Ian Johnson (cricketer)

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Ian Johnson
Australia
Personal information
Full name	Ian William Geddes Johnson
Born	8 December 1917(1917-12-08)
	North Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Died	9 October 1998 (aged 80)
	Albert Park, Victoria, Australia
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in)
Role	Specialist bowler
Batting style	Right-hand
Bowling style	Right-arm off-spin
Test debut (cap 164)	29 March 1946: v New Zealand
Last Test	2 November 1956: v India
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1935–1956	Victoria
Career statistics
	Tests	FC
Matches	45	189
Runs scored	1000	4905
Batting average	18.51	22.92
100s/50s	0/6	2/21
Top score	77	132*
Balls bowled	8780	35968
Wickets	109	619
Bowling average	29.19	22.92
5 wickets in innings	3	27
10 wickets in match	0	4
Best bowling	7/44	7/42
Catches/stumpings	30/0	137/0
As of 26 February 2008 Source: [1]

Ian William Geddes Johnson CBE (8 December 1917 – 9 October 1998) was an Australian cricketer who played 45 Test matches as a bowling all-rounder between 1946 and 1956. A slow off-break bowler, Johnson captured 109 Test wickets at an average of 29.19 runs per wicket and as a lower order batsman made 1000 runs at an average of 22.92 runs per innings. He captained the Australian team in 17 Tests, winning 7 and losing 5. Despite this record, his term as national captain was best known for the loss of consecutive Ashes series against England. Urbane, well spoken and popular with his opponents and the public, he was seen by his team mates as a disclipinarian and his natural optimism was often seen as naive.

Johnson made his first-class cricket debut, aged 17, for Victoria in the 1935–36 season but did not establish a permanent place in the Victorian team until 1939–40. His career was interrupted by the Second World War, where he served with the Royal Australian Air Force as a pilot in the South West Pacific theatre and later as a flight instructor. He resumed his career when discharged and was selected to tour New Zealand with the Australian team, where he made his Test debut. He was part of Don Bradman's Invincibles team that toured England in 1948, remaining undefeated. He retained his place in the team until poor form saw him left out of the Australian squad for the 1953 tour of England.

Johnson was made the Australian captain following Lindsay Hassett's retirement in 1953; it was an unpopular appointment with some team mates and supporters who felt Keith Miller had a better claim to the position. In his first series as captain in 1954–55, the Australians were unable to defeat a strong English team. The tour of the West Indies later that season was a cricketing and diplomatic triumph for Johnson, with the Australians winning the series comfortably while avoiding the disturbances surrounding the visit to the islands by the English 12 months earlier. A combination of bad luck, poor weather and poorly prepared pitches alongside exceptional bowling from English spin bowling duo Jim Laker and Tony Lock lead to the defeat of his Australian team in England in 1956. Returning home to Australia via Pakistan and India, he retired from all forms of cricket at the age of 39.

After retirement, Johnson worked for a time as a sports commentator covering the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. In 1957 he was appointed Secretary of the Melbourne Cricket Club, one of the most prestigious positions in Australian sport. He would remain in the role for 26 years, overseeing the development of the Melbourne Cricket Ground and playing a key role in the organisation of the Centenary Test in 1977. In 1957 he was awarded a CBE for services to cricket; he was made an OBE in 1977 and later, in 1982 a CBE.

Contents 1 Early days 2 Test career 2.1 Debut and early Test career 2.2 Bradman's Invincibles 2.3 Decline in form 3 Captaincy 3.1 Selection 3.2 Ashes defeat 3.3 Caribbean success 3.4 "Lakered" 3.5 Home and retirement 4 Personal life 5 Style and personality 6 Notes 7 References 8 External links

