Sid Barnes With The Australian Cricket Team in England in 1948 - Third Test

Third Test

The teams reassembled at Old Trafford for the Third Test. Australia dropped Brown, who had scored 73 runs at 24.33 in three Test innings in his unfamiliar position in the middle order. Yardley won the toss and elected to bat, and England made 363. Barnes caught his first victim for the Test series, the diminutive debutant opener George Emmett, who was surprised by a rising ball from Ray Lindwall. Emmett took his eyes from the ball and fended with one hand on the horizontally-held bat, while ducking his head down below his arms; the ball bounced slowly off the pitch and after hitting Emmett’s bat, rebounded gently up in the air to Barnes, leaving England at 2/28. Barnes dropped two catches later in the day, but neither cost Australia substantially. Jack Crapp hit Ernie Toshack to Barnes at short leg, who failed to hold the catch. However, Crapp did not capitalise and was out soon after. During the same middle session, Yardley hit Toshack to Barnes, who was again unable to complete the reflex catch. However, Yardley was dismissed shortly after for 22. Tail-ender Dick Pollard came to the crease on the second morning and pulled a ball from Ian Johnson into the left ribs of Barnes, who was standing at short leg, almost on the edge of the cut strip. According to Fingleton, Barnes "dropped like a fallen tree", and a minority of spectators loudly celebrated the injury. Briefly paralysed on his left side, he had to be carried from the ground by four policemen and taken to hospital for an examination.

Australia came out to bat halfway through the middle session on the second day, after England had ended on 363. Having dropped Brown, Barnes's injury left Australia with only one specialist opener, Morris. Johnson—a bowler—was deployed as Australia's makeshift second opener and fell for one. On the third morning, Barnes came out to bat upon Keith Miller's dismissal at 4/135, even though he had collapsed from the aftereffects of his injury while practising in the nets. Barnes had refused to stay in hospital and returned to the ground despite his ribs being discoloured from the bruising. Bradman was not aware of Barnes's collapse in the nets, but had told all rounder Sam Loxton to bat before Barnes to give the bruised opener more rest. Loxton told Barnes of Bradman's wishes, but when Miller was dismissed, Barnes defied team orders and walked out to bat, shaking Pollard's hand at the start of his innings.

He made a painful single in 25 minutes of batting before it became too much. The bruising severely restricted his mobility and breathing, and he turned down a single after being called through by Loxton, who had come in at the fall of Morris. Soon after, the pair took a single, and Barnes collapsed after completing the run. Barnes was taken from the ground with the assistance of Bradman among others, and sent back to hospital to recuperate for several days. He took no further part in the match, which ended in a rain-affected draw; Johnson again fell for single figures in the second innings. After the Test, Barnes—still injured—missed the ten-wicket victory over Middlesex at Lord's. The match was Australia's only fixture between Tests.