Arthur Morris with the Australian cricket team in England in 1948
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Arthur Morris
was a key member of Donald Bradman
's famous Australian cricket team, which toured England in 1948. The Australians went undefeated in their 34 matches; this unprecedented feat by a Test side touring England earned them the sobriquet The Invincibles.
A left-handed opening batsman
, Morris played in all five Tests, partnering the right-handed Sid Barnes
in three Tests—Barnes was injured for the other two Tests. As one of three on-tour selectors, Morris was a member of the leadership group along with Bradman and vice-captain Lindsay Hassett
.
Morris ended the first-class
tour with 1,922 runs at a batting average
of 71.18 including seven centuries
, recording the second highest aggregate behind Bradman. Morris' s form peaked in the Test series; he headed the runscoring aggregates and averages for all players with 696 runs at 87.00, and was the only player to compile three Test centuries. In the Second Test at Lord's, Morris struck 105 to set up Australia's first innings of 350 and eventual win. He scored 182 on a deteriorating pitch
on the final day of the Fourth Test at Headingley
, combining for a triple-century partnership with Bradman. Australia scored 3/404 in the second innings to win by seven wickets, setting a world record for the highest successful run-chase in Test history. In the Fifth Test at The Oval
, Morris scored 196, more than half of Australia's 389 as the tourists went on to win by an innings.
Based on his performance during the tour of England, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
named
Morris as one of their Cricketers of the Year
in 1949. They described him as "one of the world's best left-hand batsmen".
, scoring 45 and an unbeaten
100 in the Third Test victory in Melbourne
. He was omitted for the Fifth Test because the selectors wanted to trial other candidates for the 1948 tour of England. Morris ended the series with 209 runs at a batting average
of 52.25, making him the third highest scorer as Australia won 4–0. During the series, he had opened with both Bill Brown
, the veteran who had been a mainstay of Australian teams of the 1930s, and New South Wales teammate Sid Barnes
. The Australian selectors chose Brown for the first two Tests against the Indians, but he struggled and made only 18 and 11—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 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. As specialist opening batsmen, the trio were competing for the two opening positions in Bradman's first-choice team.
Morris—recently appointed co-captain of New South Wales
—greatly impressed Australian captain Don Bradman, to the extent that Bradman made himself, Morris and vice-captain Lindsay Hassett
the three on-tour selectors for the 1948 visit to England. Morris was a key part of Bradman's inner circle during the planning of the tour. Bradman had long harboured an ambition to tour England without losing a match; his team would become the first to achieve this feat, earning themselves the sobriquet
, The Invincibles.
. After the hosts had batted first and made 233, Morris stroked with a fluent 138 (including 19 fours) from 275 minutes. He put on an opening stand
of 79 with Sid Barnes
, before adding 186 for the second wicket with Bradman. Australia declared
at 8/462 before completing an innings victory. Morris and Bradman's scoring matched one another during their partnership and both were close to being the first Australian century-maker on the tour. The former was on 95 and took three runs to move to 98, before Bradman hit consecutive fours to progress from 91 to 99. The Australian captain failed to score for the rest of the over, so Morris took the strike in the next over and reached his century before Bradman followed suit. After reaching triple figures, Morris added his last 38 runs in 50 minutes. Morris’s role indicated his standing alongside Barnes as a first-choice opener, as Australia customarily selected its strongest team for the tour opener. The third opener taken on tour, Bill Brown
, played out of position in the middle order.
Morris was rested from the second tour match, which was against Leicestershire
; Bradman’s team won by an innings. He returned against Yorkshire
, and in a low-scoring match on a damp pitch
favouring slower bowling, made 17 and three as Australia won by only four wickets. The match saw 324 runs scored for the loss of 35 wickets and a top-score of only 34. Morris’s 17 in the first innings was actually the fourth highest score for the entire match. The match was the closest Australia came to defeat for the whole tour; the tourists were 6/31 in pursuit of the target of 60, with effectively only three wickets in hand because Sam Loxton
was injured and unable to bat. The Australians travelled to London to play Surrey
at The Oval
. In the first hour of play, Australia's openers played solidly and rarely missed a ball. Morris scored 65 as he and Barnes put on an opening stand of 136, which laid the foundation for Australia's 632. The tourists went on to win the match by an innings. In the next fixture, Morris managed only 26 as Australia piled on 4/414 declared against Cambridge University
. Morris bowled for the first time on tour, sending down five wicketless over
s for 11 runs as Australia completed their second innings victory in succession.
Morris was rested as Australia crushed Essex
by an innings and 451 runs, their largest winning margin for the summer. During the match, the Australian batsmen set a world record by scoring 721 runs on the first day, a new world record for the most runs in one day of first-class cricket. Morris returned for the innings victory against Oxford University
, putting on an opening stand of 138 with Brown before being run out
for 64. Former Australian Test batsman Jack Fingleton
reported that Hubert Webb
"brilliantly ran out Morris from the boundary with a throw over the stumps". Australia amassed 431 and won completed their fourth consecutive innings victory. In the hosts’ second innings, Morris took his first wicket of the tour, bowling Indian Test batsman Abdul Hafeez Kardar to end with 1/6 from three overs.
The next match was against the Marylebone Cricket Club
(MCC) at Lord's. The MCC fielded seven players who would represent England in the Tests, and were basically a full strength Test team, while Australia fielded their strongest possible team. Morris and Barnes retained their positions at the top of the order, while Brown played out of position in the middle order. It was a chance to players from boths sides to gain a psychological advantage ahead of the Tests, but Morris looked uncomfortable, managing only five as Australia amassed 552 and enforced the follow on to win by an innings. In the MCC’s second innings, Morris caught Jim Laker
from the bowling of Colin McCool
. The Lord’s fixture was followed by Australia's first non-victory of the tour, which was against Lancashire
. Morris continued to struggle, making five and 22, falling twice to England Test paceman Dick Pollard
, In the drawn match against Nottinghamshire
, Morris continued his form slump, making 16 in the tourists’ only innings.
Morris found batting difficult for the first few weeks of the tour, as he struggled to adapt to the unfamiliar batting conditions. He reached 50 only twice in the nine innings after the Worcestershire match, totalling only 223 runs at 24.77; Morris sometimes attempted to drive balls pitched just short of a good length, and if they reared suddenly, he was liable to be caught. Morris was worried about edging the ball to the slips cordon and had become fidgety and shuffled across the crease
.
After being rested for the eight-wicket win over Hampshire
, Morris rectified his technical problem, and success followed against Sussex
. After the hosts had been rolled for 86 in their first innings, Morris dominated an opening partnership of 153 with Brown, who made only 44 before becoming the first man to fall. Morris added a further 189 for the second wicket with Bradman before he fell for 184 at 2/342. He had struck 26 fours, laying the platform for Australia's total of 5/549 declared and eventual innings victory. He was to hit five more first-class centuries before the end of the season.
with a century under his belt. He held his position at the top of the order along with Barnes, while Brown played out of position in the middle order. Morris bowled three overs for four runs in the first innings as England were bowled out for 165 on the first day after winning the toss and electing to bat. During the innings, Morris took a reflex catch when Godfrey Evans
hit a ball strongly, directly to him at short leg to leave England at 7/74.
Australia survived the last 15 minutes on the first evening to reach stumps on 0/17, with Morris on 10. Barnes and Morris took the score to 73 before the latter was bowled by Jim Laker
's off spin
for 31. Barnes batted confidently, while the hesitant Morris shuffled around the crease. At one stage, Morris scored only seven runs in 55 minutes, During this period, Morris unnecessarily played at a ball outside off stump from seamer Alec Bedser
and edged it to wicket-keeper Evans, who dropped the catch. He recomposed himself and hit left arm orthodox spinner Jack Young's
first ball—a full toss
—for runs as Australia passed 50 without loss.Arlott, p. 35. Morris fell when he tried to force a ball from Laker away, but hit it from the middle of his bat into his back pad; the ball rebounded onto the stumps.O'Reilly, p. 37. Australia went on to amass 509, and when England batted again, they lost their third wicket at 150. Joe Hardstaff junior
came in, and on the third ball he aimed a cut that went low to second slip, just as he did in the first innings. However, Morris dropped the catch. Hardstaff exploited his second chance to make 43 before falling at 4/243.
Australia eventually bowled England out for 441, leaving them a target of 98 on the final day. Bradman’s openers progressed quickly at the start of the chase. Barnes took 13 runs from the opening over by Bedser, but Morris again lacked fluency. Australia reached 38 from 32 minutes when Bedser bowled Morris for nine, but the tourists steadied to reached their target with eight wickets in hand. After bowling several balls that moved away, Bedser caught out Morris with an inswinger.Arlott, p. 50. Morris had developed a habit of trying to defend the ball to the leg side while shuffling towards the off, and was not in a position to deal with a ball that hurried off the pitch. Following the match, Fingleton criticised Morris, feeling that he was shuffling across the crease too much instead of playing from the back foot.
In the match immediately after the First Test, Morris scored 60 against Northamptonshire
, putting on 122 runs with Lindsay Hassett
as Australian completed an innings win. He was then rested ahead of the Second Test as Australia drew with Yorkshire at Bramall Lane
in Sheffield
.
, Australia elected to bat first and England made an ideal start. The debutant Alec Coxon
opened the bowling and removed Barnes for a duck
in his second over to leave the tourists at 1/3. England restricted the Australians in the first hour and created several near misses, particularly against Bradman, who nervous early on. In contrast, Morris was playing fluently and scored many runs from the back cut. At the end of the pace bowlers’ opening spells, the leg spin
of Doug Wright
was introduced and Australia cut loose. Wright bowled a no ball
that Morris dispatched over the leg side
fence for six, before hitting another ball for four. Bradman and Morris settled down as Coxon and Wright operated steadily, although the latter was able to extract substantial spin, hitting Morris in the stomach with a ball that turned in sharply from outside off stump.. At lunch, Australia were 1/82 with Morris on 45 and Bradman on 35.
