Cricket Australia (CA) paid its tribute to oldest Test cricketer Bill Brown, who died last week in Brisbane. He represented Australia in 22 Tests between 1934 and 1948. His international career interrupted due to war service as an RAAF Flight Lieutenant.
Brown was Australia’s oldest Test cricketer and last pre-World War 2 Test cricketer. With his demise he leaves Ron Hamence, Sam Loxton, Arthur Morris and Neil Harvey as the last surviving members of Sir Donald Bradman’s famous Invincibles side of 1948.
Brown made his Test debut for the Aussies at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, in June 1934. He scored 22 and 73 in his debut match. Bill Brown played for NSW, being run out for a duck without facing a ball on debut, and Queensland.
He made 1592 Test runs at 46.82 with four centuries, captained Australia in what was later awarded status as the first Australia-New Zealand Test in 1946, and in later years served as a Queensland and as an Australian selector. He was awarded an OAM for services to cricket in 2000.
CA Chairman Creagh O’Connor, in expressing condolences to Bill Brown’s wife Barbara, sons Peter, Geoffrey, Steve, family and friends, said that Australian cricket had lost a good friend and great character.
“Bill was a fine cricketer, good enough to carry his bat while making a double century at Lord’s, and will always be honoured as a member of the extraordinary Invincibles,” Creagh quoted in CA’s website.
“But those of us who had the good fortune to meet and know him in more recent years will also remember him with great affection as an impish wit and good-humoured servant of the game, always ready to lend his assistance, ” added Creagh.
One of his last public appearances was to officially unveil the restored Sheffield Shield at the Sir Donald Bradman Oration in Brisbane in November 2006, where crowd were treated to his repartee with Ian Healy.
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