Aubrey Faulkner
Encyclopedia
George Aubrey Faulkner (17 December 1881 in Port Elizabeth – 10 September 1930 in Walham Green
, London
) was a leading cricket
er for South Africa for two decades.
. After the cessation of hostilities, Faulkner moved to Johannesburg
and made his first class cricketing debut for Transvaal in the 1902/03 Currie Cup
Tournament.
to lead Transvaal to a surprise win over the touring 1905/06 MCC
side. He was promptly selected for his Test debut in the first Test of the series against England at Johannesburg and his match figures of 6/61 helped South Africa record their maiden Test victory. Faulkner retained his place throughout the whole series and was a significant contributor to South Africa's 4-1 series victory.
Faulkner was selected for the South African tour of the United Kingdom
in 1907 and his mastery of googly bowling, along with that of his team mates Reginald Schwarz, Bert Vogler
and Gordon White
, had a significant effect on the acceptance of wrist spin as an effective bowling weapon. The highlight of the tour for Faulkner being his spell at the Leeds
Test match where he took 6/17 in eleven overs.
The return of the English side to South Africa in 1909/10 for a five Test series saw Faulkner at the height of his skills and had many, including Wisden
, calling him the best all-rounder in the world, as he was the leading run scorer from either team, scoring 545 runs at 60.55 and the second highest wicket taker with 29 at 21.89. Faulkner then carried this form into his next series, against Australia
in Australia
in 1910/11. In the five Test series, Faulkner scored 732 runs at 73.20, including a highest score of 204 in the second Test at Melbourne
and took 10 wickets at 51.40.
Following the Australian tour, Faulkner married and moved to England, settling in Nottingham
, with the intention of playing county cricket. However this did not come to be and Faulkner instead limited his appearances to South African matches in England and the occasional festival match. He never played in South Africa again.
South Africa toured England again in 1912 for the triangular series with England and Australia and Faulkner made himself available for South Africa, playing in six Test matches and scoring 194 runs at 19.40 and taking 17 wickets at 26.70.
, Faulkner enlisted in the British Army, joining the Royal Field Artillery and served on the Western Front, Macedonia
and Palestine
, helping to capture Jerusalem. Promoted to Major, Faulkner received the DSO
and the Order of the Nile
for his bravery and contracted a case of malaria
for his troubles.
Faulkner had retired from cricket in 1921 to go into coaching but was coerced into returning to Test cricket in 1924 by the touring South Africans, who were suffering from a long injury list. His return to Test cricket was less than spectacular however and after one poor performance at Lord's, Faulkner retired for good after 25 Test matches that reaped 1,754 runs at 40.79 and 82 wickets at 26.58 with 7/58 his best figures.
Faulkner started a cricket school in London
, the first of its type in the world and was credited with shaping some future Test players, including Doug Wright
, Ian Peebles
and Denis Tomlinson
. The school however was not a financial success and Faulkner began to suffer from extended periods of depression, possibly exacerbated from the malaria he contracted during the war. On 10 September 1930, in a small store room at his cricket school, Faulkner gassed himself. He was 48. His suicide note read "I'm off to another world, via the bat room."
Obituaries for Faulkner tiptoed around the manner of his death but all were fervent in their praise of the elegant batsman, the bowler who could trouble all of the leading batsman and the great fielder, either in the deep or in the slips.
Walham Green
Walham Green is an area located on the border of Fulham and Chelsea , south-west London, United Kingdom. To the south is Parsons Green, south-west Fulham, north West Kensington, north-east West Brompton, east Chelsea and south-east is Sands End....
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) was a leading cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er for South Africa for two decades.
Early life
Faulkner endured the violence of an alcoholic father before enlisting in the Imperial Light Horse in 1900 to fight in the Anglo-Boer WarSecond Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
. After the cessation of hostilities, Faulkner moved to Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
and made his first class cricketing debut for Transvaal in the 1902/03 Currie Cup
SuperSport Series
The SuperSport Series is the main domestic first class cricket competition in South Africa, first contested in 1889-90. From 1990-91 it became known as the Castle Cup, and from 1996-97 by its current title...
Tournament.