Shortly afterwards, with the score at 87, Bradman was caught for the third consecutive time in Tests in Bedser's leg trap. Len Hutton
—who took the catch—had dropped Bradman in the same position when the Australian captain was on 13. At the other end, Morris began to take control. He drove the ball through the covers and clipped it off his pads through the leg side
. Morris reached his century with consecutive boundaries
from Coxon. Fingleton called the innings "a pretty Test century in the grandest of all cricket settings". This ended a run of poor form for Morris, a period during which he had shuffled uncertainly on the crease without moving forward or back decisively. O'Reilly called it Morris's best Test century to date, as this was the strongest English attack he had faced during his career, and because of the loss of wickets at the other end. O'Reilly said Morris had been disciplined in not playing loose shots outside off stump and missing or edging them, yet still being able to score quickly at every opportunity. Morris was out soon after for 105 from 166 balls, after hitting Coxon to Hutton in the gully to leave Australia at 3/166. His innings included 14 fours and one six, and was noted for powerful, well-placed cover drives. With Morris gone, Australia fell to 7/258 at stumps, before the lower order counterattacked on the second morning and took the total to 350. Bradman’s team took a 135-run lead after dismissing England for 215.
The weather was fine as Australia started their second innings on the third morning. The Australian openers took a cautious approach to begin with, avoiding the hook shot and not playing at balls that were not going to hit the stumps, looking for a solid start. Both openers were given early reprieves. Barnes survived a stumping
opportunity when he was 18. Laker came on and induced Morris into hitting an airborne ball back down the pitch, but he was slow to react to the possibility of a caught and bowled. According to O'Reilly, most other bowlers would have been able to reach the ball and attempt a catch. The openers took advantage to combine for an opening stand of 122. Wright came on and again bowled a no ball at the start of his spell, which Morris lofted into the crowd for six. After shuffling around with uncertainty at the start of his innings, Morris began to play more fluently. He was eventually bowled for 62, knocking a ball from Wright onto his stumps. The opening partnership laid the platform for Australia's 7/460 declared, which allowed them to set an imposing target of 596 and win by 409 runs to take a 2–0 series lead.
Morris was rested by Bradman for the second match against Surrey, which started the day after the Test and ended in a ten-wicket victory for the Australians. The following match was against Gloucestershire
at Bristol
, and in only five hours on the first day, Morris scored his career best of 290. Having lost the first two Tests, England were contemplating changes to their team: Tom Goddard
was earmarked to replace Jim Laker
as the off spin
ner after performing strongly in county cricket
, while Laker had struggled in the Second Test. The English hoped Goddard would be the strike bowler to cut through Australia's strong batting line-up. Morris's assault ended Goddard's hopes of Test selection. His innings was highlighted by his quick assessment of the length of the ball, followed by decisive footwork. Morris confidently advanced out of the crease when the ball was of a full length to drive and rocked onto the back foot to and cut if Goddard dropped short. Unable to contain Morris, Goddard packed the leg side
field and bowled outside leg stump
. Morris responded by stepping down the wicket towards the leg side, charging the bowler and repeatedly lofting the ball inside out over the off side. He reached his century before lunch and his 200 by the tea interval. By the time Morris was dismissed, he had struck 40 fours
and a six. He put on stands of 102 with Barnes, 136 with Keith Miller
and 162 with Neil Harvey
before falling with the score at 4/466. Fingleton said "Morris flayed it [the home team's bowling] in all directions", while former English Test paceman
Maurice Tate
said "Tom [Goddard] is not used to batsmen using their feet to him ... the county batsmen diddle and diddle [shuffle about indecisively instead of quickly moving into position and attacking] to him and that gets him many wickets." Australia amassed 5/560 on the first day before declaring at 7/774, their largest score of the tour and the second highest by any Australian team on English soil. Morris took a match total of 1/35 as Australia won by an innings.
pull shot while fielding at short leg. When Australia started their first innings reply, Barnes was still recuperating after being carried from the field and taken to hospital for a medical examination.
Having dropped Brown for the Test, Barnes's injury left Australia with only Morris as a specialist opener. Off spinner Ian Johnson
was deployed as Australia's makeshift second opener. He was unable to make an impact, as Bedser removed him for one, before Pollard trapped Bradman leg before wicket
(lbw) to leave Australia at 2/13. The tourists were pinned down as Pollard bowled 17 consecutive overs from his long run, aiming at leg stump. Pollard was reinforced by Bedser, who bowled unchanged for 90 minutes. Morris and Hassett rebuilt the innings, adding 69 for the third wicket in 101 minutes before the latter fell. Miller joined Morris and the pair took the score to 3/126 at stumps, with the latter—who had been the more sedate in the partnership—on 48.Arlott, p. 88.
Australia struggled against the new ball in the first hour of the day three. Miller played and missed three times in one over before being trapped lbw for 31; the tourists added only nine runs in the first hour. Four runs later, Morris reached 51 and fell to Bedser, leaving Australia at 5/139. It had been a slow morning for Morris—he took 21 minutes to add a single to his overnight total and reached 50 after taking another 24 minutes to register his second run of the day. Australia fell for 221, narrowly avoiding the follow on, and England declared at 3/174 on the last morning after many rain delays. This left Bradman’s team with a victory target of 317, but the rain kept falling and the entire morning was lost.
Play finally began after the tea, and the pitch played very slowly because of the excess moisture. As Australia had no intention of chasing the runs, England captain Norman Yardley
often installed seven men in close catching positions. In the first half hour, the tourists showed little attacking intent and scored only six runs. Johnson then fell for six to leave Australia at 1/10. Bradman came to the crease and played 11 balls without scoring while Morris scored two streaky fours from Bedser. Yardley used his spinners for an hour, while Morris and Bradman made little effort to score. For 105 minutes, Morris stayed at one end and Bradman at the other; neither looked to rotate the strike by taking singles. The Australian skipper faced only eight balls from Morris's main end, and at one point was so startled when his partner wanted a single that he sent him back. Thereafter, the tourists batted steadily and defensively to ensure a draw. They ended at 1/92 from 61 overs, a run rate
of 1.50, with 35 maidens
; this was the slowest innings run rate for the series to date. Morris finished unbeaten on 54, his fourth consecutive half-century during the Test series. The match finally ended after a series of periodic rain interruptions.
Morris struck 109 against Middlesex
in the following tour match at Lord’s.The hosts batted first and made 203, and Australia stumbled to 3/53 before Morris combined with Sam Loxton
(123) for a 172-run fourth-wicket stand. Australia recovered to reach 317 and went on to a ten-wicket win. Morris's century meant he had amassed 504 runs in just over a week of cricket.
The Fourth Test at Headingley
in Leeds
saw Morris at his finest; England elected to bat and started strongly with 496 in the first innings, their highest score of the series. On a placid pitch, Morris was one of seven bowlers used as Bradman sought a breakthrough; each of the first three wickets put on century partnerships. Bill Edrich
hit a long hop
from Morris's left arm unorthodox spin to the boundary to reach his century, before Bedser lifted him high over square leg for six. This prompted Bradman to replace Morris after he conceded 20 runs in five overs as England reached 2/423. Edrich was out when he attempted to pull Johnson to the on side in the large gap between mid-on and square leg, but only hit it in the air to Morris, who completed the catch diving forwards at wide mid-on to leave the score at 4/426,O'Reilly, p. 119. before England collapsed to 496.
England took a 38-run lead after Australia replied with 458. Morris contributed only six while batting with vice-captain Lindsay Hassett
, who had been promoted from the middle order to open while Barnes was still injured; Bradman had overlooked reserve opener Brown. Morris chipped Bedser in the air to Ken Cranston
at mid-wicket to leave Australia at 1/13. Australia slumped to 3/68 before a middle-order fightback took Australia to 458 early on the fourth morning. England declared at 8/365 early on the fifth morning, leaving Australia to chase 404 runs for victory. Batting into the final day allowed Yardley the right to ask the groundsman to use a heavy roller
, which would help to break up the wicket and make the surface more likely to spin and bounce unevenly.
At the time, 404 would have been the highest ever fourth innings score to result in a Test victory for the batting side. Australia had only 345 minutes to reach their target, and the local press wrote them off, predicting that they would be dismissed by lunchtime on a deteriorating wicket expected to favour spin bowlers. Morris and Hassett started slowly, scoring only six runs in the first six overs
on a pitch offering spin and bounce. It appeared they were playing carefully at first before deciding whether to try and achieve the target at a later point. In Bedser's second over, the third of the innings, Morris chipped the ball in the air towards mid-wicket, in a similar manner to his first innings dismissal, but this time the ball evaded Cranston. After 15 minutes, Australia had only made 0/10.
After Bedser had bowled three overs, Laker replaced him in the seventh over as Yardely attempted to exploit the turning surface, but 13 runs were taken from his first over. Hassett hit a four and took a single to rotate the strike. Later in the over, Morris hit a four, was beaten by a bouncing ball that hurried off the pitch, before striking another boundary. Despite the expensive Laker over, only 44 runs came in the first hour, meaning that the tourists still needed 360 runs from 285 minutes. The crowd heckled the Australian openers for their slow scoring and they applauded ironically after Morris took a single. After his poor first over, Laker had settled down and conceded only two runs from his next six overs, and "was getting at least one ball every over to turn considerably".
In an attempt to exploit the worn surface, Yardley brought on the part-time left-arm unorthodox spin
of Compton to partner Laker. The occasional bowler was inaccurate and Morris struck two fours in his first over to bring up Australia's 50 in 64 minutes. However, Compton's deceived Morris—who danced down the pitch and missed the ball—in the next over, but Evans fumbled the stumping opportunity with the batsman on 32 and Australia at 0/55. Laker beat Morris in the following over with an off break
that spun a foot, before Compton removed Hassett for 17 with the score at 57.
