Early Tour
Australia traditionally fielded its first-choice team in the tour opener, which was customarily against Worcestershire. Being a fringe member of the squad and having made only sporadic Test appearances in previous seasons, Hamence was not selected. Australia promptly crushed the hosts by an innings.
Hamence made his debut on English soil in the second tour match against Leicestershire. Batting at No. 6, he came in at 4/344 and made only seven. His dismissal triggered a collapse of 5/38 as Australia were bowled out for 448 before winning by an innings. The next match against Yorkshire, on a damp pitch that suited slower bowling, was the closest Australia came to defeat on the tour. Batting at No. 4, Hamence made 12 in the first innings as Australia replied to Yorkshire's 71 with 101. He batted slowly, coming in at 2/24 before departing at 7/74. After Australia dismissed the hosts for 89 in their second innings, Australia collapsed to 3/13 in pursuit of 60 for victory. Hamence came in and scored one before he was run out after being slow to set off for a quick single; Australia collapsed to 6/31. To make matters worse, Sam Loxton was injured and could not bat, so Australia effectively had only three wickets in hand and faced their first loss to an English county since 1912. However, Australia scraped home by four wickets after a counterattack by Neil Harvey and Don Tallon, aided by a dropped catch and missed stumping.
Hamence was rested as the Australians travelled to London to defeat Surrey at The Oval by an innings. He returned for the next match against Cambridge University. Elevated to No. 3 by stand-in captain Lindsay Hassett, Hamence came in at 1/64 and put on a partnership of 176 with Bill Brown, ending with 92 as Australia piled on 4/414 and won by an innings. Hamence scored mainly from the back foot, and Jack Fingleton opined "a nice innings it was, too, in its neat strokemaking". Hamence also bowled for the first time on tour, sending down three overs for seven runs in the second innings without taking a wicket.
In the following match, Australia crushed Essex by an innings and 451 runs, their largest winning margin for the summer. On the first day, Australia set a world record by scoring 721, the most first-class runs added in one day. Halfway through the day, at 2/364, all rounder Keith Miller came to the crease. A cavalier and carefree character, Miller resented Bradman's ruthless attitude towards annihilating the opposition and often refused to try when Australia were in an unassailable position. He deliberately let the ball hit the stumps and was out for a golden duck. Hamence came in and struck 46, adding 146 runs for the fifth wicket with Sam Loxton. The partnership took only an hour, and Australia went on to win by an innings. Miller later said that one of his reasons for gifting his wicket was to protest the lack of opportunities given to Hamence and other fringe batsmen. Batting at No. 5 in the next match against Oxford University, Hamence made only three as Australia made 431 and proceeded to another innings victory.
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,N- and were basically a full strength Test team, while Australia fielded their first-choice team. It was a chance to gain a psychological advantage. Given Hamence's early struggles in the English conditions, which saw him make only 161 runs at 26.83 in his first six innings, while all of Australia's first-choice top six had made centuries,N- he was not selected; Australia amassed 552 and won by an innings.
Recalled for the next match, against Lancashire at Old Trafford in Manchester, Hamence scored two while batting at No. 7 in the first innings and an unbeaten 49 at No. 6 in the second, putting on an unbeaten century partnership with Harvey as the match ended in a draw after the entire first day's play was lost to rain. His second innings was praised for the aesthetic quality. It was the first match on tour that Australia had failed to win. Hamence was rested for the following match against Nottinghamshire, which was again drawn, before returning against Hampshire. He made five as Australia were dismissed for 117 in reply to the home side's 195, the first time the tourists had conceded a first innings lead during the season. He did not get another chance with the bat as Australia recovered to win by eight wickets.
Hamence had one last chance to make his case for Test selection in the match against Sussex at Hove, the last county fixture before the First Test at Trent Bridge. He came to the crease at 4/453 and made 34 in a stand of 96 with Harvey. His dismissal and Harvey reaching his 100 prompted Australia to declare at 5/549. Bradman said that Hamence was "the unlucky player of the match" and that he was standing on the balcony ready to declare when Hamence fell on the last ball of the over. Australia went on to complete an innings victory. In the second innings, Hamence opened the bowling with Ray Lindwall. He took an early wicket before ending the innings by claiming the last man to fall, a stumping by Ron Saggers standing up to the stumps.
Read more about this topic: Ron Hamence With The Australian Cricket Team In England In 1948
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