[edit] Early days

Johnson was born in North Melbourne, an inner suburb of Melbourne on 8 December 1918.^[1] His father, William Johnson—a wine and spirit grocer—was a keen cricketer who played one first-class match for Victoria in 1924–25^[2] and was later a selector of the Australian Test team.^[1][3] Johnson attended Wesley College and while still a schoolboy he was included in the South Melbourne First XI, aged 16.^[1] He made his first-class cricket debut when selected to represent Victoria against Tasmania in Launceston, Tasmania, 23 days past his seventeenth birthday.^[1][4] He scored 34 and 26 and took two wickets in each innings; Tasmania won by 6 wickets.^[4] He was retained for the second game in Hobart where he scored 15 runs in his only innings. Bowling, he took 3 wickets for 40 runs (3/40) in the Tasmanian first innings and 1/27 in the second.^[5]

He would not play again for Victoria for three years, returning to Tasmania to play another two games in 1938–40. He made his highest first-class score to date, 88 runs, in the second game in Hobart.^[6][7] He secured his place in the Victorian team in the 1939–40 season.^[3] He made his Sheffield Shield debut against South Australia in Adelaide in November 1939. Batting at Number five, Johnson scored 33 runs in the first innings and 41 in the second but he was unable to take a wicket.^[8] That season, Johnson scored 313 runs at an average of 26.08 and took 13 wickets at an average of 39.92.^[9][10] Due to the Second World War, the 1940–41 season was truncated. Johnson played five matches that season, scoring 292 runs at an average of 32.44 and taking 25 wickets at 27.60 each.^[9][10]

In common with most cricketers of the time, Johnson's cricket career was interrupted by the war. Johnson enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force in March 1941.^[11] He flew Bristol Beaufighters with No. 22 Squadron RAAF and by 1944 he was serving as a Flight Lieutenant in the South West Pacific theatre.^[12] In June 1945, Johnson was awarded the Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air (CVSA) for his work as a flight instructor with No. 11 Elementary Flying Training School, based at Benalla in rural Victoria.^[13][14] He was discharged in December 1945 and returned to cricket in the 1945–46 season.^[11]

[edit] Test career

[edit] Debut and early Test career

Following his discharge from service, Johnson returned to first-class cricket in the 1945–46 season and won a place on the Australian tour of New Zealand. In the only Test match, played at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, Johnson scored 7 not out but he was not needed to bowl as New Zealand collapsed for a combined 96 runs in their two innings. In the first Test between the two nations, Australia won by an innings and 103 runs.^[15]

Test cricket returned to Australia with the visit of the English team in 1946–47. The English team played a lead-in match against Victoria. Playing for Victoria, Johnson took 4 wickets for 38 runs in the English second innings but was unable to prevent the English winning by 244 runs.^[16] He was included in the Australian team for the First Test at The Gabba in Brisbane, scoring 47 runs in the Australian total of 645. Once again Johnson was not given an opportunity to bowl as Australia won the match by an innings and 332 runs.^[17] Johnson took his first Test wicket in the Second Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), dismissing Len Hutton caught behind down the leg side with only his third delivery in Test cricket.^[18][19] Making intelligent use of the breeze, at one stage Johnson had bowled 11 overs, including 8 maidens and1 wicket having conceded only 3 runs.^[19] Johnson went on to take 6 wickets for 42 runs in the innings as England were bowled out for 255 runs.^[20][18] Johnson, in the role of nightwatchman, joined Sid Barnes at the wicket late on the second day of the match, batting through until stumps. He was dismissed the next day having scored 7 runs in an Australian total of 659. In the English second innings Johnson took another two wickets; England were dismissed for 371 runs and lost the Test by an innings and 33 runs.^[18]

Johnson met with less success in the Third Test, his first Test match in his home town of Melbourne. Batting at number six, Johnson did not score a run; dismissed leg before wicket by Norman Yardley from the first ball he faced—a "golden duck". In the second innings, Johnson was run out, again without scoring earning himself a pair. With the ball, Johnson took one wicket in the English first innings. In the second innings Australia were not able to dismiss England and the match was drawn; Johnson failing to take a wicket.^[21] Johnson returned to form with the bat in the Fourth Test at the Adelaide Oval. After failing to take a wicket in England's first innings, during the Australian first innings he made 52 runs. He dismissed Hutton again in the second innings, his only wicket for the match. The match finished in a draw, giving the Australians an unbeatable two-nil lead in the Test series and therefore retaining the Ashes.^[22] Johnson missed selection in the Fifth and final Test in Sydney.