Bradman joined Morris with 347 runs needed in 271 minutes. The Australian captain signalled his intentions by reaching 12 in only six minutes. Yardley then called upon the occasional leg spin
of Hutton in an attempt to exploit the turning wicket. However, Hutton did not bowl regularly so he had trouble in maintaining his consistency. Morris promptly joined Bradman in the counter-attack, hitting three consecutive fours to reach 51 during Hutton's first over, which Fingleton described as "rather terrible" due to the errant length. Bradman took two fours off Hutton's next over before almost hitting a catch. However, the 20 runs from Hutton's two inaccurate overs had allowed Australia to reach 1/96 from 90 minutes.
In the next over, Compton greatly troubled Bradman, who edged two balls and was dropped once. At the other end, Morris continued to take advantage of Hutton's inaccurate leg break
s, and Australia reached lunch at 1/121, with the opener on 63 and his captain on 35. Hutton had conceded 30 runs in four overs, and in the half hour preceding the interval, Australia had added 64 runs. Although Australia had scored at a reasonable rate, they had also been troubled by many of the deliveries and were expected to face further difficulty if they were to avoid defeat.
Upon resumption, Compton continued as Yardley persisted with his policy of trying to exploit the deteriorating pitch with as much spin as possible. Compton was not a regular bowler and sent down a series of full toss
es and long hop
s that were easily dispatched for runs. Morris struck seven fours in two overs of what Fingleton called "indescribably bad bowling". This sequence included six fours in eight balls. As Morris continued to attack, Compton began to crack under the pressure and his accuracy worsened. Compton had generated trouble for the batsmen by tossing the ball up and beating the bat or inducing edges, but Morris counterattacked with drives. Compton tried to hold back his length to avoid being driven, but the Australian opener pounced on the shorter balls. Morris reached the 90s just 14 minutes after the interval and hit another boundary to reach his century in just over two hours. Morris had added 37 runs since lunch, while Bradman had furthered his total by only three.
The Australian onslaught against the spinners prompted Yardley to take the new ball and replace Compton with his fast men. Bradman reached 50 in 60 minutes and Yardley dropped him soon after. Australia reached 202—halfway to the required total—with 165 minutes remaining, after Morris dispatched consecutive full tosses from Laker to the fence. Bradman then hooked two boundaries, but suffered a fibrositis attack, which put him in significant pain. Drinks were taken during a delay for treatment, and Morris had to shield Bradman from the strike until the skipper’s pain had subsided. Australia reached 250 shortly before tea, with Morris on 133 and Bradman on 92. Bradman then reached his century as the second-wicket stand passed 200.
Morris was given another life on 136, when Laker dropped him at square leg from the bowling of Compton. Bradman was given another life at 108; he advanced two metres down the pitch towards Laker and missed, but Evans fumbled the stumping opportunity. Australia reached tea at 1/292 with Morris on 150. The pair had added 171 during the session. Morris was eventually dismissed by Yardley for 182, after hitting a tired-looking shot to mid-off, having partnered Bradman for a stand of 301 in 217 minutes. He struck 33 fours in 290 minutes of batting. Australia still needed 46 for victory, and went on to win by seven wickets with 15 minutes to spare, setting a new world record for the highest successful Test run-chase.
Morris was rested for the match against Derbyshire
immediately after the Headingley Test, which Australia won by an innings, as well as the next match against Glamorgan
, which was a rain-affected draw. He returned to score 32 and 20 not out
as Australia defeated Warwickshire
by nine wickets. Australia faced Lancashire for the second time on the tour; Morris made 49 and 16 as the match ended in a draw. Morris and Barnes put on 123 in the first innings, but their teammates were unable to build on the platform and Australia ended on 321. Morris was rested from the non-first-class match against Durham
, which was a rain-affected draw.
for the Fifth Test. England won the toss and elected to bat on a pitch affected by heavy rain prior to the match. With the score at 2/17, Lindwall bowled a bouncer
, which Compton hooked. Morris ran from his position at short square leg to take a difficult catch, described by Fingleton as "one of the catches of the season". England collapsed to be all out for 52 as Australia’s pacemen extracted bounce and movement from the pitch.
In contrast, Australia batted with ease, as the overcast skies cleared and sun came out. The debutant Allan Watkins
opened the bowling, delivering four overs for 19 runs before the after-effects of a Lindwall blow to the shoulder became too much. The openers passed England's first innings total with ease in less than an hour, and Australia reached 100 at 17:30, with Barnes on 52 and Morris on 47. The tourists reached 117 before Barnes fell to Eric Hollies
for 61, ending an opening stand that had been compiled in only 126 minutes. This brought Bradman to the crease late on the first day. As the Australian captain had already announced his retirement after the end of the series, the innings would be his last in Test cricket if Australia batted only once. The crowd gave him a standing ovation as he walked out to the wicket. Yardley led the Englishmen in giving Bradman three cheers, before shaking his hand. The Australian captain needed only four runs for a Test average of 100, but was bowled by Hollies for a second ball duck
with a googly
that went between bat and pad. Bradman received another large round of applause as he left the arena.
Hassett came in at 2/117 and together with Morris saw Australia to the close at 2/153. Morris was unbeaten on 77, having hooked Hollies for two fours just before stumps. On the second morning, Morris registered his third century of the Test series and his sixth in Ashes
matches. The innings had taken 208 minutes and included four fours. Hassett and Morris took the score to 226 before their 109-run stand was broken when Young trapped the former for 37. As the Australians had dismissed their hosts cheaply on the first day and were already well in the lead, they had plenty of time to complete a victory, so Hassett and Morris had no need to take undue risks and scored at a sedate pace. The following batsmen were unable to establish themselves at the crease. Miller made five, before Harvey came to the crease and hit two quick boundaries before being dismissed. Hollies took both wickets.
Loxton came in and accompanied Morris for 39 further runs before falling to Edrich. Lindwall fell for nine before Morris was finally removed for 196, ending an innings noted for his hooking and off-driving. It took a run out
to remove Morris; he attempted a quick run after the ball was hit to third man. Morris was called through for a run by Don Tallon
, but he was too slow for the substitute fielder Reg Simpson
's arm. Australia went on to finish with 389. Morris had scored more than half the runs as the rest of the team struggled against the leg spin
of Hollies, who took 5/131. Hollies tossed the ball up repeatedly, coaxing the Australians into attacking balls that spun after pitching on off stump. Morris took four catches for the match as Australia took victory by an innings and 149 runs, sealing a 4–0 Test series triumph.
and Morris made 43 in a total of 361 before Australia enforced the follow on and completed an innings victory. Morris was rested for the following three matches against the Gentlemen of England, Somerset
and the South of England
. The first two matches were won by innings while the third was washed out after Australia took a large first-innings lead. In the meantime, Morris underwent minor surgery for a split in his hand.
Australia's biggest challenge in the post-Test tour matches was against the Leveson-Gower's XI, named after H. D. G. Leveson-Gower. During the last tour in 1938, this team was effectively a full-strength England outfit, but this time Bradman insisted only six current Test players be allowed to play for the hosts. After his demands were met, Bradman named a full-strength team. After the tourists dismissed the home team for 177, Morris made 62 in a 102-run opening stand with Barnes before Yardley bowled him. Australia declared at 8/489 and time ran out with Leveson-Gower's XI at 2/75 after multiple rain delays.
The tour ended with two non-first-class matches against Scotland. In the first match, Morris was the mainstay of the innings, scoring 112 as Australia batted first and made 236. The Scots replied with 85 and were forced to follow on. Morris led the wicket-taking in the second innings, taking 5/10 from five overs as the hosts fell for 111 to hand the Australians an innings victory. He continued his success in the second match, taking three of Scotland's first four batsmen to end with 3/17 as the hosts fell for 178. Batting at No. 7, Morris made 10 as Australia declared at 6/407 and bowled four overs for eight runs without taking a wicket as Bradman’s men ended the tour with another innings victory.
A left-handed opening batsman, Morris played in all five Tests, partnering the right-handed Sid Barnes
in three Tests; Barnes was injured in the Third and Fourth Tests. Barnes was unable to open in the former and did not play in the latter. Three opening batsmen were taken on the tour, with Bill Brown
being the reserve. During the tour matches, which were usually played consecutively with only one or no days between fixtures, Bradman rotated the trio, so one would generally be rested while the other two opened.N- Notable exceptions occurred in the Test series and the opening match against Worcestershire and the clash against the MCC. In those matches, Australia fielded its first-choice team; Brown played out of position in the middle order, while Morris and Barnes opened. A very occasional left-arm unorthodox spin
bowler, Morris delivered only 35 overs during the first-class matches, including eight in the Tests. He took two wickets, both outside the Test arena.
Morris ended the first-class matches with 1,922 runs at 71.18 including seven centuries, ranking him second in runs only to Bradman (2,428 at 89.92) and substantially ahead of third-placed Hassett (1,563 at 74.42). He did so despite being troubled by a split between the first and second fingers of his left hand, caused by constant jarring from the bat as he played the ball. The wound often opened while he was batting, forcing him to undergo a minor operation which sidelined him from some matches in the latter part of the tour.
In recognition of his performances, Morris was named as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year
in 1949. Wisden
described him as "one of the world's best left-hand batsmen". Neville Cardus
—his former critic—praised Morris's performance during The Invincibles tour as "masterful, stylish, imperturbable, sure in defence, quick and handsome in stroke play. His batting is true to himself, charming and good mannered but reliant and thoughtful."
Morris's form peaked in The Ashes, heading the Test averages and aggregates with 696 runs at 87.00. Bradman (502 at 72.57) and Denis Compton
(562 at 62.44) were the next closest; nobody else scored more than 360 runs. He was the only player to compile three Test centuries, and added three further fifties.
Arthur Morris
Arthur Robert Morris MBE is a former Australian cricketer who played 46 Test matches between 1946 and 1955. An opener, Morris is regarded as one of Australia's greatest left-handed batsmen. He is best known for his key role in Don Bradman's Invincibles side, which made an undefeated tour of...
was a key member of Donald Bradman
Donald Bradman
Sir Donald George Bradman, AC , often referred to as "The Don", was an Australian cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time...
's famous Australian cricket team, which toured England in 1948. The Australians went undefeated in their 34 matches; this unprecedented feat by a Test side touring England earned them the sobriquet The Invincibles.
