Ron Halcombe - Later Career

Later Career

Halcombe's career continued after that time without further throwing controversies, but he never again threatened for national selection. He was overlooked for selection in the 1930–31 season, not playing a single first-class match. In the following season, he was only selected for one match, against the touring South Africans, taking 3/114 as the tourists won by an innings and 242 runs. He scored five not out and five respectively.

During the 1932–33 season that saw England tour Australia under Douglas Jardine with their Bodyline tactics, which involved bowling high speed deliveries at the batsmen's body, rumours circulated that Halcombe could be selected for the Tests. Halcombe's pace saw him touted as a possible retaliatory outlet against the English. At the beginning of the season, Halcombe played for Western Australia in a tour match against England. He took 3/48 and 1/38 in a drawn match, including the Bodyline mastermind and captain Douglas Jardine, Bob Wyatt, Les Ames and the Nawab of Pataudi. He was then called into the Australian XI in a subsequent tour match. He was less successful on this occasion, taking 1/81 as England scored 7/583. Halcombe was not selected for any other first-class matches during the season.

The following season, Halcombe was only selected for Western Australia once, against the 1934 Australian team, who were warming up for the 1934 tour of England at the end of the 1933–34 Australian season. He scored 11 and took 2/57, including the wicket of captain Bill Woodfull. During the 1934–35 season, Halcombe played in two matches, both against New South Wales near the end of the season. He took match figures of 0/57 and 2/81 as both matches were drawn.

During the 1935–36 season, Halcombe played in two matches, both at the start of the season. He took 0/100 against the Australian team, who were warming up for the 1935–36 tour of South Africa. Western Australia won by an innings and 249 runs. After taking match figures of 0/90 against the touring MCC, he was dropped for the remainder of the season, thereby ending it without a wicket. The following season was a similar tale. After taking match figures of 1/108 and 4/161 in two matches against the touring England team at the start of the summer, Halcombe was dropped for the remainder of the season.

Halcombe only played one first-class match in each of the following three seasons. He took 3/43 against Australia at the end of the 1937–38 season, including vice-captain Stan McCabe, before taking his career-best innings figures of 5/40 against Victoria in the following season. In his final season, 1939–40, Halcombe took 2/51 and 0/39 in his only match against South Australia. After that, first-class cricket was interrupted until 1945–46 by World War II, during which Halcombe served in the Australian Army from 26 June 1942 to 27 August 1944, at the time of his discharge he was a lieutenant in the 11th Battalion.