The Indian team toured Australia for the first time in 1947–48, to play five Tests against an Australian team lead by Don Bradman. The Indian team was weakened by the withdrawal of their first choice captain Vijay Merchant followed by Rusi Modi, Mushtaq Ali and then Fazal Mahmood after the partition of India and Pakistan.^[23] Johnson played in the first four Tests, taking 16 wickets at an average of 16.31 runs per wicket.^[24] The Third Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) saw Johnson's best performance of the series, 4 wickests for 59 runs (4/59) in the first innings and 4/35 in the second.^[25] Australia won the series four Tests to nil.^[23]

[edit] Bradman's Invincibles

Johnson was one of Don Bradman's Australian team touring England in 1948. Known as the Invincibles, the Australian team were the first side to remain unbeaten through an entire English tour.^[26] Johnson started the tour well, taking 7/42 in an early tour match against Leicestershire^[27] followed by 5/53 in his next match against Surrey.^[28] Against Essex, Johnson took 6/37 in the second innings. Earlier in the match Australia had scored 721 runs in a single day; Johnson made 9.^[29]

Selected for the First Test at Trent Bridge, Johnson took only one wicket for the match; Australia won the Test by 8 wickets.^[30] He was a little more successful in the Second Test at Lord's taking 3 wickets in the first innings as Australia won the match by 409 runs.^[31] Johnson failed to take a wicket in a rain-affected Third Test at Old Trafford.^[32] Johnson was replaced after the Fourth Test, having taken only 7 wickets in the series at an average of 61.00.^[1][33] Wisden Cricketers' Almanack noted that while Johnson had started the tour well, he was not as effective in English conditions.^[34]

[Johnson] was not so troublesome to batsmen in Tests as when at home, principally because of the difference in pace of the pitches and his inability to bowl round the wicket, an almost essential part in the make-up of an off-spinner in England. False expectation against Johnson in Australia usually cost a batsman his wicket, but on slower English pitches there was time to change a stroke and still keep the ball out of the stumps, even though beaten by flight.

—Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, ^[34]

Regardless, Johnson played an important role in maintaining the Australian team's unbeaten record, bowling more overs than anyone other than Bill Johnston allowing Bradman to rest his fast bowling pair of Keith Miller and Ray Lindwall for the important matches.^[12]

[edit] Decline in form

During the Test series in South Africa in 1949-50, Johnson took 18 wickets at an average of 24.22—behind only Bill Johnston who took 23 wickets.^[35] Against a South African team weakened following the Second World War, the Australians started the series with a win in the First Test at Ellis Park at Johannesburg.^[36] The Australians won the match by an innings and 83 runs; Johnson made 66 runs and took 3/37 and 3/54.^[37] His best performance was in the Third Test at Kingsmead in Durban; 5/34 including Dudley Nourse as South Africa was dismissed for 99. Australia, who made only 75 in the first innings, made 336, including 151 not out by Neil Harvey, to win the match by 5 wickets.^[38] Australia won the series—Lindsay Hassett's first as captain—4 Tests to nil.^[36]

Freddie Brown and his English team toured Australia in 1950-51 to compete for the Ashes in a five Test series. Australia won the series four Tests to one however Wisden said that while "Australia held a slight superiority ... the difference between the teams was markedly less than revealed by statistics."^[39] Johnson had a "mediocre series"^[12] taking only 7 wickets at an average of 44.42.^[40] His best performance was in the Third Test at Sydney where he took three wickets in the England first innings. He followed this by scoring 77 runs in a 150 run partnership with Keith Miller, who went on to score 145 not out. He took another wicket in the English second ininngs as Australia won the Test by an innings and 13 runs.^[41] England's victory in the Fifth Test in Melbourne brought to an end Australia's unbeaten run of 29 Tests since 1938.^[39][42]