A left-handed opening batsman
Batting order (cricket)
In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...
, Morris played in all five Tests, partnering the right-handed Sid Barnes
Sid Barnes
Sidney George Barnes was an Australian cricketer and cricket writer, who played 13 Test matches between 1938 and 1948. Able to open the innings or bat down the order, Barnes was regarded as one of Australia's finest batsmen in the period immediately following the Second World War...
in three Tests—Barnes was injured for the other two Tests. As one of three on-tour selectors, Morris was a member of the leadership group along with Bradman and vice-captain Lindsay Hassett
Lindsay Hassett
Arthur Lindsay Hassett MBE was a cricketer who played for Victoria and Australia. The diminutive Hassett was an elegant middle-order batsman, described by Wisden as, "... a master of nearly every stroke ... his superb timing, nimble footwork and strong wrists enabled him to make batting look a...
.
Morris ended the first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
tour with 1,922 runs at a batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of 71.18 including seven centuries
Century (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a batsman reaches his century when he scores 100 or more runs in a single innings. The term is also included in "century partnership" which occurs when two batsmen add 100 runs to the team total when they are batting together. A century is regarded as a landmark score for...
, recording the second highest aggregate behind Bradman. Morris' s form peaked in the Test series; he headed the runscoring aggregates and averages for all players with 696 runs at 87.00, and was the only player to compile three Test centuries. In the Second Test at Lord's, Morris struck 105 to set up Australia's first innings of 350 and eventual win. He scored 182 on a deteriorating pitch
Cricket pitch
In the game of cricket, the cricket pitch consists of the central strip of the cricket field between the wickets - 1 chain or 22 yards long and 10 feet wide. The surface is very flat and normally covered with extremely short grass though this grass is soon removed by wear at the ends of the...
on the final day of the Fourth Test at Headingley
Headingley Stadium
Headingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley in West Yorkshire, England. It is the home of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, rugby league team Leeds Rhinos and rugby union team Leeds Carnegie ....
, combining for a triple-century partnership with Bradman. Australia scored 3/404 in the second innings to win by seven wickets, setting a world record for the highest successful run-chase in Test history. In the Fifth Test at The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
, Morris scored 196, more than half of Australia's 389 as the tourists went on to win by an innings.
Based on his performance during the tour of England, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
named
Morris as one of their Cricketers of the Year
Wisden Cricketers of the Year
The Wisden Cricketers of the Year are cricketers selected for the honour by the annual publication Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, based primarily on their "influence on the previous English season"...
in 1949. They described him as "one of the world's best left-hand batsmen".
Background
During the Australian season of 1947–48, which preceded the tour of England, Morris played in the first four Tests against the touring IndiansIndian cricket team
The Indian cricket team is the national cricket team of India. Governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , it is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status....
, scoring 45 and an unbeaten
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
100 in the Third Test victory in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. He was omitted for the Fifth Test because the selectors wanted to trial other candidates for the 1948 tour of England. Morris ended the series with 209 runs at a batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of 52.25, making him the third highest scorer as Australia won 4–0. During the series, he had opened with both Bill Brown
Bill Brown (cricketer)
William Alfred "Bill" Brown, OAM 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...
, the veteran who had been a mainstay of Australian teams of the 1930s, and New South Wales teammate Sid Barnes
Sid Barnes
Sidney George Barnes was an Australian cricketer and cricket writer, who played 13 Test matches between 1938 and 1948. Able to open the innings or bat down the order, Barnes was regarded as one of Australia's finest batsmen in the period immediately following the Second World War...
. The Australian selectors chose Brown for the first two Tests against the Indians, but he struggled and made only 18 and 11—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 Test to give Brown another chance to show that he was worthy of selection. Barnes made 33 while Brown made 99 run out
Run out
Run out is a method of dismissal in the sport of cricket. It is governed by Law 38 of the Laws of cricket.-The rules:A batsman is out Run out if at any time while the ball is in play no part of his bat or person is grounded behind the popping crease and his wicket is fairly put down by the opposing...
as Australia completed a 4–0 series win. In the end, all three were selected for the England tour. As specialist opening batsmen, the trio were competing for the two opening positions in Bradman's first-choice team.
Morris—recently appointed co-captain of New South Wales
New South Wales Blues
The New South Wales cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team based in Sydney, New South Wales...
—greatly impressed Australian captain Don Bradman, to the extent that Bradman made himself, Morris and vice-captain Lindsay Hassett
Lindsay Hassett
Arthur Lindsay Hassett MBE was a cricketer who played for Victoria and Australia. The diminutive Hassett was an elegant middle-order batsman, described by Wisden as, "... a master of nearly every stroke ... his superb timing, nimble footwork and strong wrists enabled him to make batting look a...
the three on-tour selectors for the 1948 visit to England. Morris was a key part of Bradman's inner circle during the planning of the tour. Bradman had long harboured an ambition to tour England without losing a match; his team would become the first to achieve this feat, earning themselves the sobriquet
Sobriquet
A sobriquet is a nickname, sometimes assumed, but often given by another. It is usually a familiar name, distinct from a pseudonym assumed as a disguise, but a nickname which is familiar enough such that it can be used in place of a real name without the need of explanation...
, The Invincibles.
Early tour
Morris marked his first-class debut on English soil in the opening match of the tour, against WorcestershireWorcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Worcestershire...
. After the hosts had batted first and made 233, Morris stroked with a fluent 138 (including 19 fours) from 275 minutes. He put on an opening stand
Partnership (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, two batsmen always bat in partnership, although only one is on strike at any time. The partnership between two batsmen will come to an end when one of them is dismissed or retires, or the innings comes to a close In the sport of cricket, two batsmen always bat in...
of 79 with Sid Barnes
Sid Barnes
Sidney George Barnes was an Australian cricketer and cricket writer, who played 13 Test matches between 1938 and 1948. Able to open the innings or bat down the order, Barnes was regarded as one of Australia's finest batsmen in the period immediately following the Second World War...
, before adding 186 for the second wicket with Bradman. Australia declared
Declaration and forfeiture
In the sport of cricket a declaration occurs when a captain declares his team's innings closed and a forfeiture is when a captain chooses to forfeit an innings. Declaration and forfeiture are covered in Law 14 of the Laws of cricket...
at 8/462 before completing an innings victory. Morris and Bradman's scoring matched one another during their partnership and both were close to being the first Australian century-maker on the tour. The former was on 95 and took three runs to move to 98, before Bradman hit consecutive fours to progress from 91 to 99. The Australian captain failed to score for the rest of the over, so Morris took the strike in the next over and reached his century before Bradman followed suit. After reaching triple figures, Morris added his last 38 runs in 50 minutes. Morris’s role indicated his standing alongside Barnes as a first-choice opener, as Australia customarily selected its strongest team for the tour opener. The third opener taken on tour, Bill Brown
Bill Brown (cricketer)
William Alfred "Bill" Brown, OAM 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...
, played out of position in the middle order.
Morris was rested from the second tour match, which was against Leicestershire
Leicestershire County Cricket Club
Leicestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Leicestershire. It has also been representative of the county of Rutland....
; Bradman’s team won by an innings. He returned against Yorkshire
Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
, and in a low-scoring match on a damp pitch
Sticky wicket
Sticky wicket is a metaphor used to describe a difficult circumstance; it originates from difficult circumstances in the sport of cricket.-Origins:...
favouring slower bowling, made 17 and three as Australia won by only four wickets. The match saw 324 runs scored for the loss of 35 wickets and a top-score of only 34. Morris’s 17 in the first innings was actually the fourth highest score for the entire match. The match was the closest Australia came to defeat for the whole tour; the tourists were 6/31 in pursuit of the target of 60, with effectively only three wickets in hand because Sam Loxton
Sam Loxton
Samuel John Everett "Sam" Loxton OBE is a former Australian cricketer, footballer and politician. Among these three pursuits, his greatest achievements were attained on the cricket field; he played in 12 Tests for Australia from 1948 to 1951...
was injured and unable to bat. The Australians travelled to London to play Surrey
Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
at The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
. In the first hour of play, Australia's openers played solidly and rarely missed a ball. Morris scored 65 as he and Barnes put on an opening stand of 136, which laid the foundation for Australia's 632. The tourists went on to win the match by an innings. In the next fixture, Morris managed only 26 as Australia piled on 4/414 declared against Cambridge University
Cambridge University Cricket Club
Cambridge University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team. It now plays all but one of its first-class cricket matches as part of the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence , which includes Anglia Ruskin University...
. Morris bowled for the first time on tour, sending down five wicketless over
Over (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, an over is a set of six consecutive balls bowled in succession. An over is normally bowled by a single bowler. However, in the event of injury preventing a bowler from completing an over, it is completed by a teammate....
s for 11 runs as Australia completed their second innings victory in succession.
Morris was rested as Australia crushed Essex
Essex County Cricket Club
Essex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Essex. Its limited overs team is called the Essex Eagles, their team colours this season are blue.The club plays most of its home games...
by an innings and 451 runs, their largest winning margin for the summer. During the match, the Australian batsmen set a world record by scoring 721 runs on the first day, a new world record for the most runs in one day of first-class cricket. Morris returned for the innings victory against Oxford University
Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...
, putting on an opening stand of 138 with Brown before being run out
Run out
Run out is a method of dismissal in the sport of cricket. It is governed by Law 38 of the Laws of cricket.-The rules:A batsman is out Run out if at any time while the ball is in play no part of his bat or person is grounded behind the popping crease and his wicket is fairly put down by the opposing...
for 64. Former Australian Test batsman Jack Fingleton
Jack Fingleton
John "Jack" Henry Webb Fingleton OBE was an Australian cricketer who was trained as a journalist and became a political and cricket commentator after the end of his playing career...
reported that Hubert Webb
Hubert Webb
Hubert Jeffrey Pagaspas Webb , is a former convict and one of the alleged suspects of the 1991 Vizconde massacre in the Philippines...
