History of The England Cricket Team From 1945 - 1940s

1940s

In 1944, an England XI played one-day matches at Lord's against "West Indies" and "Australia", England winning both. (These were not limited overs matches.) The following year, with the Second World War having finished in the European theatre in early May, five so-called "Victory Tests" were arranged, against an Australian Services XI which included Keith Miller and Lindsay Hassett. England also played a Dominions team at Lord's.

Test cricket resumed in England after the Second World War with the visit of India in 1946. England won the series 1 - 0 with a 10 wicket victory in the first Test at Lords in which Hardstaff scored 205* and Alec Bedser took 11 wickets on debut. Bedser took another 11 in the next test at Old Trafford. This proved to be a false dawn as England, under the aging Wally Hammond, were roundly beaten 3 - 0 on the 1946-1947 Ashes tour as Lindwall and Miller came to the fore. A deluge left England beaten on an unplayable Gabba pitch after Australia had scored 645. England claimed that Bradman had been caught by Ikin off Voce for 28 but the umpire did not agree and 'The Don' made 187. Hammond batted masterfully for his 32 but Miller took 7 for 60 and then Toshack 6 for 82. Australia won by an innings at Sydney with Bradman and Barnes both scoring 234. England drew at Melbourne, having been set 551 to win and again at Adelaide with Compton scoring a century in each innings, as did Morris for Australia. Australia took the final test at Sydney despite Hutton's 122 and Doug Wright's 7 for 105.

England's fortunes recovered with the visit of the South Africans in 1947, a 3 - 0 series win restoring spirits in a high scoring rubber. Ken Cranston took four wickets in an over to complete England's victory at Headingley but the series was dominated by the batting of Denis Compton and Bill Edrich who put on 370 together at the Oval and 228 at Old Trafford. Compton scored an incredible 1,187 runs in the five tests and Edrich 869. Alan Melville scored 3 tons for South Africa and Bruce Mitchell two in the Oval test. Set 451 to win by Norman Yarley, the visitors secured the draw, and almost won, with a valiant 423 for 7.

The 1947-1948 tour of the West Indies was a humiliation however with an injury plagued England team beaten 2 - 0. Ken Cranston captained England, in the absence of the injured Gubby Allen and George Headley became the first black man to captain the West Indies. England had left Compton, Edrich, Bedser, Wright, Yardley at home and Hutton only joined them in time for the 7th match of the tour. Andy Ganteaume scored 117 in his only test innings at Port of Spain.

Worse was to come as Bradman's 'Invincibles' swept all before them in 1948, dismissing England 4 - 0 and winning 25, and losing none, of their 34 tour games. England did not help themselves by dropping Len Hutton for the 3rd test. Denis Compton made a stirring 184 at Trent Bridge, withstanding the high pace of Lindwall and Miller in dreadful light. He also scored a brave 145* at Old Trafford having been hit on the forehead by a bouncer and forced to retire hurt. Sid Barnes was also hurt at short leg and taken to hospital. England were bowled out for 52 at the Oval, with the restored Hutton making 32, before Hollies famously bowled Bradman second ball in his final test innings.

George Mann captained England in his first series, just as his father had done, when England beat South Africa 2 - 0 in 1948-1949. England won an exciting opening contest at Durban by two wickets, thanks to Cliff Gladwin's famous scurried leg bye. Denis Compton took his only five wicket haul in tests at Cape Town while Hutton and Washbrook posted a record opening stand of 359 at Johannesburg. The consistent Jack Crapp hit 49 to win the last test just before the scheduled close.

New Zealand forced a draw in every test of the 1949 series in England with Martin Donnelly, who also played rugby for England, scoring 206 in the Lords Test and Bert Sutcliffe posting a ton at the Oval.