The next summer, the West Indian team visited Australia for a five Test series. The series was billed as the "unofficial cricket championship of the world"^[43] following the West Indian victory against England in 1950. However the Australians won the series comfortably, four Tests to one.^[43] Johnson had another lean series; taking only eight wickets at an average of 32.75.^[44] After the first Test against South Africa in 1952–53, he was omitted as the Australian selectors looked to develop younger spinners such as Richie Benaud.^{[citation needed]} Subsequently, Johnson was overlooked for the 1953 Ashes tour of England.^[12]

[edit] Captaincy

[edit] Selection

While the Australian team went on to lose the Ashes for the first time in twenty years, Johnson spent the winter calling Australian rules football matches for local radio station 3AW and writing columns for The Argus newspaper.^[45] Later that year, the Victorian Cricket Association appointed him to succeed the retired Hassett as captain of Victoria.^[45] In the middle of the season, at a New Years Eve party held by a mutual friend, Hassett approached Johnson to discuss his form. Taking a confrontational approach, Hassett said to Johnson, "The problem is that you are not getting stuck in. You're not trying."^[45] When Johnson protested, Hassett continued "If you have got any brains, you will start taking this game seriously. Because if you do you will end up captaining Australia next year."^[45]

The other contender for the vacant captaincy position was Keith Miller, the fast-bowling all-rounder and captain of New South Wales. Miller had lead his team to victory in the 1953–54 Sheffield Shield and was recognised as an intuitive captain.^[45] Based solely on cricket merits, Miller was seen as the superior candidate.^[46] However, inter-state rivalries and a perception that Miller would be a poor disciplinarian—partly based on a incident involving Sid Barnes serving drinks in a three piece suit rather than standard cricket whites—saw him passed over.^[45] Johnson, on the other hand, was a member of the cricket establishment; an alumnus of the exclusive Wesley College and the son of a former Test selector.^[45] He had also returned to form, taking 37 wickets in the 1953–54 Sheffield Shield—the most of any player—at an average of 16.37.^[47] In what cricket writer Dick Whitington speculated was a vote split between the New South Wales and Victorian factions, the Australian Cricket Board appointed Johnson as Australian captain.^[45] His appointment was not universally applauded.

There is strong feeling amongst cricket enthusiasts that horse trading on a state basis rather than objective evaluation of cricket skills has dominated selectors discussions. The operating principle seems to have been "you look after my man and we'll look after yours."

—The Daily Telegraph editorial, ^[45]

[edit] Ashes defeat

Johnson's first challenge as captain was the Ashes series against England in 1954–55. His first match as captain—the First Test at the Gabba in Brisbane—saw him lead his team to victory, defeating England by an innings and 154 runs.^[48] It was to be the only Australian victory in the series.^[49] Johnson, injured, was unable to play in the Second Test in Sydney. With Miller also injured, Arthur Morris was asked to lead the Australian team against an English fast bowling attack including Frank Tyson and Brian Statham. Tyson, who took ten wickets for the match, was instrumental in England winning the Test by 38 runs.^[50] Johnson and Miller returned for the Third Test in Melbourne but were unable to prevent another English victory, this time by 128 runs. The Test was marred by controversy; The Age, a local newspaper alleged that the pitch had been watered in contravention of the laws of cricket.^[51] Following an enquiry, the Victorian Cricket Association and the Melbourne Cricket Club issued a statement denying any watering of the playing area since the start of the match, however Wisden reported that "large cracks were evident on Saturday yet on Monday these had closed and for a time the surface behaved more kindly to batsmen." ^[51] Certainly, Johnson felt that the pitch had been changed to his disadvantage: "It was like losing the toss twice over."^[1] Johnson and Test debutant Len Maddocks shared a partnership of 54 runs to help Australia fight back in their first innings. However, Tyson took 7/27 in the Australian second innings and England won the match by 128 runs.^[52] England won the Fourth Test at Adelaide by five wickets and therefore retained the Ashes. With the Fifth and final Test ending in a draw, England won the series three Tests to one.^[49]

