Lindsay Hassett 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. Hassett thus played as vice-captain of Bradman's first-choice team and took a catch as Australia dismissed the hosts for 233. However, when Australia batted, Bradman rearranged the order and Hassett came in at No. 7 with Australia’s score at 5/320 after losing 4/55 in a middle-order collapse. Hassett made 25 in 66 minutes with three fours as Australia declared at 8/462; the hosts were bowled out for 212 to complete an Australian victory by an innings and 17 runs. Hassett was rested for next match against Leicestershire, which resulted in another innings win for the tourists.

The Australians then proceeded to play Yorkshire at Bradford, on a damp pitch that suited slower bowling; rain delayed the start of the match until midway through the first afternoon. Bradman rested himself and returned to London while Hassett led the team. Yorkshire elected to bat and were bowled out in difficult batting conditions for 71, despite Australia losing all rounder Sam Loxton with a hamstring injury. Australia replied with 101 without Loxton, who was unable to bat. Hassett came in at 1/24 and was immediately out for a duck. Australia then bowled out the hosts in the second innings for 89. Chasing 60 for victory, Hassett elected to not ask for the pitch to be rolled. Former Australian Test batsman Jack Fingleton said that Hassett "might have made an initial mistake in not having the pitch rolled because whenever there was rain about in England the heavy roller seemed to knock any nonsense out of the pitch". Australia lost quick wickets and Hassett came in with the score at 2/5. Keith Miller was then out at 3/13 after attempting to hit a six, while Hassett was nervous after his first innings duck. Ron Hamence joined Hassett and they took the score to 20 before the former was run out attempting a quick single. Without further addition to the score, Hassett attempted a pull shot and top edged it so high that five players had the time to converge and any of these could have caught the ball. The catch was eventually taken directly in front of Hassett, leaving Australia at 5/20. To make matters worse, Loxton was still too injured to bat, so Australia effectively only had four wickets in hand and faced its first loss to an English county since 1912. Neil Harvey had scored a solitary run when he was dropped at short leg. Colin McCool fell at 6/31, and Harvey and new partner Don Tallon were both given lives before the tourists scraped home by four wickets. It was the closest Australia came to defeat for the whole tour, and Hassett was very relieved, playing his head in his hands and muttering "Why me? Why is it always me?" in a reference to his encountering rain-affected wickets as captain.

Bradman returned to lead the Australians in the next match against Surrey at The Oval in London; Australia won the toss and batted first. Sid Barnes and Arthur Morris put on 136, before Bradman and Barnes put on another 207 before the opener fell for 176. Hassett came in and Bradman was dismissed for 146 at 3/403. Hassett struck form and reached his first century for the English summer, posting 110 before being clean bowled by Test seamer Alec Bedser as Australia were bowled out for 632. Bedser pitched an outswinger on leg stump and it moved away to clip Hassett's off stump. Bradman’s men then bowled Surrey out for 141 and 195 to win by an innings.

Bradman rested himself for the next match against Cambridge University, and Hassett led the tourists to another innings victory after the hosts won the toss and elected to bat. After Cambridge had made 167, Hassett scored an unbeaten 61 in a partnership of 140 with Bill Brown before declaring at 4/414 when Brown fell for 200. Hassett's bowlers then dismissed the hosts for 196 in the second innings, sealing victory by an innings and 51 runs. In the following match against Essex, Bradman returned and Hassett was rested as Australia won the toss and batted first, scoring a world-record of 721 first-class runs in one day. The visitors then proceeded to victory by an innings and 451 runs, their biggest winning margin for the summer. Bradman then rested himself for the next game against Oxford University, where Hassett oversaw another innings victory. Hassett made a duck, caught from a rearing ball from paceman Philip Whitcombe, as Australia made 431 and then enforced the follow on.

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 selected their first-choice team. Bradman captained the team and batted at No. 3 with Hassett in his customary position at No. 4. Barring one change in the bowling department, the same team would line up for Australia in the First Test, with the top six batsmen in the same position. It was a chance for players from both sides to gain a psychological advantage before the Tests. Australia elected to bat and Hassett came in to join Bradman at 2/171. The pair took the score to 200 before Bradman fell for 98 to leave Australia at 3/200. Hassett then put on 80 with Miller before being trapped leg before wicket (lbw) for 51 by Jack Young. Fingleton hailed Hassett's display as "the prettiest half century we saw in the whole summer. There was not effort in his play. The ball sped quietly and quickly in all directions." Bradman's men went on to amass 552 and bowled out the hosts for 189 and 205 to win by an innings, with Hassett catching Len Hutton and Ken Cranston in the first innings.

The MCC match was followed by Australia's first non-victory of the tour, which was against Lancashire. Hassett was rested as the first day was washed out and the match ended in a draw. In the following match against Nottinghamshire, the hosts batted first and made 179. Hassett made 44 and featured in a partnership of 81 with Keith Miller as the tourists reached 400. However, Nottinghamshire ended at 8/299 to hang on for a draw in the second innings. Bradman rested himself for the following match against Hampshire, and Hassett oversaw another scare. On a drying pitch, Australia were dismissed for 117 in reply to the home side's 195, the first time they had conceded a first innings lead on tour. Australia had made a solid start, reaching 2/70 before Hassett fell for 26, sparking a collapse of 8/47 to be all out for 117. This prompted Bradman to telegram Hassett: "Bradford was bad enough but this is unbearable, heads up and chins down." Hampshire were then bowled out for 103, leaving Australia a target of 182, which they reached to seal an eight-wicket win, with Hassett unbeaten on 27. The final match before the First Test was against Sussex. Hassett was rested as Australia skittled the hosts for 86 and declared at 5/549, before completing another innings victory.