Bill Brown With The Australian Cricket Team in England in 1948 - Second Test

Second Test

Australia won the toss and batted first at the home of cricket. Centurion Morris fell at 3/166 and new batsman Miller was trapped lbw for four shortly after. Brown came in at 4/173 and helped Lindsay Hassett rebuild the innings after the two quick wickets. Both men scored slowly, averaging more than three and half minutes for each run. After putting on a partnership of 43, Hassett was bowled by Yardley, who then trapped Brown for 24 to leave Australia stumbling at 6/225. Brown had hit two consecutive half-volleys off his pads through the leg side for four, and attempted a third boundary in a row to a similar delivery. However, this third delivery came off the pitch more quickly and beat Brown for pace. Australia managed to avoid further collapse a counterattack from the tail saw them to 350 before they bowled England out for 215. The tourists batted much more productively in the second innings in ideal weather on the third day. Brown joined Miller after Bradman fell at 4/329; Australia had lost 3/33 but steadied to reach stumps at 343 without further loss, with Brown on seven. After the rest day, Australia resumed with a lead of 478 runs and six wickets in hand. The morning was punctuated by three rain stoppages. Just ten minutes after the start, heavy rain intervened. The weather cleared and Miller and Brown moved to lunch on 63 and 32 respectively, with Australia at 4/409. In 88 minutes of play, Australia had added 117 runs. Brown was caught behind from Alec Coxon after lunch without adding to his score for 32, after an 87-run partnership with Miller, with the score at 5/416. Bradman eventually declared at 7/460, 595 runs ahead. It would take a world record chase from England to win the match. The home team lost wickets regularly and fell for 186 to lose by 409 runs. Although part of a successful team, Brown was unable to replicate the centuries he made in each of his two previous Tests at Lord’s on the preceding tours, and it was to be the last Test of his career.

The next match was against Surrey and started the day after the Test. Brown injured a finger while fielding in the first innings, so he was unable to bat in Australia's first innings. In the second innings, Australia's makeshift openers Harvey and Sam Loxton chased down the 122 runs for victory to complete a 10-wicket win in less than an hour.