"brilliantly ran out Morris from the boundary with a throw over the stumps". Australia amassed 431 and won completed their fourth consecutive innings victory. In the hosts’ second innings, Morris took his first wicket of the tour, bowling Indian Test batsman Abdul Hafeez Kardar to end with 1/6 from three overs.
The next match was against the Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
(MCC) at Lord's. The MCC fielded seven players who would represent England in the Tests, and were basically a full strength Test team, while Australia fielded their strongest possible team. Morris and Barnes retained their positions at the top of the order, while Brown played out of position in the middle order. It was a chance to players from boths sides to gain a psychological advantage ahead of the Tests, but Morris looked uncomfortable, managing only five as Australia amassed 552 and enforced the follow on to win by an innings. In the MCC’s second innings, Morris caught Jim Laker
Jim Laker
James "Jim" Charles Laker was a cricketer who played for England in the 1950s, known for "Laker's match" in 1956 at Old Trafford, when he took nineteen wickets in England's victory against Australia...
from the bowling of Colin McCool
Colin McCool
Colin Leslie McCool was an Australian cricketer who played in 14 Tests from 1946 to 1950. McCool, born in Paddington, New South Wales, was an all-rounder who bowled leg spin and googlies with a round arm action and as a lower order batsman was regarded as effective square of the wicket and against...
. The Lord’s fixture was followed by Australia's first non-victory of the tour, which was against Lancashire
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
. Morris continued to struggle, making five and 22, falling twice to England Test paceman Dick Pollard
Dick Pollard
Richard "Dick" Pollard was an English cricketer born in Westhoughton, Lancashire, who played in four Tests between 1946 and 1948...
, In the drawn match against Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
, Morris continued his form slump, making 16 in the tourists’ only innings.
Morris found batting difficult for the first few weeks of the tour, as he struggled to adapt to the unfamiliar batting conditions. He reached 50 only twice in the nine innings after the Worcestershire match, totalling only 223 runs at 24.77; Morris sometimes attempted to drive balls pitched just short of a good length, and if they reared suddenly, he was liable to be caught. Morris was worried about edging the ball to the slips cordon and had become fidgety and shuffled across the crease
Crease (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, the crease is a certain area demarcated by white lines painted or chalked on the field of play.The term crease also refers to any of the lines themselves, particularly the popping crease. Law 9 of the Laws of Cricket governs the size and position of the crease markings...
.
After being rested for the eight-wicket win over Hampshire
Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
, Morris rectified his technical problem, and success followed against Sussex
Sussex County Cricket Club
Sussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Sussex. The club was founded as a successor to Brighton Cricket Club which was a representative of the county of Sussex as a...
. After the hosts had been rolled for 86 in their first innings, Morris dominated an opening partnership of 153 with Brown, who made only 44 before becoming the first man to fall. Morris added a further 189 for the second wicket with Bradman before he fell for 184 at 2/342. He had struck 26 fours, laying the platform for Australia's total of 5/549 declared and eventual innings victory. He was to hit five more first-class centuries before the end of the season.
First Test
Morris thus headed into the First Test at Trent BridgeTrent Bridge
Trent Bridge is a Test, One-day international and County cricket ground located in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England and is also the headquarters of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. As well as International cricket and Nottinghamshire's home games, the ground has hosted the Finals Day of...
with a century under his belt. He held his position at the top of the order along with Barnes, while Brown played out of position in the middle order. Morris bowled three overs for four runs in the first innings as England were bowled out for 165 on the first day after winning the toss and electing to bat. During the innings, Morris took a reflex catch when Godfrey Evans
Godfrey Evans
Thomas Godfrey Evans CBE was an English cricketer who played for Kent and England.Described by Wisden as 'arguably the best wicket-keeper the game has ever seen', Evans collected 219 dismissals in 91 Test match appearances between 1946 and 1959 and a total of 1066 in all first-class matches...
hit a ball strongly, directly to him at short leg to leave England at 7/74.
Australia survived the last 15 minutes on the first evening to reach stumps on 0/17, with Morris on 10. Barnes and Morris took the score to 73 before the latter was bowled by Jim Laker
Jim Laker
James "Jim" Charles Laker was a cricketer who played for England in the 1950s, known for "Laker's match" in 1956 at Old Trafford, when he took nineteen wickets in England's victory against Australia...
's off spin
Off spin
Off spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket which is bowled by an off spinner, a right-handed spin bowler who uses his or her fingers and/or wrist to spin the ball from a right-handed batsman's off side to the leg side...
for 31. Barnes batted confidently, while the hesitant Morris shuffled around the crease. At one stage, Morris scored only seven runs in 55 minutes, During this period, Morris unnecessarily played at a ball outside off stump from seamer Alec Bedser
Alec Bedser
Sir Alec Victor Bedser, CBE was a professional English cricketer. He was the chairman of selectors for the English national cricket team, and the president of Surrey County Cricket Club...
and edged it to wicket-keeper Evans, who dropped the catch. He recomposed himself and hit left arm orthodox spinner Jack Young's
Jack Young (cricketer)
John Albert "Jack" Young was an English cricketer, who played for Middlesex and England. His first-class cricket career lasted from 1933 to 1956....
first ball—a full toss
Full toss
A full toss is a type of delivery in the sport of cricket. It describes any delivery that reaches the batsman without bouncing on the pitch first....
—for runs as Australia passed 50 without loss.Arlott, p. 35. Morris fell when he tried to force a ball from Laker away, but hit it from the middle of his bat into his back pad; the ball rebounded onto the stumps.O'Reilly, p. 37. Australia went on to amass 509, and when England batted again, they lost their third wicket at 150. Joe Hardstaff junior
Joe Hardstaff junior
Joseph Hardstaff junior was an English cricketer, who played in twenty three Tests for England from 1935 to 1948...
came in, and on the third ball he aimed a cut that went low to second slip, just as he did in the first innings. However, Morris dropped the catch. Hardstaff exploited his second chance to make 43 before falling at 4/243.
Australia eventually bowled England out for 441, leaving them a target of 98 on the final day. Bradman’s openers progressed quickly at the start of the chase. Barnes took 13 runs from the opening over by Bedser, but Morris again lacked fluency. Australia reached 38 from 32 minutes when Bedser bowled Morris for nine, but the tourists steadied to reached their target with eight wickets in hand. After bowling several balls that moved away, Bedser caught out Morris with an inswinger.Arlott, p. 50. Morris had developed a habit of trying to defend the ball to the leg side while shuffling towards the off, and was not in a position to deal with a ball that hurried off the pitch. Following the match, Fingleton criticised Morris, feeling that he was shuffling across the crease too much instead of playing from the back foot.
In the match immediately after the First Test, Morris scored 60 against Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the...
, putting on 122 runs with Lindsay Hassett
Lindsay Hassett
Arthur Lindsay Hassett MBE was a cricketer who played for Victoria and Australia. The diminutive Hassett was an elegant middle-order batsman, described by Wisden as, "... a master of nearly every stroke ... his superb timing, nimble footwork and strong wrists enabled him to make batting look a...
as Australian completed an innings win. He was then rested ahead of the Second Test as Australia drew with Yorkshire at Bramall Lane
Bramall Lane
-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...
in Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
.
Second Test
In the Second Test at Lord'sLord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
, Australia elected to bat first and England made an ideal start. The debutant Alec Coxon
Alec Coxon
Alexander "Alec" Coxon is a former English cricketer who played for Yorkshire. He also played one Test match for England in 1948. Cricket writer, Colin Bateman stated, "Coxon's Test career was abrupt - much like the man himself...
opened the bowling and removed Barnes for a duck
Duck (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a duck refers to a batsman's dismissal for a score of zero.-Origin of the term:The term is a shortening of the term "duck's egg", the latter being used long before Test cricket began...
in his second over to leave the tourists at 1/3. England restricted the Australians in the first hour and created several near misses, particularly against Bradman, who nervous early on. In contrast, Morris was playing fluently and scored many runs from the back cut. At the end of the pace bowlers’ opening spells, the leg spin
Leg spin
Leg spin is a type of spin bowling in the sport of cricket. A leg spinner bowls right-arm with a wrist spin action, causing the ball to spin from right to left in the cricket pitch, at the point of delivery. When the ball bounces, the spin causes the ball to deviate sharply from right to left, that...
of Doug Wright
Doug Wright (cricketer)
Douglas Vivian Parson Wright, better known as Doug Wright was an English cricketer. A leg-spinner for Kent and England from 1932 to 1957 he took a record seven hat-tricks in first class cricket. He played for Kent for 25 years and was their first professional captain from late 1953 to 1956...
was introduced and Australia cut loose. Wright bowled a no ball
No ball
In the sport of cricket a no ball is a penalty against the fielding team, usually as a result of an illegal delivery by the bowler. The delivery of a no ball results in one run to be added to the batting team's score, and an additional ball must be bowled...
that Morris dispatched over the leg side
Leg side
The leg side, or on side, is defined to be a particular half of the field used to play the sport of cricket.From the point of view of a right-handed batsman facing the bowler, it is the left hand side of the cricket field...
fence for six, before hitting another ball for four. Bradman and Morris settled down as Coxon and Wright operated steadily, although the latter was able to extract substantial spin, hitting Morris in the stomach with a ball that turned in sharply from outside off stump.. At lunch, Australia were 1/82 with Morris on 45 and Bradman on 35.
Shortly afterwards, with the score at 87, Bradman was caught for the third consecutive time in Tests in Bedser's leg trap. Len Hutton
Len Hutton
Sir Leonard "Len" Hutton was an English Test cricketer, who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club and England in the years around the Second World War as an opening batsman. He was described by Wisden Cricketer's Almanack as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket...
—who took the catch—had dropped Bradman in the same position when the Australian captain was on 13. At the other end, Morris began to take control. He drove the ball through the covers and clipped it off his pads through the leg side
Leg side
The leg side, or on side, is defined to be a particular half of the field used to play the sport of cricket.From the point of view of a right-handed batsman facing the bowler, it is the left hand side of the cricket field...
