By Satish Sekar © Satish Sekar (April 22^nd 2025)

Gimblett’s Tests

Somerset’s opening batsman Harold Gimblett only played three Test Matches – all in the 1930s. Two were against India and the other against the West Indies. He made a total of 129 runs in five innings with just one half-century – 67 not out at Lord’s in the First Test Match against India in June 1936. It was the highest score in a very low scoring match.

The Second Test Match was played a month later at Old Trafford, Manchester was drawn – both were three-day matches. India was all out for 202 in their first innings and England responded with 571 for 8 declared – Joe Hardstaff Jnr missed out on a century by 6 runs. Wally Hammond top scored with 167 – he was bowled by Cottari Kanakaiya (CK) Nayudu. Gimblett was dismissed for just 9. India responded with centuries by Vijay Merchant, 114, and Syed Mushtaq Ali, 112, in a total of 390 for 5. Hammond also claimed the important wicket of Merchant by lbw.

New Records

1933, the year of the infamous Bodyline Tour, also saw England visit New Zealand. In the First Test Match England made 580 for 8 declared with 103 by wicket-keeper batsman, Les Ames and a double century, 227, from Hammond. New Zealand was all out for 223, although only nine wickets were taken as Giff Vivian was absent hurt. New Zealand followed on, reaching 35 for 0.

The match was drawn. The second Test Match in Auckland also ended in a draw. Hammond had taken a liking to New Zealand’s pitches. After hitting a double century in the First Test at Christchurch Hammond went further, hitting a triple century, but he wasn’t the first to do so. Surrey’s Andrew Sandham became the first Englishman to hit a triple century in a Test Match, his last, which was a timeless Test Match against the West Indies in April 1930. England scored 849 all out. Les Ames hit 149, but Sandham scored 325, eclipsing Reginald Foster’s 287 as the best score by an Englishman in Test cricket. The West Indies were dismissed for 286. England responded with 272 all out, leaving the hosts with a target of 836 to win. They made 408 for 5 to draw the match, led by the great George Headley, who was stumped by Ames, bowled by Bob Wyatt for 223. Sandham’s world record lasted a few months – until July 1930.

The great Sir Donald Bradman hit 309 not out on the opening day of the Third Test Match at Leeds on his way to a new record of 334. Australia made 566 all out – Bradman hit 46 boundaries in his knock which was ended by George Duckworth catching him off the bowling of Maurice Tate. England responded with 391 all out, led by Hammond’s 113 – he hit 14 boundaries in his 361 balls innings, compared to 448 balls that Bradman took in his innings. England followed on, reaching 95 for 3 to draw the match.

Wally Hammond’s Influence

In the Second Test Match New Zealand made a paltry 158 all out. It would have been far worse but for the 83 not out made by Stewie Dempster. Meanwhile, Yorkshire’s Bill Bowes took 6 for 34 from his 19 overs. England amassed 548 for 7 declared in their first innings. Their captain Bob Wyatt made 60 – the next highest score to Hammond’s unbeaten 336. Hammond’s innings broke Bradman’s record. It took 318 minutes and contained 10 sixes and 34 fours. Hammond’s record stood until Len (later Sir Leonard) Hutton broke it with 364 at the Oval against Australia in 1938. England declared at 903 for 7, winning by an innings and 579 runs although Australia only had 8 wickets in each innings as Bradman and Jack Fingleton were absent hurt in both innings. Australia was all out for 201 in the first innings and 123 in the second innings – 40 runs less than Hutton had made on his own.

Gimblett’s Farewell

A year after Hammond’s team had massacred Australia, Gimblett made his Test Match farewell in the First Test Match against the West Indies at Lord’s in June 1939. Lord’s had the privilege of witnessing a century in each innings from West Indian great, George Headley,[1] 106 in the first innings, ably supported by Jeffrey Stollmeyer who made 59.

Nevertheless, West Indies were dismissed for 277. England responded with 404 for 5 declared, led by centuries by Leonard Hutton, 196 with 21 boundaries and 120 by Dennis Compton. Hutton was dismissed, caught by Rolph Grant off the bowling of Leslie Hylton[2] in the first innings and bowled by Hylton for 16 in the second innings – the only wickets that Hylton claimed in the match.

Headley made 107 in the second innings with eight boundaries. He was certainly the first tourist to score a century in both innings in a Test Match. West Indies were all out for 225, setting England a target of 99 to win. England scored 100 for 2 to win by 8 wickets.

Gimblett suffered from competing against some of English cricket’s great talents – although he just missed the career of the Surrey and England great, Sir Jack Hobbs – such as Middlesex’s Bill Edrich and Denis Compton, Yorkshire’s Sir Leonard Hutton and Gloucestershire’s Wally Hammond, among others.

This was another golden generation of English batting. Gimblett was a sensation with his county, but his origins meant that internal strife hit hard – there were more amateurs than professionals in Somerset’s team and there was the issue of Gimblett’s mental health, which contributed to his retirement after almost two decades, which was interrupted by the Second World War. Gimblett committed suicide in 1978. For further information on Gimblett’s cricket and struggles see David Foot’s book The Tortured Genius of Harold Gimblett.

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[1] His 106 which included 13 boundaries was one of ten Test Match centuries that Headley hit in just 22 matches. Headley’s skill was such that he was dubbed the black Bradman. He scored 2190 runs with an impressive average of 60.83.

[2] Hylton’s is a tragic story. An impressive fast bowler in the 1930s Hylton met a gruesome end. He is the only Test Match cricketer who is known to have been hanged in 1955 for the murder of his wife, (see the forthcoming article Hylton’s Poor Defence).