Cricket in World War II

Cricket in World War II was severely disrupted in most of the countries where first-class cricket is played. Only in India was a normal schedule of matches maintained throughout. In Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa and West Indies the normal first-class competitions were suspended for some or all of the war and a small number of ad hoc first-class matches were organised when possible.

Although Australia declared war on Germany immediately after the British declaration on 3 September 1939, there was a view prevalent in the country that favoured “business as usual” and the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) was urged by the Prime Minister, Robert Menzies, to comply with this and stage the 1939–40 Sheffield Shield competition "for the morale of the people". In 1940–41, however, the Sheffield Shield was not contested but ten first-class “friendly” matches were played between the States for patriotic funds; however financially these were unsuccessful.

During the 1941 off-season as the war position worsened there were already proposals by the New South Wales Cricket Association to end inter-state cricket whilst the war was in progress; however at the beginning of the 1941–42 season Queensland beat New South Wales by nineteen runs in the first of seven scheduled three-day interstate matches.

The march of the Imperial Japanese Navy and Air Force into New Guinea and the northern Australian coastline during the summer of 1941–42, however, meant that an intensification of Australia’s war effort was urgently needed and first-class cricket – where matches required four or more days to complete – was incompatible with requirements to mobilise all available labour for the military. Between 9 and 11 December 1941 the state cricket associations of South Australia, Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales decided at meetings with new Prime Minister John Curtin to abandon all interstate matches for the duration of the war.

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