Alan Fairfax
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cricket information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batting | Right-hand bat | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm fast-medium | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Source: CricketArchive
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Alan Geoffrey Fairfax (16 June 1906, Summer Hill, New South Wales – 17 May 1955, Kensington, England) was an Australian cricketer who played in ten Tests from 1929 to 1931. He was an all rounder.
Fairfax had a rapid rise to international honours, making his test debut the same season as his first class debut. His test career was cut short when he emigrated to England in 1932 to play in the Lancashire League as a professional.
Fairfax's uncle was a top grade player, BW Fairfax.
Fairfax was a child prodigy as a player, breaking records for Kogarah School. he was soon playing for St George in grade cricket. However over the next few summers his form suffered and it seemed he would not live up to his initial promise.
His form improved over the 1927-28 summer, scoring a century against Cumberland.
Good form early in 1928-29 saw him selected for NSW Colts in October 1928. He scored 107 against Queensland Colts. He made his first class debut shortly afterwards, playing Victoria for NSW, opening the batting with Archie Jackson and taking four wickets. He made his first 50 against Queensland then took seven wickets against South Australia. He followed this with his debut first class century, 104 against Victoria</ref>(in a game where Bradman scored 304).
According to a contemporary report:
A bowler of his years able to make runs in this way is well worthy of keen consideration. Fairfax is a hard-driving batsman, and a medium-pace bowler. With his club at first, he was inclined to bowl too fast. He has dropped to medium pace, and, as a result, lias a good change of pace in. the fast ball, and is able to spin the ball at his normal pace. Besides, he is not above sending down a yorker — a ball most bowlers these days have quite forgotten.
Another writer of the time said:
Fairfax has cricket in him.- He would probably be at his best going in seventh or eighth in a crack side... He has been doing .something useful with bat and ball in each representative game he has played. He has height and reach, and drives well... He... needs to tone up his running between wickets.
He impressed in a rain-shortened game against the touring English side for NSW, top scoring with 40 and taking three wickets. He scored over 50 runs and took four wickets against South Australia.
These consistent performances led to his selection in the fifth test against the English side. It had been a rapid rise, selected for a test only a few weeks after his first class debut, but the selectors were keen to trial new players following the loss of the Ashes at home that summer; Percy Hornibrook and Tim Wall were also selected. One writer described him as:
...
Wikipedia