. Morris reached his century with consecutive boundaries
Boundary (cricket)
Boundary has two distinct meanings in the sport of cricket:# the edge or boundary of the playing field, and# a manner of scoring runs.-Edge of the field:...
from Coxon. Fingleton called the innings "a pretty Test century in the grandest of all cricket settings". This ended a run of poor form for Morris, a period during which he had shuffled uncertainly on the crease without moving forward or back decisively. O'Reilly called it Morris's best Test century to date, as this was the strongest English attack he had faced during his career, and because of the loss of wickets at the other end. O'Reilly said Morris had been disciplined in not playing loose shots outside off stump and missing or edging them, yet still being able to score quickly at every opportunity. Morris was out soon after for 105 from 166 balls, after hitting Coxon to Hutton in the gully to leave Australia at 3/166. His innings included 14 fours and one six, and was noted for powerful, well-placed cover drives. With Morris gone, Australia fell to 7/258 at stumps, before the lower order counterattacked on the second morning and took the total to 350. Bradman’s team took a 135-run lead after dismissing England for 215.
The weather was fine as Australia started their second innings on the third morning. The Australian openers took a cautious approach to begin with, avoiding the hook shot and not playing at balls that were not going to hit the stumps, looking for a solid start. Both openers were given early reprieves. Barnes survived a stumping
Stump (cricket)
Stump is a term used in the sport of cricket where it has three different meanings:# part of the wicket# a manner of dismissing a batsman# the end of the day's play .-Part of the wicket:...
opportunity when he was 18. Laker came on and induced Morris into hitting an airborne ball back down the pitch, but he was slow to react to the possibility of a caught and bowled. According to O'Reilly, most other bowlers would have been able to reach the ball and attempt a catch. The openers took advantage to combine for an opening stand of 122. Wright came on and again bowled a no ball at the start of his spell, which Morris lofted into the crowd for six. After shuffling around with uncertainty at the start of his innings, Morris began to play more fluently. He was eventually bowled for 62, knocking a ball from Wright onto his stumps. The opening partnership laid the platform for Australia's 7/460 declared, which allowed them to set an imposing target of 596 and win by 409 runs to take a 2–0 series lead.
Morris was rested by Bradman for the second match against Surrey, which started the day after the Test and ended in a ten-wicket victory for the Australians. The following match was against Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....
at Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, and in only five hours on the first day, Morris scored his career best of 290. Having lost the first two Tests, England were contemplating changes to their team: Tom Goddard
Tom Goddard
Tom Goddard was the fifth highest wicket taker in first-class cricket....
was earmarked to replace Jim Laker
Jim Laker
James "Jim" Charles Laker was a cricketer who played for England in the 1950s, known for "Laker's match" in 1956 at Old Trafford, when he took nineteen wickets in England's victory against Australia...
as the off spin
Off spin
Off spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket which is bowled by an off spinner, a right-handed spin bowler who uses his or her fingers and/or wrist to spin the ball from a right-handed batsman's off side to the leg side...
ner after performing strongly in county cricket
County cricket
County cricket is the highest level of domestic cricket in England and Wales. For the 2010 season, see 2010 English cricket season.-First-class counties:...
, while Laker had struggled in the Second Test. The English hoped Goddard would be the strike bowler to cut through Australia's strong batting line-up. Morris's assault ended Goddard's hopes of Test selection. His innings was highlighted by his quick assessment of the length of the ball, followed by decisive footwork. Morris confidently advanced out of the crease when the ball was of a full length to drive and rocked onto the back foot to and cut if Goddard dropped short. Unable to contain Morris, Goddard packed the leg side
Leg side
The leg side, or on side, is defined to be a particular half of the field used to play the sport of cricket.From the point of view of a right-handed batsman facing the bowler, it is the left hand side of the cricket field...
field and bowled outside leg stump
Leg theory
Leg theory is a bowling tactic in the sport of cricket. The term leg theory is somewhat archaic and seldom used any more, but the basic tactic still plays a part in modern cricket....
. Morris responded by stepping down the wicket towards the leg side, charging the bowler and repeatedly lofting the ball inside out over the off side. He reached his century before lunch and his 200 by the tea interval. By the time Morris was dismissed, he had struck 40 fours
Boundary (cricket)
Boundary has two distinct meanings in the sport of cricket:# the edge or boundary of the playing field, and# a manner of scoring runs.-Edge of the field:...
and a six. He put on stands of 102 with Barnes, 136 with Keith Miller
Keith Miller
Keith Ross Miller MBE was an Australian Test cricketer and a Royal Australian Air Force pilot during World War II. Miller is widely regarded as Australia's greatest ever all-rounder. Because of his ability, irreverent manner and good looks he was a crowd favourite...
and 162 with Neil Harvey
Neil Harvey
Robert Neil Harvey MBE is a former Australian cricketer who represented the Australian cricket team between 1948 and 1963, playing in 79 Test matches. He was the vice-captain of the team from 1957 until his retirement...
before falling with the score at 4/466. Fingleton said "Morris flayed it [the home team's bowling] in all directions", while former English Test paceman
Fast bowling
Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling...
Maurice Tate
Maurice Tate
Maurice William Tate was a Sussex and England cricketer of the 1920s and 1930s and the leader of England's Test bowling attack for a long time during this period...
said "Tom [Goddard] is not used to batsmen using their feet to him ... the county batsmen diddle and diddle [shuffle about indecisively instead of quickly moving into position and attacking] to him and that gets him many wickets." Australia amassed 5/560 on the first day before declaring at 7/774, their largest score of the tour and the second highest by any Australian team on English soil. Morris took a match total of 1/35 as Australia won by an innings.
Third Test
Following his effort in Bristol, Morris proceeded to the Third Test at Old Trafford. England batted first and made 363. During the innings, Barnes was hit in the kidneys by a Dick PollardDick Pollard
Richard "Dick" Pollard was an English cricketer born in Westhoughton, Lancashire, who played in four Tests between 1946 and 1948...
pull shot while fielding at short leg. When Australia started their first innings reply, Barnes was still recuperating after being carried from the field and taken to hospital for a medical examination.
Having dropped Brown for the Test, Barnes's injury left Australia with only Morris as a specialist opener. Off spinner Ian Johnson
Ian Johnson (cricketer)
Ian William Geddes Johnson CBE was an Australian cricketer who played 45 Test matches as a slow off-break bowler between 1946 and 1956. Johnson captured 109 Test wickets at an average of 29.19 runs per wicket and as a lower order batsman made 1,000 runs at an average of...
was deployed as Australia's makeshift second opener. He was unable to make an impact, as Bedser removed him for one, before Pollard trapped Bradman leg before wicket
Leg before wicket
In the sport of cricket, leg before wicket is one of the ways in which a batsman can be dismissed. An umpire will rule a batsman out LBW under a series of circumstances which primarily include the ball striking the batsman's body when it would otherwise have continued on to hit the batsman's...
(lbw) to leave Australia at 2/13. The tourists were pinned down as Pollard bowled 17 consecutive overs from his long run, aiming at leg stump. Pollard was reinforced by Bedser, who bowled unchanged for 90 minutes. Morris and Hassett rebuilt the innings, adding 69 for the third wicket in 101 minutes before the latter fell. Miller joined Morris and the pair took the score to 3/126 at stumps, with the latter—who had been the more sedate in the partnership—on 48.Arlott, p. 88.
Australia struggled against the new ball in the first hour of the day three. Miller played and missed three times in one over before being trapped lbw for 31; the tourists added only nine runs in the first hour. Four runs later, Morris reached 51 and fell to Bedser, leaving Australia at 5/139. It had been a slow morning for Morris—he took 21 minutes to add a single to his overnight total and reached 50 after taking another 24 minutes to register his second run of the day. Australia fell for 221, narrowly avoiding the follow on, and England declared at 3/174 on the last morning after many rain delays. This left Bradman’s team with a victory target of 317, but the rain kept falling and the entire morning was lost.
Play finally began after the tea, and the pitch played very slowly because of the excess moisture. As Australia had no intention of chasing the runs, England captain Norman Yardley
Norman Yardley
Norman Walter Dransfield Yardley was an English cricketer who played for Cambridge University, Yorkshire County Cricket Club and England, as a right-handed batsman and occasional bowler. An amateur, he captained Yorkshire from 1948 to 1955 and England on fourteen occasions between 1947 and 1950,...
often installed seven men in close catching positions. In the first half hour, the tourists showed little attacking intent and scored only six runs. Johnson then fell for six to leave Australia at 1/10. Bradman came to the crease and played 11 balls without scoring while Morris scored two streaky fours from Bedser. Yardley used his spinners for an hour, while Morris and Bradman made little effort to score. For 105 minutes, Morris stayed at one end and Bradman at the other; neither looked to rotate the strike by taking singles. The Australian skipper faced only eight balls from Morris's main end, and at one point was so startled when his partner wanted a single that he sent him back. Thereafter, the tourists batted steadily and defensively to ensure a draw. They ended at 1/92 from 61 overs, a run rate
Run rate
In cricket, the run rate , or runs per over is the number of runs a batsman scores in an over of 6 balls. It includes all runs, even the so-called extras awarded due to errors by the bowler. Without extras and overthrows, the maximum run rate is 36 – if every ball were struck for six and, as...
of 1.50, with 35 maidens
Over (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, an over is a set of six consecutive balls bowled in succession. An over is normally bowled by a single bowler. However, in the event of injury preventing a bowler from completing an over, it is completed by a teammate....
; this was the slowest innings run rate for the series to date. Morris finished unbeaten on 54, his fourth consecutive half-century during the Test series. The match finally ended after a series of periodic rain interruptions.
Morris struck 109 against Middlesex
Middlesex County Cricket Club
Middlesex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Middlesex. It was announced in February 2009 that Middlesex changed their limited overs name from the Middlesex Crusaders, to the...
in the following tour match at Lord’s.The hosts batted first and made 203, and Australia stumbled to 3/53 before Morris combined with Sam Loxton
Sam Loxton
Samuel John Everett "Sam" Loxton OBE is a former Australian cricketer, footballer and politician. Among these three pursuits, his greatest achievements were attained on the cricket field; he played in 12 Tests for Australia from 1948 to 1951...