England's victory was attributed by 'Wisden to "superb fast bowling by Tyson and Statham [that] turned the scales so that finally the Australian batsmen were completely humbled".^[49] Losing three Tests successive saw the selectors of the Australian team subjected to harsh criticism.^[49] In the four Tests that Johnson played, he claimed 12 wickets at 20.25^[53] and had a batting average of 58.00—inflated due to a series of not out innings; his highest score for the series was 41.^[54]

[edit] Caribbean success

In March 1955, Johnson led Australia's first Test tour of the West Indies. The Australian Cricket Board was concerned about the team's relations with the West Indian public.^[12] The English team's tour of the West Indies in 1954 was marred by riots and violent disturbances and the Australians feared further instances.^[1] However, the Australian team was very popular throughout the West Indies with Wisden reporting that "much credit belonged to the tact displayed by Ian Johnson, who proved a most able captain".^[55] Johnson cultivated an relaxed manner with the locals; in one instance at Sabina Park in Jamaica, he stopped to pick up a toddler who had run on to the playing field during the change of innings. Smiling and chatting to the boy, he then carried him safely off the ground.^[1] Team mate Alan Davidson claimed that "Ian did the best PR job of any captain I've ever seen".^[20]

As well as being popular off the field, the Australian team was successful on the field, winning the series, three Tests to nil.^[55] The series was dominated by batsmen; in the five Test matches played the Australians scored 12 century while the West Indian batsman, Clyde Walcott alone scored five centuries, including centuries in both innings in the Tests at Sabina Park and Queens Park Oval. Johnson injured his foot while batting during the Sabina Park Test. With Johnson unable to bowl or field for the remainder of the match, Miller lead the Australians to a nine wicket victory.^[56] The Second Test at Queens Park Oval was a high scoring draw, Johnson scoring 66 runs and took a single wicket.^[57] Johnson met with success in the Third Test at Bourda in Georgetown, Guyana. He took 7/44 in the West Indian second innings—which remains the best-ever innings analysis by an Australian captain^[58]—and Australia won the Test by eight wickets.^[59]

A major rift between Johnson and Miller, his erstwhile rival for the Australian captaincy, developed during the Fourth Test, played at Kensington Oval in Barbados.^[1] During the third day, Miller, bowling fast-medium swingers. had dismissed Everton Weekes and Collie Smith in quick succession to leave the West Indies at 6/147 with Denis Atkinson and Clairmonte Depeiaza batting.^[1][60] Miller, thinking the two batsman would be vulnerable to express pace, asked Miller to increase his bowling speed. When Miller refused, Johnson remonstrated with him: "I'll say who bowls and what they bowl".^[1] With Miller refusing to bowl as directed, Johnson replaced him with Ray Lindwall. Walking off the field at the end of the day's play and continuing in the dressing room, Miller provoked Johnson, telling him he "couldn't captain a team of schoolboys" among other insults.^[1] Finally Johnson responded, asking "If you want to go on like that why don't we go around the back and thrash it out?"^[1] The much larger Miller declined the offer and the pair travelled back to the team hotel together.^[1][12] The next day, Atkinson and Depeiaza batted throughout the entire day's play. Their partnership of 347 runs for the seventh wicket is still a world record.^[61]

In the Fifth and final Test, the Australians scored 758 runs in their only innings—including maiden Test centuries to Benaud and Ron Archer, centuries to Miller and Colin McDonald, and a double century to Neil Harvey—to win the match by an innings and 83 runs.^[62] Despite the team's success, Johnson's on-field contribution was inconsistent.^[20] While he took 14 wickets in the Test series, seven of these came in one innings.^[63] This inconsistency saw internal team tensions develop over whether his place in the team was justified with Wisden claiming that "some malcontents called him myxomatosis because he only bowled when the rabbits were in".^[20]

"Ian was starting to wane as a player. He was always confident in his own ability but things were getting hard for him. And I do think players need to realise when they are playing that one season too many.

