Test Cricket Tours - England to India 1939 cancelled

Test Cricket Tours - England to India 1939-40

Tour of India 1939-40 Captain : A J (Jack) Holmes

Tour cancelled

Would have been 36th England Test tour…..

(September 1939 -

… and second Test playing tour of India by an English side

(previous Indian tour 1933-34)

For what would have been England's second Test tour of India, three Test matches - at Bombay, Calcutta and Madras - were arranged.

On 25 July 1939 M.C.C. said "While none of the arrangements for the tour of India this winter have been cancelled, views are being exchanged at present between M.C.C. and the Indian Cricket Board of Control to ascertain if a postponement of the tour of India to the winter of 1941 might be desirable."

On 2 August M.C.C. decided not to alter its plans at present, and announced the names of those invited to tour.

The tour was cancelled on 4 September 1939.

All England tours

Previous Test tour

South Africa 1938-39

Next Test tour

Australia 1940-41 cancelled

Australia 1946-47

Next tour of India

1951-52

Members of the Test tour party (16)

Opening batsmen: John Langridge, Harold Gimblett.

Middle-order batsmen Jack Holmes, Hugh Bartlett, Tom Dollery, Jack Parker, Roger Human, Bob Wyatt

Wicket-keeper: Billy Griffith, Gerald Mobey

All-rounder: Emrys Davies, Stan Nichols

Slow bowlers: Peter Smith, John Brocklebank

Fast bowlers: George Pope, Arthur Wellard,

H T Bartlett	Sx	24	LHB

J M Brocklebank	La	24	LB /RM

Davies, D E	Gm	35	LHB SLA

Dollery, H E	Wk	24	RHB

Gimblett, H	Sm	24	RHB opener

S C Griffith	Sx	25	WK

A J Holmes	Sx	40	RHB captain

R H C Human	Wo	30	RHB (RM)

Langridge, James w/d	Sx	33	LHB SLA

Langridge, J G w/d	Sx	29	RHB opener

Mobey, G S	Sy	35	WK

Nichols, M S	Ex	38	LHB RF

Parker, J F	Sy	26	RHB RM

Pope, G H added	Dy	28	RFM

Smith, T P B	Ex	30	LBG

Wellard, A W	Sm	37	RFM

R E S Wyatt	Wk	38	RHB (RM) vice-captain

County representation:

Dy - Derbyshire (1)

Ex - Essex (2)

Gm - Glamorgan (1)

La - Lancashire (1)

Sm - Somerset (2)

Sy - Surrey (2)

Sx - Sussex (4)

Wk - Warwickshire (2)

Wo - Worcestershire (1)

Average age of the team at September 1939 :

30 yrs 10 months.

Key to type:

RHB Right-handed bat

RM Right arm medium-paced bowler

RFM Right-arm fast medium

OB Off-break

WK Wicket-keeper

Test Appearances made before the tour

Wyatt 40, Nichols 14, Gimblett 3, Wellard 2.

Tour Officials

Lt-Col. C.B.Rubie

Tour Manager

Selectors

Peter Perrin (chairman), Jack Holmes, Brian Sellers and Maurice Turnbull.

Selection

Tour Party Announced : 2 August 1939.

Unavailable: James Langridge withdrew on 11 August and George Pope took his place.

Time between selection and planned departure from England 51 days

(2 August - 22 September)

Travel Plans

Tilbury T Bombay

‘Strathmore’

Travel Plans

Depart St Pancras 2.15 pm on Friday 22 September for Tilbury. Embark on the P & O liner RMS "Strathmore".

Arrive Bombay Sunday 8 October. Depart Bombay by train 10 pm.

Arrive Karachi Wednesday 11 October at 3.45

14 - 16 October v Sindh. Depart Karachi at 8 pm.

Arrive Peshawar 9 am on Wednesday 18 October

20 - 21 October v N.W.F.P. CA.

Depart Peshawar 9.30 am on Monday 22 October

Arrive Lahore 7.40 pm

24 - 26 October v Northern India CA

28 - 30 October v Combined Universities

Monday 30 October Depart Lahore 8.30pm for Amritsar.

Time that would be spent in India days

(8 October -

Planned Fixtures

a	Karachi	Sind	cancelled
b	Peshawar	North-West Frontier Province (2-day)	cancelled
c	Lahore	Northern India C A	cancelled
d	Lahore	Combined Universities	cancelled
e	Amritsar
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� not first-class

Time spent in India before First Test:

28 days

(24 October - 21 November)

Postscript

The M.C.C tour of 1940-41 to Australia did not take place either; there was no more Test cricket till March 1946.

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