(123) for a 172-run fourth-wicket stand. Australia recovered to reach 317 and went on to a ten-wicket win. Morris's century meant he had amassed 504 runs in just over a week of cricket.
Fourth Test
Headingley Stadium
Headingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley in West Yorkshire, England. It is the home of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, rugby league team Leeds Rhinos and rugby union team Leeds Carnegie ....
in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
saw Morris at his finest; England elected to bat and started strongly with 496 in the first innings, their highest score of the series. On a placid pitch, Morris was one of seven bowlers used as Bradman sought a breakthrough; each of the first three wickets put on century partnerships. Bill Edrich
Bill Edrich
William John "Bill" Edrich DFC was a distinguished cricketer who played for Middlesex, MCC, Norfolk and England.Edrich's three brothers, Brian, Eric and Geoff, and also his cousin, John, all played first-class cricket...
hit a long hop
Long hop
A long hop is a type of inadvertent delivery in the sport of cricket. It describes a short delivery which is not especially fast, which is thus easy for the batsman to hit because he has plenty of time to observe the speed and direction of the ball after the bounce and choose his shot accordingly...
from Morris's left arm unorthodox spin to the boundary to reach his century, before Bedser lifted him high over square leg for six. This prompted Bradman to replace Morris after he conceded 20 runs in five overs as England reached 2/423. Edrich was out when he attempted to pull Johnson to the on side in the large gap between mid-on and square leg, but only hit it in the air to Morris, who completed the catch diving forwards at wide mid-on to leave the score at 4/426,O'Reilly, p. 119. before England collapsed to 496.
England took a 38-run lead after Australia replied with 458. Morris contributed only six while batting with vice-captain Lindsay Hassett
Lindsay Hassett
Arthur Lindsay Hassett MBE was a cricketer who played for Victoria and Australia. The diminutive Hassett was an elegant middle-order batsman, described by Wisden as, "... a master of nearly every stroke ... his superb timing, nimble footwork and strong wrists enabled him to make batting look a...
, who had been promoted from the middle order to open while Barnes was still injured; Bradman had overlooked reserve opener Brown. Morris chipped Bedser in the air to Ken Cranston
Ken Cranston
Kenneth "Ken" Cranston was an English cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Lancashire and eight times for England, in 1947 and 1948. He retired from playing cricket to concentrate on his career as a dentist....
at mid-wicket to leave Australia at 1/13. Australia slumped to 3/68 before a middle-order fightback took Australia to 458 early on the fourth morning. England declared at 8/365 early on the fifth morning, leaving Australia to chase 404 runs for victory. Batting into the final day allowed Yardley the right to ask the groundsman to use a heavy roller
Road roller
A road roller is a compactor type engineering vehicle used to compact soil, gravel, concrete, or asphalt in the construction of roads and foundations, similar rollers are used also at landfills or in agriculture.In some parts of the world, road rollers are still known colloquially as steam...
, which would help to break up the wicket and make the surface more likely to spin and bounce unevenly.
At the time, 404 would have been the highest ever fourth innings score to result in a Test victory for the batting side. Australia had only 345 minutes to reach their target, and the local press wrote them off, predicting that they would be dismissed by lunchtime on a deteriorating wicket expected to favour spin bowlers. Morris and Hassett started slowly, scoring only six runs in the first six overs
Over (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, an over is a set of six consecutive balls bowled in succession. An over is normally bowled by a single bowler. However, in the event of injury preventing a bowler from completing an over, it is completed by a teammate....
on a pitch offering spin and bounce. It appeared they were playing carefully at first before deciding whether to try and achieve the target at a later point. In Bedser's second over, the third of the innings, Morris chipped the ball in the air towards mid-wicket, in a similar manner to his first innings dismissal, but this time the ball evaded Cranston. After 15 minutes, Australia had only made 0/10.
After Bedser had bowled three overs, Laker replaced him in the seventh over as Yardely attempted to exploit the turning surface, but 13 runs were taken from his first over. Hassett hit a four and took a single to rotate the strike. Later in the over, Morris hit a four, was beaten by a bouncing ball that hurried off the pitch, before striking another boundary. Despite the expensive Laker over, only 44 runs came in the first hour, meaning that the tourists still needed 360 runs from 285 minutes. The crowd heckled the Australian openers for their slow scoring and they applauded ironically after Morris took a single. After his poor first over, Laker had settled down and conceded only two runs from his next six overs, and "was getting at least one ball every over to turn considerably".
In an attempt to exploit the worn surface, Yardley brought on the part-time left-arm unorthodox spin
Left-arm unorthodox spin
Left-arm unorthodox spin, or chinaman, is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket using the hand wrist. Left-arm unorthodox spin bowlers use a wrist hand action to spin the ball which turns from off to leg side of the cricket pitch...
of Compton to partner Laker. The occasional bowler was inaccurate and Morris struck two fours in his first over to bring up Australia's 50 in 64 minutes. However, Compton's deceived Morris—who danced down the pitch and missed the ball—in the next over, but Evans fumbled the stumping opportunity with the batsman on 32 and Australia at 0/55. Laker beat Morris in the following over with an off break
Off break
Off break is a type of delivery in the sport of cricket. It is the attacking delivery of an off spin bowler. Off breaks are known as off spinners....
that spun a foot, before Compton removed Hassett for 17 with the score at 57.
Bradman joined Morris with 347 runs needed in 271 minutes. The Australian captain signalled his intentions by reaching 12 in only six minutes. Yardley then called upon the occasional leg spin
Leg spin
Leg spin is a type of spin bowling in the sport of cricket. A leg spinner bowls right-arm with a wrist spin action, causing the ball to spin from right to left in the cricket pitch, at the point of delivery. When the ball bounces, the spin causes the ball to deviate sharply from right to left, that...
of Hutton in an attempt to exploit the turning wicket. However, Hutton did not bowl regularly so he had trouble in maintaining his consistency. Morris promptly joined Bradman in the counter-attack, hitting three consecutive fours to reach 51 during Hutton's first over, which Fingleton described as "rather terrible" due to the errant length. Bradman took two fours off Hutton's next over before almost hitting a catch. However, the 20 runs from Hutton's two inaccurate overs had allowed Australia to reach 1/96 from 90 minutes.
In the next over, Compton greatly troubled Bradman, who edged two balls and was dropped once. At the other end, Morris continued to take advantage of Hutton's inaccurate leg break
Leg break
A leg break is a type of delivery in the sport of cricket. A delivery of a right-handed leg spin bowler. Leg breaks are also colloquially known as leggies or wrist spinners, as the wrist is the body part which is primarily used to impart spin on the ball, as opposed to the fingers in the case of...
s, and Australia reached lunch at 1/121, with the opener on 63 and his captain on 35. Hutton had conceded 30 runs in four overs, and in the half hour preceding the interval, Australia had added 64 runs. Although Australia had scored at a reasonable rate, they had also been troubled by many of the deliveries and were expected to face further difficulty if they were to avoid defeat.
Upon resumption, Compton continued as Yardley persisted with his policy of trying to exploit the deteriorating pitch with as much spin as possible. Compton was not a regular bowler and sent down a series of full toss
Full toss
A full toss is a type of delivery in the sport of cricket. It describes any delivery that reaches the batsman without bouncing on the pitch first....
es and long hop
Long hop
A long hop is a type of inadvertent delivery in the sport of cricket. It describes a short delivery which is not especially fast, which is thus easy for the batsman to hit because he has plenty of time to observe the speed and direction of the ball after the bounce and choose his shot accordingly...
s that were easily dispatched for runs. Morris struck seven fours in two overs of what Fingleton called "indescribably bad bowling". This sequence included six fours in eight balls. As Morris continued to attack, Compton began to crack under the pressure and his accuracy worsened. Compton had generated trouble for the batsmen by tossing the ball up and beating the bat or inducing edges, but Morris counterattacked with drives. Compton tried to hold back his length to avoid being driven, but the Australian opener pounced on the shorter balls. Morris reached the 90s just 14 minutes after the interval and hit another boundary to reach his century in just over two hours. Morris had added 37 runs since lunch, while Bradman had furthered his total by only three.
The Australian onslaught against the spinners prompted Yardley to take the new ball and replace Compton with his fast men. Bradman reached 50 in 60 minutes and Yardley dropped him soon after. Australia reached 202—halfway to the required total—with 165 minutes remaining, after Morris dispatched consecutive full tosses from Laker to the fence. Bradman then hooked two boundaries, but suffered a fibrositis attack, which put him in significant pain. Drinks were taken during a delay for treatment, and Morris had to shield Bradman from the strike until the skipper’s pain had subsided. Australia reached 250 shortly before tea, with Morris on 133 and Bradman on 92. Bradman then reached his century as the second-wicket stand passed 200.
Morris was given another life on 136, when Laker dropped him at square leg from the bowling of Compton. Bradman was given another life at 108; he advanced two metres down the pitch towards Laker and missed, but Evans fumbled the stumping opportunity. Australia reached tea at 1/292 with Morris on 150. The pair had added 171 during the session. Morris was eventually dismissed by Yardley for 182, after hitting a tired-looking shot to mid-off, having partnered Bradman for a stand of 301 in 217 minutes. He struck 33 fours in 290 minutes of batting. Australia still needed 46 for victory, and went on to win by seven wickets with 15 minutes to spare, setting a new world record for the highest successful Test run-chase.
Morris was rested for the match against Derbyshire
Derbyshire County Cricket Club
Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire...
immediately after the Headingley Test, which Australia won by an innings, as well as the next match against Glamorgan
Glamorgan County Cricket Club
Glamorgan County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County...
