Lancashire, a draw for which Brown was rested.

Brown returned for the following match, which was against Nottinghamshire, and added 122 to register his fourth century in less than three weeks. Australia made 400 but the hosts hung on for a draw in the second innings. In the next match against Hampshire, Brown opened with Barnes and made a duck as Australia were dismissed for 117 on a damp pitch in reply to the home side's 195. It was the first time the tourists had conceded a first innings during the summer. Hampshire were subsequently bowled out in their second innings for 103 to leave Australia a target of 182. This time Barnes fell for a duck, and Brown anchored Australia to an eight-wicket win with an unbeaten 81 after a century second-wicket partnership with Ian Johnson. The final match before the First Test was against Sussex. Opening with Morris, Brown played second fiddle, accumulating 44 as the pair put on an opening stand of 153. Morris went on to 184 and Australia declared at 5/549 before completing another innings victory.