—Alan Davidson, ^[64]

Donald Bradman wrote to Prime Minister Robert Menzies after the tour, recommending an honour for Johnson in recognition of his contribution to the tour's success. The next year, both Johnson and Miller were awarded MBEs.^[64]

[edit] "Lakered"

Johnson lead his Australian team to England in 1956. The team's visit to England coincided with what was descibed by Wisden as "the wettest of all summers in memory".^[65] The poor weather gave the Australian team little chance to develop their confidence and Johnson used the early matches of the tour to allow his batsmen and bowlers to experiment in the unfamiliar conditions.^[65] In one of these early matches, Surrey defeated Australia by ten wickets; the first time the Australians had lost to county opposition since 1912.^[66] In a sign of future events at Old Trafford, Jim Laker took all ten wickets in the Australian first innings and with Tony Lock, the pair took 19 of the 20 Australian wickets to fall in the match.^[67] While Johnson was successful with the ball, taking 6 wickets for 168; his preconceived tactics saw him allow Lindwall, his main fast bowler, only two overs in Surrey's first innings and attempt to turn Alan Davidson into an spin bowler.^[1][67] The loss would affect Australia's confidence against spin for the remainder of the tour.^[1]

The First Test, at Nottingham, was affected by rain and despite England declaring twice the match ended in a draw.^[68] Injuries to Lindwall and Davidson meant an understrength Australian team took the field for the Second Test at Lord's.^[65] In what Wisden described as a "triumph of teamwork", the Australians won the match by 185 runs.^[69] Johnson was unlucky to lose the toss in the Third Test at Leeds and Lock and Laker took advantage of a pitch helpful to spin to take 18 of the twenty Australian wickets and England won the match by an innings and 42 runs.^[70]

The Fourth Test at Manchester was controversial. The Old Trafford pitch had little grass, perhaps as a result of earlier wet weather.^[71] Again, Johnson lost the toss and England chose to bat first. Johnson and his spinning partner, Richie Benaud were unable to exploit the spin friendly conditions and the English made 459 runs. In reply, the Australians were unable to come to grips with the conditions and the bowling of Laker and Lock, bowled out for 84.^[72] Amid wild weather, the Australians were asked to follow on. A determined batting performance, however, was not enough to prevent an English victory by an innings and 170 runs.^[72] Laker's performance was historic. He took 10/53, the first time any bowler had taken all ten wickets to fall in a Test match.^[73] With his 9/37 in the first innings, he captured 19 wickets for the match, still a world record in first-class cricket.^[74] Wisden reported that the Australians were said "to be extremely bitter over the condition of the pitch."^[72] Former Test cricketer and journalist Bill O'Reilly wrote "This pitch is a complete disgrace" while the Australian batsman Colin McDonald later said, "England cheated: if by cheating you include the practise of preparing wickets to suit your own purpose"^[75] Johnson, playing down the discontent felt by the Australians, was generous towards the victors, saying that "When the controversy and side issues of the match are forgotten, Laker's wonderful bowling will remain."^[72] The media said Australia had been "Lakered".^[76]

The Fifth and final Test was drawn and Australia lost the series two Tests to one. Australia had now lost three Ashes series in a row, the last two with Johnson as captain. His own form was modest; he took only six wickets in the Tests at an average of over 50 runs per wicket.^[77] His performance with the bat was no better with the bat, scoring 61 runs at an average of only 7.62.^[78] Once again, Johnson's place in the team was questioned. Former team mate and cricket pundit Sid Barnes called Johnson "Australia's non-playing captain".^[79] The Australian team's scorer, Bill Ferguson, said "Had Johnson been told by his friends in the press that he was, in fact, a passenger, he might have pondered on the advisability of standing down. [...] There would have been no shame in standing down."^[1] Writing after the tour, Miller—a tour selector—stated "Privately I thought that [Johnson] was not a form selection. On the other hand, I did not think it wise to change skippers in midstream."^[80]

I was over the hill, no doubt about it. So were [Miller] and [Lindwall]. But even though I wasn't performing well, I still thought I was important to the side.