, which was a rain-affected draw. He returned to score 32 and 20 not out
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
as Australia defeated Warwickshire
Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor...
by nine wickets. Australia faced Lancashire for the second time on the tour; Morris made 49 and 16 as the match ended in a draw. Morris and Barnes put on 123 in the first innings, but their teammates were unable to build on the platform and Australia ended on 321. Morris was rested from the non-first-class match against Durham
Durham County Cricket Club
Durham County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Durham. Its limited overs team is called the Durham Dynamos. Their kit colours are blue with yellow trim and the shirt sponsor was...
, which was a rain-affected draw.
Fifth Test
Australia proceeded to The OvalThe Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
for the Fifth Test. England won the toss and elected to bat on a pitch affected by heavy rain prior to the match. With the score at 2/17, Lindwall bowled a bouncer
Bouncer (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a bouncer is a type of delivery, usually bowled by a fast bowler. It is pitched short so that it bounces on the pitch well short of the batsman and rears up to chest or head height as it reaches the batsman.Bouncers are used tactically to drive the batsman back on to his...
, which Compton hooked. Morris ran from his position at short square leg to take a difficult catch, described by Fingleton as "one of the catches of the season". England collapsed to be all out for 52 as Australia’s pacemen extracted bounce and movement from the pitch.
In contrast, Australia batted with ease, as the overcast skies cleared and sun came out. The debutant Allan Watkins
Allan Watkins
Allan Watkins Allan Watkins Allan Watkins (born Albert John Watkins (21 April 1922 – 3 August 2011) was a Welsh cricketer, who played for England in fifteen Tests from 1948 to 1952. He toured India and Pakistan in 1951-2 with the MCC, and also participated in the 1955-6 'A' Tour to Pakistan...
opened the bowling, delivering four overs for 19 runs before the after-effects of a Lindwall blow to the shoulder became too much. The openers passed England's first innings total with ease in less than an hour, and Australia reached 100 at 17:30, with Barnes on 52 and Morris on 47. The tourists reached 117 before Barnes fell to Eric Hollies
Eric Hollies
William Eric Hollies was an English cricketer, who is mainly remembered for taking the wicket of Donald Bradman for a duck in Bradman's final Test match innings, in which only four was needed for a Test average of 100...
for 61, ending an opening stand that had been compiled in only 126 minutes. This brought Bradman to the crease late on the first day. As the Australian captain had already announced his retirement after the end of the series, the innings would be his last in Test cricket if Australia batted only once. The crowd gave him a standing ovation as he walked out to the wicket. Yardley led the Englishmen in giving Bradman three cheers, before shaking his hand. The Australian captain needed only four runs for a Test average of 100, but was bowled by Hollies for a second ball duck
Duck (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a duck refers to a batsman's dismissal for a score of zero.-Origin of the term:The term is a shortening of the term "duck's egg", the latter being used long before Test cricket began...
with a googly
Googly
In cricket, a googly is a type of delivery bowled by a right-arm leg spin bowler. It is occasionally referred to as a Bosie , an eponym in honour of its inventor Bernard Bosanquet.- Explanation :...
that went between bat and pad. Bradman received another large round of applause as he left the arena.
Hassett came in at 2/117 and together with Morris saw Australia to the close at 2/153. Morris was unbeaten on 77, having hooked Hollies for two fours just before stumps. On the second morning, Morris registered his third century of the Test series and his sixth in Ashes
The Ashes
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...
matches. The innings had taken 208 minutes and included four fours. Hassett and Morris took the score to 226 before their 109-run stand was broken when Young trapped the former for 37. As the Australians had dismissed their hosts cheaply on the first day and were already well in the lead, they had plenty of time to complete a victory, so Hassett and Morris had no need to take undue risks and scored at a sedate pace. The following batsmen were unable to establish themselves at the crease. Miller made five, before Harvey came to the crease and hit two quick boundaries before being dismissed. Hollies took both wickets.
Loxton came in and accompanied Morris for 39 further runs before falling to Edrich. Lindwall fell for nine before Morris was finally removed for 196, ending an innings noted for his hooking and off-driving. It took a run out
Run out
Run out is a method of dismissal in the sport of cricket. It is governed by Law 38 of the Laws of cricket.-The rules:A batsman is out Run out if at any time while the ball is in play no part of his bat or person is grounded behind the popping crease and his wicket is fairly put down by the opposing...
to remove Morris; he attempted a quick run after the ball was hit to third man. Morris was called through for a run by Don Tallon
Don Tallon
Donald "Don" Tallon was an Australian cricketer who played 21 Test matches as a wicket-keeper between 1946 and 1953...
, but he was too slow for the substitute fielder Reg Simpson
Reg Simpson
Reginald Thomas Simpson is an English former cricketer, who played in twentry seven Tests from 1948 to 1955.-Life and career:...
's arm. Australia went on to finish with 389. Morris had scored more than half the runs as the rest of the team struggled against the leg spin
Leg spin
Leg spin is a type of spin bowling in the sport of cricket. A leg spinner bowls right-arm with a wrist spin action, causing the ball to spin from right to left in the cricket pitch, at the point of delivery. When the ball bounces, the spin causes the ball to deviate sharply from right to left, that...
of Hollies, who took 5/131. Hollies tossed the ball up repeatedly, coaxing the Australians into attacking balls that spun after pitching on off stump. Morris took four catches for the match as Australia took victory by an innings and 149 runs, sealing a 4–0 Test series triumph.
Later tour matches
Seven matches remained on Bradman's quest to go through a tour of England without defeat. Australia batted first against KentKent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...
and Morris made 43 in a total of 361 before Australia enforced the follow on and completed an innings victory. Morris was rested for the following three matches against the Gentlemen of England, Somerset
Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...
and the South of England
South of England cricket team
The South of England appeared in first-class cricket between 1836 and 1961, most often in the showcase North v. South matches against the North of England although there were also games against touring teams, MCC and others....
. The first two matches were won by innings while the third was washed out after Australia took a large first-innings lead. In the meantime, Morris underwent minor surgery for a split in his hand.
Australia's biggest challenge in the post-Test tour matches was against the Leveson-Gower's XI, named after H. D. G. Leveson-Gower. During the last tour in 1938, this team was effectively a full-strength England outfit, but this time Bradman insisted only six current Test players be allowed to play for the hosts. After his demands were met, Bradman named a full-strength team. After the tourists dismissed the home team for 177, Morris made 62 in a 102-run opening stand with Barnes before Yardley bowled him. Australia declared at 8/489 and time ran out with Leveson-Gower's XI at 2/75 after multiple rain delays.
The tour ended with two non-first-class matches against Scotland. In the first match, Morris was the mainstay of the innings, scoring 112 as Australia batted first and made 236. The Scots replied with 85 and were forced to follow on. Morris led the wicket-taking in the second innings, taking 5/10 from five overs as the hosts fell for 111 to hand the Australians an innings victory. He continued his success in the second match, taking three of Scotland's first four batsmen to end with 3/17 as the hosts fell for 178. Batting at No. 7, Morris made 10 as Australia declared at 6/407 and bowled four overs for eight runs without taking a wicket as Bradman’s men ended the tour with another innings victory.
Role
Sid Barnes
Sidney George Barnes was an Australian cricketer and cricket writer, who played 13 Test matches between 1938 and 1948. Able to open the innings or bat down the order, Barnes was regarded as one of Australia's finest batsmen in the period immediately following the Second World War...
in three Tests; Barnes was injured in the Third and Fourth Tests. Barnes was unable to open in the former and did not play in the latter. Three opening batsmen were taken on the tour, with Bill Brown
Bill Brown (cricketer)
William Alfred "Bill" Brown, OAM 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...
being the reserve. During the tour matches, which were usually played consecutively with only one or no days between fixtures, Bradman rotated the trio, so one would generally be rested while the other two opened.N- Notable exceptions occurred in the Test series and the opening match against Worcestershire and the clash against the MCC. In those matches, Australia fielded its first-choice team; Brown played out of position in the middle order, while Morris and Barnes opened. A very occasional left-arm unorthodox spin
Left-arm unorthodox spin
Left-arm unorthodox spin, or chinaman, is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket using the hand wrist. Left-arm unorthodox spin bowlers use a wrist hand action to spin the ball which turns from off to leg side of the cricket pitch...
bowler, Morris delivered only 35 overs during the first-class matches, including eight in the Tests. He took two wickets, both outside the Test arena.
Morris ended the first-class matches with 1,922 runs at 71.18 including seven centuries, ranking him second in runs only to Bradman (2,428 at 89.92) and substantially ahead of third-placed Hassett (1,563 at 74.42). He did so despite being troubled by a split between the first and second fingers of his left hand, caused by constant jarring from the bat as he played the ball. The wound often opened while he was batting, forcing him to undergo a minor operation which sidelined him from some matches in the latter part of the tour.
In recognition of his performances, Morris was named as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year
Wisden Cricketers of the Year
The Wisden Cricketers of the Year are cricketers selected for the honour by the annual publication Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, based primarily on their "influence on the previous English season"...
in 1949. Wisden
Wisden
The Wisden Group was a group of companies formed by John Wisden & Co Ltd, publishers of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. As well as John Wisden & Co, the group included the The Wisden Cricketer magazine, Cricinfo – the world's highest traffic cricket website – and the Hawk-Eye computerised...
described him as "one of the world's best left-hand batsmen". Neville Cardus
Neville Cardus
Sir John Frederick Neville Cardus CBE was an English writer and critic, best known for his writing on music and cricket. For many years, he wrote for The Manchester Guardian. He was untrained in music, and his style of criticism was subjective, romantic and personal, in contrast with his critical...
—his former critic—praised Morris's performance during The Invincibles tour as "masterful, stylish, imperturbable, sure in defence, quick and handsome in stroke play. His batting is true to himself, charming and good mannered but reliant and thoughtful."
Morris's form peaked in The Ashes, heading the Test averages and aggregates with 696 runs at 87.00. Bradman (502 at 72.57) and Denis Compton
Denis Compton
Denis Charles Scott Compton CBE was an English cricketer who played in 78 Test matches, and a footballer...
(562 at 62.44) were the next closest; nobody else scored more than 360 runs. He was the only player to compile three Test centuries, and added three further fifties.