Victor Trumper

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Victor Trumper
Australia (AUS)
Victor Trumper
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling type Right-arm medium
Tests First-class
Matches 48 255
Runs scored 3163 16,939
Batting average 39.04 44.57
100s/50s 8/13 42/87
Top score 214* 300*
Balls bowled 546 3,822
Wickets 8 64
Bowling average 39.62 31.37
5 wickets in innings 0 2
10 wickets in match 0 0
Best bowling 3/60 5/19
Catches/stumpings 31/0 173/0

Test debut: 1 June 1899
Last Test: 23 February 1912
Source: Cricinfo

Victor Thomas Trumper (born 2 November 1877 in Darlinghurst, Sydney, New South Wales, died 28 June 1915, Darlinghurst, Sydney, New South Wales) was a famous Australian batsman in the sport of cricket. He was renowned for the stylishness of his batting: Archie MacLaren said of him, "Compared to Victor I was a cab-horse to a Derby winner".

While at the Crown Street school he showed ability as a batsman and when only 17 years old made 67 for a team of juniors against A. E. Stoddart's English team. In the 1894-5 season he played for New South Wales against South Australia, but made only 11 runs in his two innings. At his next attempt he did no better, and he was left out of representative cricket for two years. M. A. Noble, always a good judge, was confident about his ability, but it was only after some controversy that he was made a last minute selection for the 1899 Australian team. He soon showed his ability, scoring 135 not out against England at Lords, and 300 not out against Sussex. After that his position as a great batsman became established.

His most remarkable season was with the Australian team in England in 1902. It was one of the wettest summers on record, yet Trumper in 53 innings scored 2,570 runs, and without a single not out, had an average of 48.49. His century before lunch at Manchester against England on a bad wicket was possibly the greatest innings ever played. Harry Altham wrote: "From start to finish of the season, on every sort of wicket, against every sort of bowling, Trumper entranced the eye, inspired his side, demoralized his enemies, and made run-getting appear the easiest thing in the world."[1]

Trumper at the crease.
Trumper at the crease.

CB Fry added, "He had no style, and yet he was all style. He had no fixed canonical method of play, he defied all orthodox rules, yet every stroke he played satisfied the ultimate criterion of style -- the minimum of effort, the maximum of effect."

"No one," wrote Plum Warner, "ever played so naturally. Batting seemed just part of himself, and he was as modest as he was magnificent."

His health in later seasons was at times uncertain and in some years he did not play much first-class cricket. Yet his last 68 innings, in 1910-14, gave him an average of 60. His ability as a batsman, however, cannot be valued by averages or the number of runs made. His great mastership was shown on bad wickets, for when other batsmen were struggling merely to keep their wickets intact, he was still able to time the ball and execute strokes all round the wicket. In February 1913 a match was played for his benefit between New South Wales and the rest of Australia which, with subscriptions, yielded nearly £3000. This was placed in the hands of trustees. Trumper's health declined during 1914 and developing Bright's disease he died on 28 June 1915. Trumper was interred in Waverley Cemetery and was survived by his widow, a son (also Victor) and a daughter.

Trumper was modest, retiring, and generous. A strict teetotaller and non-smoker, his general conduct was an example to his fellow players, and he was a great favourite with the public both in England and Australia. Monty Noble had no hesitation in calling him the world's greatest batsman, a genius without compare.

In 1902, in arguably his greatest innings, he became the first player to achieve the very rare feat of making a century on the first morning of a Test match, scoring 103 before lunch against England at Old Trafford.

Although Trumper is best known for his prowess as a cricketer, he was also a very good rugby player and he can lay claim to being the prime mover in the development of rugby league in Sydney in particular, and Australia as a whole. He attended the initial meeting that formed the New South Wales Rugby Football League, a body that would go on to conduct the major national rugby league premiership of Australia.

He was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1903.

His son, plain Victor Trumper (1913-1981), played seven first-class games for New South Wales in 1940-41, he was also the uncle of Admiral Sir Victor Smith (1913-1998), the first Australian to be promoted to the rank of Admiral.

The Sydney Cricket Ground Trust announced on 12 June 2008 that the new grandstand on the old hill at the SCG was to be named in Trumper's honour.

Victor Trumper's career performance graph.
Victor Trumper's career performance graph.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Quoted in The Cricket Captains of England, Alan Gibson, 1989, The Pavilion Library, ISBN 1-85145-390-3, p76.

[edit] External links