—Ian Johnson, ^[81]

[edit] Home and retirement

On the return journey from England, Australia toured India and Pakistan for the first time, with mixed results. On a matting pitch, unfamiliar to the Australians, Johnson's team lost the inaugural Test with Pakistan at Karachi.^[82] Responding to the loss, the cartoonist for the Adelaide News newspaper, Norman Mitchell, suggested that island planters might be able to scrape together a team that would be a match for the Australians.^[1] Returning to turf pitches in India, the Australians restored some pride. Johnson was the highest scorer in the Australian team's victory by an innings and five runs in the First Test at Nehru Stadium in Madras.^[83] Johnson missed the drawn Second Test at Brabourne Stadium at Bombay, replaced as skipper by Lindwall.^[12] He returned for the Third Test at Eden Gardens at Calcutta for what would be his final Test match. The Australians won the match by 94 runs.^[84] The Australians won the series two Tests to nil and SK Gurunathan, summing up in the Indian Cricket Almanack, wrote: "The Australians showed themselves to be a superior side even when their batting failed."^[85]

When the team finally arrived home, Johnson announced his retirement from all cricket at the age of 39.^[12] In all he played 45 Tests, capturing 109 wickets at an average of 29.19, including three five-wicket hauls. He scored exactly 1000 runs, making him one of only eleven Australians to achieve the "double" of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in Test cricket.^[86] In first-class cricket Johnson took 619 wickets and scored 4905 runs.

His record as the Australian captain was mixed; he captained Australia in 17 Tests, winning seven and losing five.^[87] However, he was the first captain to lead Australia to successive Ashes defeats in the 20th century. Wisden said of Johnson, "Unfortunately for him, he took over in the mid-1950s, when Australian cricket was decidedly inferior to England's for the first time since before the Bradman era" but "he was a fine cricketer and, in some respects, a visionary."^[20]

[edit] Personal life

In 1942, aged 24, Johnson married 19-year-old Lal Park, the daughter of Test cricketer, Dr Roy Park. Married for 56 years, together they had two sons, Bill and Bob.^[12] After the war, when cricket commitments allowed, Johnson worked as a salesman.^[88] Immediately following his retirement, Johnson spent some time as one of the first television sporting commentators in Australia, covering the 1956 Summer Olympics, held in his home town of Melbourne.^[89] He wrote a book; Cricket at the crossroads, published in 1957.^[1]

The following year, Johnson was chosen from a group of 44 candidates for the position of secretary of the Melbourne Cricket Club, one of the most prestigious jobs in Australian sport. During some controversial times, he helped to maintain the Melbourne Cricket Ground's pre-eminence as a sporting arena.^[20] Johnson managed the club and the ground through some major redevelopment, keeping a balance between the competing interests of Australian football and cricket. For services to sports administration, in 1976 he was made an Officer in the Order of the British Empire (OBE).^[90] He played a leading part in organising the Centenary Test, held at the MCG in 1977.^[91]

For twenty years, he served as a member of the state Parole board.^[1] After serving the club for 26 years, he retired to spend more time at his home in the southern Melbourne suburb of Albert Park and his holiday house "Barbados" in Torquay.^[1] In 1982, he was made a Commander in the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to cricket.^[92] He died in Melbourne in 1998 following a long illness.^[93]

[edit] Style and personality

Unusually for an Australian, Johnson bowled off-spin rather than the wrist spin normally employed by his countrymen.^[20] Johnson had an unusual bowling action, with a "rather staccato swing" of his bowling arm.^[94] He bowled with a high degree of flight, causing opposing batsmen difficulties in judging where the ball would land.^[1] Making intelligent use of the wind, Johnson was able to make his deliveries float away from the batsman, changing from his standard off-break.^[94] According to E. W. Swanton, Johnson was "probably the slowest bowler to achieve any measure of success in Test cricket".^[20] His action was compared to a corkscrew; writer Ray Robinson saying that "to coax turn from firm Australian pitches he twisted the ball almost hard enough to screw a doorknob off.^[1] There were doubts about the legality of his bowling action; his English rival, Trevor Bailey claimed that Johnson threw every delivery.^[1] Johnson was never no-balled for throwing, having played cricket in front of umpires from Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, West Indies, India and Pakistan.^{[citation needed]}

[Johnson was] at his best on dry crumbling wickets—the wet ones made him too slow. It always looked like he could be hit by a fast-footed batsman. That he wasn't may be put down to his straight ball, which was hard to detect, and often left the striker down the wicket. A most intelligent bowler, always scheming.

