Ernie Toshack

Ernest Raymond Herbert Toshack (8 December 1914 – 11 May 2003) was an Australian cricketer who played in 12 Tests from 1946 to 1948.

Born in 1914, Toshack overcame many obstacles to reach international level cricket.

He was orphaned as an infant, and his early cricket career was hindered because of financial difficulties caused by the Great Depression.

The Second World War prevented Toshack from competing at first-class level until he was into his thirties.

Born in the western New South Wales bush town of Cobar on 8 December 1914, Toshack was one of five children of a stationmaster.

Orphaned at the age of six, he was raised by relatives in Lyndhurst in the central east of the state, and played his early cricket and rugby league for Cowra.

At this time, Toshack's ambition was to play rugby league for Australia.

One of his childhood friends, Edgar Newham, also played both sports and wanted to play Test cricket.

However, the town's doctor, a local community leader, advised that they were targeting the wrong sport, and the two boys followed his recommendation.

Newham later played rugby league for Australia.

In his youth he was also a boxer, and earned the nickname "Johnson" for his resemblance to American black heavyweight boxing champion Jack Johnson.

In the mid-1930s, he made brief appearances for the State Colts and Second XI, and played cricket against the likes of the Test cricketer Stan McCabe.

In December 1933, Toshack played in a colts match for New South Wales against Queensland.

He took 3/63 (three wickets at a cost of 63 runs) and 3/36 but was unable to prevent a five-wicket defeat.

He then took a total of 3/88 in a match for New South Wales Country against their city counterparts, and was promoted into the state's Second XI.

His cricket aspirations, already hindered due to economic difficulties caused by the Great Depression, were further interrupted when he neede to use a wheelchair for months after a ruptured appendix in 1938.

He was not allowed to enlist in the Australian Defence Force during World War II and worked at the Lithgow Small Arms Factory, in the town of Lithgow on the edge of the Blue Mountains west of Sydney.

Only at the end of the war, aged 30, did he go to Sydney.

At the time, he was a medium-fast left-arm bowler and approached the Petersham cricket club – as Toshack lived in the locality, it had the right to register him ahead of other clubs.

Petersham did not select Toshack, so he joined Marrickville in Sydney Grade Cricket, starting in the third grade team in 1944–45.

Within two matches, he rose to the first grade team.

By this time, Petersham regretted its decision to spurn Toshack and lodged a complaint with the cricket authorities, claiming that he was obliged to represent Petersham and ineligible to play for Marrickville.

Toshack later recalled that Petersham were "told where to go".

In 1945–46, the first season of cricket after the end of the War, Toshack made his debut at first-class level and after only seven matches in the Sheffield Shield he was selected for Australia's tour of New Zealand.

In Wellington, he opened the bowling in a match that was retrospectively classed as an official Test match.

Toshack took a total of 1/91 in a match against the Victorian Second XI and did not play for his state again until 1945.

Upon the resumption of first-class cricket in 1945–46, Toshack made his debut for New South Wales against Queensland as an opening bowler aged almost 31, and was quickly among the wickets.

He took four 4/69 in his first innings as his team took a 128-run lead, but he managed only 0/87 from 20 overs in the second innings as New South Wales fell to a four-wicket loss, failing to defend a target of 270.

His first wicket was that of Geoff Cook.

Toshack's most successful match of the season came in the following fixture, against South Australia.

Taking 4/30 and 4/78 as New South Wales won by an innings.

He then took 2/36 and 3/54 in an innings victory over the Australian Services.

By the end of the season, in March 1946, Toshack had taken 35 wickets in seven first-class matches, at an average of 18.82, making him the second highest wicket-taker behind George Tribe.

Toshack became a regular member of the Australian team, playing in all of its Tests until the 1947–48 series against India.

A left arm medium paced bowler known for his accuracy and stamina in the application of leg theory, Toshack was a member of Don Bradman's "Invincibles" that toured England in 1948 without being defeated.

Toshack reinforced the Australian new ball attack of Ray Lindwall and Keith Miller.

He took his career-best match bowling figures of 11 wickets for 31 runs (11/31) in the First Test but began to suffer recurring knee injuries, and a medical board had to approve his selection for the 1948 England tour.

Toshack played in the first four Tests before being injured.

After a long convalescence, he attempted a comeback during Australia's 1949–50 season, but further injury forced him to retire.

He was a parsimonious bowler, who was popular with crowds for his sense of humour.