Jack Iverson - Test Career

Test Career

He first attracted attention in first class cricket in 1949–50 when he took 46 wickets for Victoria at an average of 16.12. In the following autumn he toured New Zealand under Bill Brown, and took. in all matches, 75 wickets at a cost of seven runs each, and in the next Australian season, aged 35, was selected for the Test team against the England cricket team captained by F. R. Brown. His unique action perplexed the visiting batsmen to such an extent that in the Test series he obtained 21 wickets for 15.73 runs apiece. Iverson made his debut in the first Test at Brisbane, where he did not bowl in the first innings before taking 4/43 in the second. He took match figures of 6/73 in his second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground before his most notable performance of 6/27 in the second innings of the Third Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground as Australia completed an innings victory. During the Fourth Test at Adelaide he suffered an ankle injury when he trod on the ball. This impaired his ability, as he only took 3/68 and 2/84 in the final two Tests of his career. He played in only one game in each of the next two seasons and then gave up cricket altogether after batsmen analysed and mastered his tricks.