Role
Aside from being the vice-captain, Hassett was one of three on-tour selectors along with Bradman and Morris. As matches often started the day after the previous fixture, Australia employed a rotation policy and Hassett led the tourists in nine tour matches while Bradman was rested. Under Hassett's watch, Australia won seven matches, five of these by an innings, while both draws were rain-affected fixtures in which more than half the playing time was lost. Hassett had two close encounters as captain, both on damp pitches before the First Test. Against Yorkshire, Australia scraped home by four wickets with ten men after Sam Loxton was injured in a low-scoring match. In a later game against Hampshire, Australia ceded a first innings lead for the first time on tour after a middle-order collapse, but recovered to win by eight wickets. The matches against Cambridge University, Oxford University, Northamptonshire, Gloucestershire and Somerset were won by an innings. The wins over the latter two were particularly convincing; Australia amassed its largest score for the tour against Gloucestershire, making 7/774 declared before winning by an innings and 363 runs. After the Tests, Australia compiled 5/560 against Somerset and won by an innings and 374 runs in less than two days. The matches against Durham and Glamorgan were washed out, with at least half the playing time lost.
A right-handed batsman, Hassett played in all five Tests; he batted in the middle-order in all but the Fourth Test at Headingley, when he opened due to an injury to Sid Barnes. Aside from the Headingley Test, Hassett batted at No. 4 after Morris, Barnes and Bradman and in front of Keith Miller, except in the first innings of the series when he batted at No. 6 and made 137. Hassett scored 310 runs at 44.28, placing him fourth in the Australian aggregates, but only seventh in the averages. He took six catches and did not bowl during the Tests.
Hassett ended the first-class tour with 1,563 runs at 74.22 with seven first-class centuries. He had the third highest aggregate behind Bradman and Morris and the second highest average. His highest score was an unbeaten 200 against the Gentlemen of England. In his 27 first-class innings, Hassett batted at Nos. 3, 4 and 5, 21 times. Aside from the three instances in which he batted outside these positions in the Tests, Hassett made 139 while opening in the second match against Surrey in place of the injured Bill Brown, and 35 and seven not out against Worcestershire and Leveson-Gower's XI, batting at No. 7 and No. 10 respectively.N- An occasional medium pacer, Hassett delivered 12 overs—none in Tests—without taking a wicket. He took 23 catches, the most by an Australian (excluding wicket-keepers).
In recognition of his performances, Hassett was named as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1949. Wisden opined that "in addition to his playing ability Hassett's cheerfulness and leadership, which extended to off-the-field relaxation as well as in the more exacting part of the programme, combined to make him an ideal vice-captain able to lift a considerable load off Bradman's busy shoulders".
Read more about this topic: Lindsay Hassett With The Australian Cricket Team In England In 1948
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