Wally Grout - Test Cricket

Test Cricket

Grout entertained hopes of playing for Australia against Len Hutton's English touring side in 1954, but Victorian Len Maddocks was selected, and played all five Tests despite having an injured finger. He was again overlooked as Gil Langley and Maddocks were the two keepers selected for the 1956 tour of England. His friend and fellow Queensland player Ken "Slasher" Mackay advised him that he lacked fitness, and that his form badly tailed off in the last session.

He improved his fitness and was one of two wicket keepers selected for the 1957-58 tour of South Africa. Grout's competitor for the Test spot was Barry Jarman, and to make matters worse, he had sustained a hairline thumb fracture. Downplayed the injury, he picked up 95 in an innings at Benoni and was given the nod. He made his Test debut against in the first test against South Africa at Wanderers Stadium on 23–28 December 1957. Grout got off to a bad start, and allowed eight byes in the first innings in what he called "a severe attack of the fumbles". During the second innings, he was helped by some inspired bowling from Alan Davidson and took what was then a record six catches behind the stumps. Grout was impressed at the grounds and the hospitality on the South African tour, yet it was not without its risks; early on, some of the Australians (not Grout) were quoted in the local press as being unimpressed with the South African opening bowlers Adcock and Heine, this fired them up and Grout and teammate Les Favell copped a barrage of fearsome bowling in a match against Transvaal. The two fired down numerous bouncers against the Australians in the last innings of the fifth test. Grout and Neil Harvey faced danger of a different kind as the two were chased by elephants and lions in Wanke Games Reserve after Harvey left the vehicle attempting to get a better shot.

Australia never lost a series in which Grout played.

It was in South Africa that Neil Harvey gave Grout the nickname "Griz", referring to the keeper's habit of complaining ("grizzling") about poor returns from fieldsmen. This replaced the hated "Grouty"; once, when addressed this way by the then Prime Minister Robert Menzies, Grout had replied that the PM had just lost his and his wife's votes.

Grout played his first Test on home soil on 5 December 1958, in front of a home-town crowd at Brisbane; he was very nervous. Early in the match, he caught Tom Graveney off the bowling of Davidson, which was to be the first of twenty wickets he picked up for the series, equalling Don Tallon's record in Ashes series. Australia went on to win the series 4-0.

Grout then toured India and Pakistan over the 1959-60 summer, and captain Richie Benaud insisted Jarman play two tests as almost all games on the tour were Test matches. Upon return, much of the team were struck down with hepatitis, and the exhausted Grout and Ray Lindwall were the only two test players able to play for Queensland in a match against Western Australia, however during the match Grout picked up eight wickets in a single innings.

Grout had his jaw broken while keeping to Queensland's West Indian fast-bowler Wes Hall in their match against the MCC a week before the First Test of the 1962-63 Ashes series. He was replaced in the first three Tests by South Australia's Barry Jarman, who played only seven Tests until Grout retired in 1966. In 1964 he famously refused to run out Fred Titmus when he was knocked over by an Australian fielder in the 1964 Ashes series, but sportingly let him return to the crease.

Grout's last Test was played in the 1965-66 Ashes series. In the first innings of the Second Test he took 3 catches in a innings and although Australia lost the Third Test at Sydney by an innings Colin Cowdrey, M.J.K. Smith, Dave Brown and Jim Parks were caught by Grout off Neil Hawke in succession. Grout then snapped up Fred Titmus off Doug Walters to give him five catches in an innings. In the Fourth Test Cowdrey thought a shout was Grout was Ken Barrington calling him for a run and he was run out as England collapsed to 241 all out on the first day and lost by an innings, Grout taking 3 catches in the second innings. In the first innings of the Fifth Test he took 4 catches in his last Test to bring his total to 15 catches and 1 stumping in the series as Australia retained the Ashes with a 1-1 draw.