Later Tour Matches
Seven matches remained on Bradman's quest to go through a tour of England without defeat. Australia batted first against Kent and made 361. Johnston then took three wickets with the new ball to help reduce the hosts to 5/16, before ending with 3/10 from six overs. Forced to follow on after being bowled out for 51 in 23 overs, Kent were reduced to 4/37 by three early Lindwall wickets. Johnston ended with 1/28 as the home team capitulated for 124 and lost by an innings. The victory over Kent was followed by a match against the Gentlemen of England. Johnston was rested as Australia completed another innings victory. He returned for the match against Somerset, which resulted in a third consecutive innings win. After Australia had declared at 5/560, Johnston took the opening wicket of Harold Gimblett before returning to take the last two scalps of the first innings from consecutive balls, bowling his finger spin. He ended with 3/34 as Somerset fell for 115 and were forced to follow on. Johnston bowled the second over of the second innings. As Johnston had taken wickets with his last two balls in the first innings, his first delivery was the hat-trick ball. Gimblett negotiated the first ball safely, before being trapped lbw for a duck on the next. Johnston had thus taken three wickets in four balls. He bowled unchanged throughout the innings to end with 5/34 from 17.4 overs as Somerset were bowled out for 71. Johnston took the final wicket to fall—Horace Hazell—trapped for a duck, which brought up his 100th first-class wicket for the tour.
In the match against the South of England, Johnston took 1/63—Edrich being his only wicket—after Australia declared at 7/522. Bradman’s men dismissed the hosts for 298 and rain ended the match before the second innings could start.
Australia's biggest challenge in the post-Test tour matches was against the Leveson-Gower's XI. During the last tour in 1938, this team was effectively a full-strength England outfit, but this time Bradman insisted that only six current England Test players be allowed to represent the hosts. After his opponents had finalised their players, Bradman named a full-strength team. In a rain-interrupted match, Johnston bowled Edrich for 15. He ended with 1/20 as the hosts folded for 177. Johnston made an unbeaten 26 in a partnership of 30 with Lindsay Hassett as Australia replied with 8/489 declared. Time ran out with the Leveson-Gower's XI at 0/75 in the second innings.
The tour ended with two non-first-class matches against Scotland. In the first, Australia scored 236 before Johnston took 6/15 from 12.5 overs. He took the last four wickets as the home team fell from 6/81 to be all out for 85. Johnston bowled four wicketless overs in the second innings as Australia completed victory without needing to bat for a second time. In the second match, he signed off on his tour in a low key manner, taking a wicket in each innings to end with a match total of 2/48 as Australia completed another innings triumph.
Read more about this topic: Bill Johnston With The Australian Cricket Team In England In 1948
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