—Donald Bradman, ^[95]

Described by Jack Pollard as a "dour middle order batsman",^[91] he had a sound defence and when necessary could hit the ball with power.^[94] Bradman was full of praise for Johnson's batting after the Invincibles tour in 1948: "Splendid batsman—most valuable about number 7" also describing him as a "very good slip field".^[95]

As captain, Johnson was noted for his public relations skills with a gift for public speaking.^[96] He was optimistic by nature with a belief in "guts and determination".^[97] However he could be insensitive at times; Bill Johnston took offence when Johnson attempted rouse him during a practise session: "Just cos you are one of the old blokes in the side doesn't mean you don't have to bloody well put in you know."^[98] His optimism could seem artless and naive. Ian Craig, his successor as Australian captain, said about Johnson's attitude during the 1956 tour of England "I don't Johnson was ever realistic about the situation. [...] I supposed he felt obliged to make rallying speeches, but the team knew what was going on."^[81] Pat Crawford felt that "Johnson couldn't get anything out of the players, whereas the guys would have busted a gut for [Miller]".^[81] He was seen by some of his team mates as "dictatorial" with Benaud and Harvey particulary resenting Johnson's insistence on the entire touring party attending every lead-in match before 1956 Test series in England.^[20][81]

Johnson was sportsmanlike; on one occasion in South Africa, when Eastern Province batsman Ray Connell was bowled after the ball deflected from his head, Johnson replaced the bails, allowing him to continue batting.^[99] During the Adelaide Test in 1950–51 he "walked", giving the unlucky John Warr one wicket for the series.

I got the faintest of faint touches and Godfrey [Evans] went up, half-heartedly. John followed him, but the umpire said not out. Well I saw John's shoulders sag, and he looked so crestfallen that on the spur of the moment I nodded to the umpire and walked.

—Ian Johnson, ^[100]

Johnson was not above some gamesmanship, resorting to time-wasting tactics to avoid defeat in the final Test of the 1956 series against England.^[1] He was willing to have some fun on occasion; when in the West Indies he convinced a local pilot to allow him to fly the plane carrying the team between Trinidad and nearby Tobago, to the later displeasure of the Australian Cricket Board.^[1]

Normally diplomatic, when writing for a newspaper when on tour in South Africa, Johnson was blunt with his hosts about race relations in the country: "I am certain that the average man-in-the-street avoids the problem too much for, at the moment, you're living in a fool's paradise."^[101]. Urbane, courteous and popular with opposition players and spectators, Colin Cowdrey described Johnson as "an astute leader and fine ambassador for cricket".^[102]

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Cricinfo Article on Ian Johnson

Preceded by Lindsay Hassett	Australian Test cricket captains 1954/5	Succeeded by Arthur Morris
Preceded by Arthur Morris	Australian Test cricket captains 1954/5-1956/7	Succeeded by Ray Lindwall
Preceded by Ray Lindwall	Australian Test cricket captains 1956/7	Succeeded by Ian Craig

v • d • e Australia squad - "The Invincibles" 1 Sid Barnes • 2 Don Bradman (c) • 3 Bill Brown • 4 Ron Hamence • 5 Neil Harvey • 6 Lindsay Hassett (vc) • 7 Ian Johnson  • 8 Bill Johnston • 9 Ray Lindwall • 10 Sam Loxton • 11 Colin McCool • 12 Keith Miller • 13 Arthur Morris  • 14 Doug Ring • 15 Ron Saggers (wk) • 16 Don Tallon (wk) • 17 Ernie Toshack • Coach: Keith Johnson

Persondata
NAME	Johnson, Ian William Geddes
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Cricketer
DATE OF BIRTH	December 8, 1917
PLACE OF BIRTH	North Melbourne
DATE OF DEATH	October 9, 1998
PLACE OF DEATH	Melbourne