Herbie Collins - First World War and Services XI

First World War and Services XI

In 1915 Collins enlisted in the First Australian Imperial Force (AIF) in 1915 as a reinforcement for the Australian Light Horse. He served in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign and later on the Western Front, carting ammunition to the artillery shelling the German lines. At the end of the War, Collins was a Lance Corporal.

Following the war he was included in an Australian Imperial Forces cricket team, touring England in 1919. Charles Kelleway, an officer, was the captain of the team for the first six matches. Despite Collins's rank Field Marshal Birdwood, the former commander of the Australian Corps, asked him to take over the captaincy for the remainder of the tour. Collins proved a capable and popular skipper with the team losing only four of twenty eight matches during the tour. Collins scored 1,615 runs including 5 centuries at an average of 38.45 and took 106 wickets at 16.55 apiece.

On their way home the AIF team played ten matches in South Africa, eight of them first-class, remaining undefeated in this section of the tour. While Jack Gregory relished the conditions, the local newspapers acclaimed Collins as the finest player in the touring team. Collins scored 602 runs in South Africa at an average of 50.58 and took 39 wickets at 16.53. In a match at the Old Wanderers ground in Johannesburg against the South African XI, Collins scored 235 from a total of 441 in the first innings as the AIF XI won by 8 wickets.

On arrival back in Australia, the AIF team played three first-class matches, defeating the reigning Sheffield Shield champions New South Wales and perennial Shield powerhouse Victoria. A likely victory against Queensland was frustrated due to torrential rain. The results in Australia demonstrated the strength of the AIF team and within a few months of the team's dissolution, Collins would make his Test début, along with his AIF team-mates, Gregory, wicket-keeper Bert Oldfield and the batsmen Johnny Taylor and Nip Pellew.