Early career
After playing in the Currie Cup without distinction, Faulkner came to the notice of the South African selectors when he scored a half century and took six wickets with his googliesGoogly
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 :...
to lead Transvaal to a surprise win over the touring 1905/06 MCC
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...
side. He was promptly selected for his Test debut in the first Test of the series against England at Johannesburg and his match figures of 6/61 helped South Africa record their maiden Test victory. Faulkner retained his place throughout the whole series and was a significant contributor to South Africa's 4-1 series victory.
Faulkner was selected for the South African tour of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1907 and his mastery of googly bowling, along with that of his team mates Reginald Schwarz, Bert Vogler
Bert Vogler
Albert Edward Ernest Vogler was a South African cricketer.Vogler was born in Swartwater, Queenstown, Eastern Cape. He began his cricket career for Natal as an attacking lower order right-handed batsman and fast medium bowler before acquiring the googly from Reggie Schwarz on that player’s return...
and Gordon White
Gordon White
Gordon Charles White was a South African cricketer who played in 17 Tests from 1906 to 1912.White was born in Port St Johns, Cape Province. He died in 1918 in Gaza, Palestine.-References:*...
, had a significant effect on the acceptance of wrist spin as an effective bowling weapon. The highlight of the tour for Faulkner being his spell at the 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...
Test match where he took 6/17 in eleven overs.
The return of the English side to South Africa in 1909/10 for a five Test series saw Faulkner at the height of his skills and had many, including 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...
, calling him the best all-rounder in the world, as he was the leading run scorer from either team, scoring 545 runs at 60.55 and the second highest wicket taker with 29 at 21.89. Faulkner then carried this form into his next series, against Australia
Australian cricket team
The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in 1910/11. In the five Test series, Faulkner scored 732 runs at 73.20, including a highest score of 204 in the second Test at Melbourne
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
and took 10 wickets at 51.40.
Following the Australian tour, Faulkner married and moved to England, settling in Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, with the intention of playing county cricket. However this did not come to be and Faulkner instead limited his appearances to South African matches in England and the occasional festival match. He never played in South Africa again.
South Africa toured England again in 1912 for the triangular series with England and Australia and Faulkner made himself available for South Africa, playing in six Test matches and scoring 194 runs at 19.40 and taking 17 wickets at 26.70.
During World War I
Following the outbreak of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Faulkner enlisted in the British Army, joining the Royal Field Artillery and served on the Western Front, Macedonia
Macedonia (region)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of the Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe. Its boundaries have changed considerably over time, but nowadays the region is considered to include parts of five Balkan countries: Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia, as...
and Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, helping to capture Jerusalem. Promoted to Major, Faulkner received the DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
and the Order of the Nile
Order of the Nile
The Order of the Nile is Egypt's highest state honor. The award was instituted in 1915 by Sultan Hussein Kamel to be awarded by Egypt for exceptional services to the nation...
for his bravery and contracted a case of malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
for his troubles.
Post-war career and life
Faulkner's marriage had disintegrated during his war enforced absence and he divorced in 1920. Tall, muscular and handsome, Faulkner was considered a cricketing sex symbol and was never short of female admirers, one of whom he married in 1928.Faulkner had retired from cricket in 1921 to go into coaching but was coerced into returning to Test cricket in 1924 by the touring South Africans, who were suffering from a long injury list. His return to Test cricket was less than spectacular however and after one poor performance at Lord's, Faulkner retired for good after 25 Test matches that reaped 1,754 runs at 40.79 and 82 wickets at 26.58 with 7/58 his best figures.
Faulkner started a cricket school in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the first of its type in the world and was credited with shaping some future Test players, including 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...
, Ian Peebles
Ian Peebles
Ian Alexander Ross Peebles was a cricketer who played for Oxford University, Middlesex, Scotland and England. After retiring from cricket he became a cricket writer, working as a journalist on The Sunday Times and as the author of many books on cricket.Peebles had one of the strangest...
and Denis Tomlinson
Denis Tomlinson
Denis Stanley Tomlinson was a South African cricketer who played in one Test in 1935. He was born in Umtali, Rhodesia and died in Durban, Natal....
. The school however was not a financial success and Faulkner began to suffer from extended periods of depression, possibly exacerbated from the malaria he contracted during the war. On 10 September 1930, in a small store room at his cricket school, Faulkner gassed himself. He was 48. His suicide note read "I'm off to another world, via the bat room."
Obituaries for Faulkner tiptoed around the manner of his death but all were fervent in their praise of the elegant batsman, the bowler who could trouble all of the leading batsman and the great fielder, either in the deep or in the slips.