Sid Barnes With The Australian Cricket Team in England in 1948 - Background

Background

Barnes had been a regular member of the Australian cricket team since World War II and was on his second trip to England after making his Test debut there in 1938 before the war. During the 1946–47 Australian season, which saw England tour for five Tests, the home nation's senior opening batsman Bill Brown was injured. Barnes and debutant Arthur Morris had averaged 73.83 and 71.85 respectively, playing in all five matches.

Barnes went to England in the Australian winter of 1947. In his autobiography, he claimed to have gone as a representative for an alcohol company, although appears to have dealt in commodities that were in short supply due to rationing. Once in England, he was approached by Burnley to play as a professional in Lancashire League cricket, which he did briefley before becoming disinterested and resigning. Barnes returned to Australia for the 1947–48 season, keen to win a place on the 1948 tour to England. He was worried that having played as a professional in the Lancashire League would damage his chance of further Test cricket, as the Australian authorities frowned on those who played professionally in England. There was also concern that, with his wife now living in Scotland, he would breach the Australian Board of Control's rule that wives were not allowed to travel with players, by being in the same overseas country.

Brown, Barnes and Morris shared the opening duties against the visiting Indians; their batting averages were 43.00, 52.25 and 42.66 respectively. With Brown recovered, the Australian selectors dropped Barnes for the first two Tests against the Indians. However, Brown struggled and made only 18 and 11 runs—Australia batted once in both Tests—and was then dropped for Barnes, who made only 12 and 15 in the Third Test. Retained for the Fourth Test, Barnes made 112 in an Australian victory. Morris—whose place was secure—was rested for the Fifth and final Test to give Brown another chance to show that he was worthy of selection. Barnes made 33 while Brown made 99 run out as Australia completed a 4–0 series win. In the end, all three were selected for the England tour, though Barnes had to give assurances about the amount of contact he would have with his wife—still living in Scotland—before he was confirmed. As specialist opening batsmen, the trio were competing for the two opening positions in Bradman's first-choice team.

Barnes brought along half a tonne of baggage on the sea voyage to England, including a lot of food and drink, particularly alcohol, which was scarce due to the war and subject to rationing. There Barnes would sell his goods. During the journey, the players had to sign autographs on 5,000 sheets of paper with the team list. Barnes had a stamp of his signature made, and paid a young boy drinks to deal with the sheets, but he landed himself in trouble with captain Don Bradman and manager Keith Johnson when the boy stamped the sheets erratically, sometimes not adjacent to Barnes's position on the team list.