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Full name | William Alfred Brown | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born |
Toowoomba, Australia |
31 July 1912|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Died | 16 March 2008 Brisbane, Australia |
(aged 95)|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Batting style | Right-hand batsman | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bowling style | Right-arm off spin | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Role | Batsman | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
National side | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Test debut (cap 150) | 8 June 1934 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last Test | 24 June 1948 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1932/33–1935/36 | New South Wales | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1936/37–1949/50 | Queensland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: CricketArchive, 10 December 2007 |
William Alfred "Bill" Brown, OAM (31 July 1912 – 16 March 2008) was an Australian cricketer who played 22 Tests between 1934 and 1948, captaining his country in one Test. A right-handed opening batsman, his partnership with Jack Fingleton in the 1930s is regarded as one of the finest in Australian Test history. After the interruption of World War II, Brown was a member of Don Bradman's Invincibles, who toured England in 1948 without defeat. In a match in November 1947, Brown was the unwitting victim of the first instance of "Mankading".
Raised in New South Wales, Brown initially struggled in both work and cricket, before gradually rising through the cricket ranks. He made his first-class debut for New South Wales in the 1932–33 season and forced his way into the national side during the 1934 tour of England. When long-term openers Bill Ponsford and Bill Woodfull retired at the end of the tour, Brown and his state opening partner Fingleton took over. After poor form made his selection for the 1938 tour of England controversial, Brown responded with a total of 1,854 runs, including an unbeaten 206 that saved Australia from defeat in the second Test, and was honoured as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year.