Death of Famous "Aussie" Cricketer

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 235, 23 December 1927, Page 10

Death of Famous "Aussie" Cricketer

GEORGE GIFFEN’S CAREER A GREAT ALL-ROUNDER ‘ When I left Melbourne to attend the match between South Australia and Victoria I thoroughly recognised that it would be my last chance of seeing dear old George Giffen on this side of eternity/’ says “J.W.” in the “Australasian.” Ho died the day I left Melbourne. It is impossible in a few lines to do justice to such a wonderful cricketer, but even the recital of some of his feats must recall to many the prowess of the man who, to say the least of it, has never had a superior as an allround cricketer in Australia. There are a few who may be bracketed with him, notably, W. G. Grace and A. G. Steel, among English players, and M. A. Noble and W" W. Armstrong, of the Australians.

George Giffen was born on March 27, 1859, and from 1880, when he first appeared for South Australia against Victoria, until his retirement in 1903, he was the mainstay of South Australian cricket. In his first-class cricket career he made 12,000 runs and took more than 1,000 wickets. With M. A. Noble he shares the honour of being the only Australian to make 1.000 runs and take 100 wickets in Test matches. Altogether he made five trips to England as a member of an Australian eleven. His most successful year in England was in 1886, when he was first in the averages in both batting and bowling, making 1,453 runs, with an average of 26.49 runs a completed innings, and taking 159 wickets, at an average cost of 17.8 runs each. His Test match figures are: Batting, 1,238 runs, average 23.35; bowling, 103 wickets, average 27.09. His characteristics were coolness and pertinacity. He was a medium pace right-hand bowler, with an off break, and an occasional faster ball, and he varied his pace and pitch well. He was an adept at getting a batsman caught and bowled. Perhaps his greatest feat was taking the whole 10 wickets for 66 runs for the Australian Eleven against The Rest of Australia jn Sydney in 1884. As a batsman he was correct and sound, and could also hit, and he was a good fieldsman. It was his w’onderful length which made him a great bowler, his stubborn determination and untiring pertinacity which made him a great batsman. He was a cricketer every inch, and when he played a game he had no other thought than it. CRICKETER, FOOTBALLER AND RUNNER

George Giffen was a wonderful athlete. He represented South Australia at football, was a great runner, and the champion of his time at cricket. Even after he retired from first-class cricket he kept up the game, and until comparatively late years also was regarded as the best practice bowler in South Australia. He never lost his length, though the power to spin the ball had gone. When quite an old man he used to coach and play with a crowd of boys on the park lands in Adelaide, and so keen was he that he was often to be seen before 7 o’clock in the morning playing with them before they went to school and he betook himself to the Adelaide Post Office, where he was employed for so many years.

Some of his all-round feats are simply extraordinary, and are unrivalled on Australian wickets. At one stage against Victoria 16 successive innings yielded the master 166, 135, 19, 85, 9, 237, 271, 32. 92, 43, 181, 24, 103, 29, 89 and 94 not 0ut—1,609 runs at an average of 107. In the same run of matches he had such bowling records as 14 for 125, 13 for 159, 12 for 102, 16 for 166, and 12 for 147.

Australia has produced many brilliant all-rounders, but the three that have stood right out from above their fellows arc George Giffen, Alf Noble and Warwick Armstrong—a champion from each of the three great cricketing States of the continent. And it is a strange thing that so far as bowling is concerned, at any rate, the three were distinct in character and style. To the present-day players Giffen’s name is but a memory, which at times, and obvious as it is, is extremely hard to realise. Of course, the present player has only records as a guide, as Giffen flourished before many of them were born. In comparatively recent times such world players as Tom Horan, Victor ! Trumper, Harry Trott, Harry G.ra- ! ham, Charlie McLeod, Alick Bannerman, Fred Spofforth, Frank Iredale, j Jack Tyms and George Giffen have all j departed, making us appreciate those : familiar words of the poet—- “ Friend after friend departs, Who hath not lost a friend ? Tiiere is no union here of hearts That finds not here an end.”