Herbie Collins
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Australia (AUS) |
||
 |
||
| Batting style | Right-hand bat | |
| Bowling type | Slow left-arm orthodox | |
| Tests | First-class | |
| Matches | 19 | 168 |
| Runs scored | 1352 | 9924 |
| Batting average | 45.06 | 40.01 |
| 100s/50s | 4/6 | 32/40 |
| Top score | 203 | 282 |
| Balls bowled | 654 | 9987 |
| Wickets | 4 | 181 |
| Bowling average | 63.00 | 21.38 |
| 5 wickets in innings | 0 | 8 |
| 10 wickets in match | 0 | 2 |
| Best bowling | 2/47 | 8/31 |
| Catches/stumpings | 13/0 | 113/0 |
|
Test debut: 17 December 1920 |
||
Herbert (Herbie) Leslie Collins (born January 21, 1888 in Darlinghurst, Sydney, New South Wales - died May 28, 1959 in Little Bay, Sydney) was an Australian cricketer and premiership winning rugby league player.
A right handed opening batsmen, Collins played locally for the Waverley Cricket club, in Sydney. In 1909 Collins was selected to make his first class debut for NSW and for the next few years was one of that States leading batsmen.
In the 1911 cricket off season Collins played rugby league for the Eastern Suburbs club . A five-eight, Collins, played alongside rugby league immortal, Dally Messenger as the Eastern Suburbs club won its first ever premiership.
In 1915 Collins enlisted in the Australian Imperial Forces(AIF), serving in Palestine and France. Despite his rank, lance corporal, Collins was chosen to captain an Australian Imperial Forces Cricket team on a tour of England in 1919. Playing against full strength County teams, Collins finished the tour with 1615 runs at a respectable batting average of 38.45. In addition, he also claimed 106 wickets at 16.55 - remarkably, Collins would bowl little in his Test career.
Test cricket returned after its war-enforced hiatus in 1920 with the English cricket team touring Australia. Collins, aged almost 32, was one of seven Australian players to make there debut in the First Test of that series - only Charles Macartney, Warren Bardsley, Charles Kelleway and captain Warwick Armstrong had played Test cricket prior to 1914. In the five-Test series, England were comprehensively defeated 5-0 with Collins making 557 runs for the series at an average of 61.89 - including a century on debut, becoming only the fifth Australian cricketer to do so.
Collins took over the Australian captaincy from Warwick Armstrong, following his retirement from test cricket, after the 1921 Ashes campaign. Collins enjoyed series victories against South Africa (1-0 in 1921-22) And Successfully defended the Ashes in the following test series against England (4-1 in 1924-25).
The 1926 tour of England would be Collins' last. Partly as a result of a wet English summer, the first four Tests of the five-Test series ended in draw. Collins had missed the Third and Fourth Tests, suffering from neuritis. The Fifth Test of the series, played at the Oval, commenced on August 14, 1926 with England winning the toss and batting. They compiled 280, Arthur Mailey taking five wickets. Australia responded with 302, dismissed late on the second day. At stumps, England - in their second innings - were 49/0. A violent thunderstorm inundated the ground overnight, rendering the pitch sticky. Collins attracted a great deal of negative attention by using the inexperienced Arthur Richardson as a main strike bowler at the expense of the likes of Mailey and Clarrie Grimmett. The English openers, Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe, took advantage of this by compiling a 172-run opening partnership. England were bowled out in their second innings for 436, 415 runs ahead. Australia were dismissed for 125, losing the match by 289 runs. [2]
Such was the disappointment at losing the Ashes, Collins was stripped not only of the New South Wales captaincy but also that of his local club, Waverley. Former players, including his former Waverley captain, the influential Monty Noble, publicly criticised Collins' captaincy. Hunter Hendry, viewing the match from the stands, accused Collins of throwing the match. Collins retired after the series.
In 1940, Collins - then aged 51 - married 24-year-old Marjorie Paine. The following years, Collins re-enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force, working as a Sergeant at Victoria Barracks in Sydney.
Collins, a bookmaker by profession, and known to love a bet, was sometimes known by the nicknames ‘Lucky’ or ‘Horseshoe’ Collins. Stories of his penchant for a bet are numerous - Former team mate, Aurthur Mailey, once said. "Collins' hunting grounds were the race-track, the dog-track, Monte Carlo, a baccarat joint at Kings Cross, a two-up joint in the Flanders trenches and anywhere a quiet game of poker was being played.".
Herbie Collins died of cancer in 1959. He was survived by his ex-wife and a son.
[edit] References
- Harte, Chris (2003), The Penguin History of Australian Cricket. Melbourne. Penguin.
- 200 Seasons Of Australian Cricket.Sydney.Ironbark.ISBN 0-330-360345
- Perry, Roland (2000). Captain Australia: A History of the Celebrated Captains of Australian Test Cricket. Sydney. Random House.
- Alan, Whiticker & Glen, Hudson(2000). The Encyclopedia Of Rugby League Players. NSW.ISBN 1-877082-02-3
| Preceded by Warwick Armstrong |
Australian Test cricket captains 1921/22-1926 |
Succeeded by Jack Ryder |
[edit] See also
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Collins, Herbert Leslie |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Cricketer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | January 21, 1888 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Darlinghurst, New South Wales |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 28, 1959 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Little Bay, New South Wales |
