| Tour of India 1933-34 Captain : Douglas Jardine  | |
| | | | |
| 32nd England
Test tour (October 1933 - March 1934) First Test playing tour of
India
by an English side | This was the second M.C.C. side and the fifth group from England
to make a tour of the sub-continent. Previous English teams in India were: 1889-90 G.F.Vernon's team 1892-93 Lord Hawke's team 1902-03 Oxford
Authentics 1926-27 M.C.C. The tour was deferred from 1930-31 because of the Indian
nationalist movement demonstrations. On 2 July 1931 the cricket authorities
in New Delhi heard that M.C.C. had postponed
their tour because the full programme could not be arranged and M.C.C. wanted
all the centres of cricket in India
to gain full benefit from the visit. It was the first occasion on which India, admitted to the Imperial
Cricket Conference in 1926, provided the setting for a Test series. Though
far from representative of England's
strongest team, Jardine led the M.C.C. combination to a two-nil victory.
However, the Indians played below their best and suffered from the loss of their
best bowler Mohammad Nissar in the final Test, indicating a shortage of
capable reserve players. On the 72-mile journey from Colombo
to play at Galle,
the car carrying Jardine, Nichols, Marriott and Human broke down. The tyres
could not be repaired and the driver refused to proceed with flat tyres so
Nichols took the wheel until a relief car met them. | Other England
tours Previous
Test tour Australia 1932-33 Next
Test tour West Indies 1934-35 Next
tour of India 1939-40 cancelled 1951-52 | |
| Members
of the Test tour party (16) Opening batsmen: Charles Barnett, Fred Bakewell, Cyril
Walters Middle-order batsmen Douglas Jardine, John Human, Bryan Valentine, Robert Gregory Wicket-keeper: Hopper Levett, Harry Elliott All-rounders: Les Townsend, James Langridge Slow bowlers: Hedley Verity, Charlie ‘Father’ Marriott Fast
bowlers: Nobby Clark, Stan Nichols | Bakewell, A H | Nth | 25 | RHB opener | | Barnett, C J | Gs | 23 | RHB opener RM | | Clark, E W | Nth | 31 | LF | | Elliott, H | Dy | 42 | WK | | Gregory, R J | Sy | 31 | RHB LB | | J
H Human | Mx | 21 | RHB | | D
R Jardine | Sy | 33 | RHB | | Langridge, James | Sx | 27 | LHB SLA | | W H
V Levett | Kt | 25 | WK | | C S Marriott | Kt | 38 | LBG | | Mitchell, A | Yo | 31 | RHB | | Nichols, M S | Ex | 33 | LHB RF | | Townsend, L F | Dy | 30 | RHB RM/OB | | B
H Valentine | Kt | 25 | RHB | | Verity, H | Yo | 28 | LHB SLA | | C
F Walters | Wo | 28 | RHB opener | |
| County representation: Dy – Derbyshire (2) Ex -
Essex (1) Gs - Gloucestershire (1) Kt -
Kent (3) Mx - Middlesex (1) Nth - Northamptonshire (2) Sy - Surrey
(2) Sx - Sussex (1) Wo - Worcestershire (1) Yo - Yorkshire
(2) Average age of team at time of first Test match (15 December 1933): 29 yrs 11 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 | Jardine 19, Verity 9,
Nichols 6, Bakewell 3, Clark 3,
Walters 3, Elliott 2, Langridge 2, Barnett 1,
Marriott 1, Townsend 1, Gregory 0, Human
0, Levett 0, Mitchell 0, Valentine 0. | | |
| Tour
Officials | Major E.W.C.Ricketts | Tour Manager | | Baggageman |
| | |
| Selectors | M.C.C. | | |
| Selection | From the last day of July onwards, the M.C.C.
committee announced invitations to tour and assembled a team of fifteen
players. Maurice Turnbull declined an offer, feeling he would be better
occupied in the winter raising money for Glamorgan CCC (Andrew Hignell- Turnbull A Welsh Sporting Hero). Eddie Paynter and Bob Wyatt also declined their offers,
as did Les Ames later, whereupon Elliott, Human and Mitchell came in to the
team. Finally, C.S.Marriott was given the 16th place in the tour party. Also unavailable Gubby Allen, Walter Hammond, Herbert Sutcliffe. Tour Party Announced : | Time between selection and departure from England days ( -
22 September) | |
| Travel Tilbury T Bombay ‘Mooltan’ | Departure from England was
on 22 September 1933. The team sailed from
Tilbury on the ss 'Mooltan' to Bombay,
where they arrived on 12 October. They then proceeded to Karachi for the first match. | Time spent in India 149 days (12
October - 10 March) | |
| On-tour
selection panel | Douglas Jardine (captain)
was responsible for choosing the team. Any
meetings might have had fellow amateurs Cyril Walters and Brian Valentine and Mr E.W.C.Rickets (manager)
present. Valentine and Walters captained the side in Jardine’s absence. | | |
| Reinforcements | The M.C.C. side remained unusually free of injuries
during the tour: Bakewell missed some games with a bruised wrist, Marriott
with a bad cold. The Maharaja of Patiala was invited to appear in one
minor fixture. Cyril Walters did not
play after the Third Test. | | |
| Fixtures/Results An extra match was arranged to end the tour at Bombay for the Indian Earthquake Fund. | a | ϯ Karachi | C.B.Rubie's XI (2-day) | Drawn | b | ϯ Karachi | Karachi(2-day) | Drawn | c | Karachi | Sind | Won 91 r | d | ϯ Peshawar | North-West Frontier Province(2-day) | Won inns 135 | e | ϯ Lahore | Punjab Governor's XI (2-day) | Drawn | f | ϯ Lahore | Northern India(2-day) | Won inns 135 | g | Amritsar | South Punjab | Drawn | h | Patiala | Patiala | Drawn | i | ϯ Delhi | Delhi & District (2-day) | Won inns 133 | j | Delhi | Viceroy's XI | Won inns 208 | k | Ajmer | Rajputana | Won inns 107 | l | Rajkot | Western India States | Won 4 w | m | ϯ Jamnagar | Jamnagar(2-day) | Drawn | n | Bombay | Bombay President's XI | Drawn | o | ϯ Bombay | Bombay C A (2-day) | Drawn | p | BOMBAY | INDIA First Test | WON 9 w | q | ϯ Poona | Poona(2-day) | Drawn | r | ϯ Calcutta | British in Bengal (1-day) | Drawn | s | ϯ Calcutta | Anglo-Indians (1-day) | Won 8 w | t | Calcutta | An Indian XI | Drawn | u | CALCUTTA | INDIA Second Test | DRAWN | v | Benares | Vizianagram XI | Lost 14 r | w | ϯ Indore | Central India(2-day) | Drawn | x | Nagpur | Central Province &
Berar | Won 6 w | y | Secunderabad | Moin-ud-Dowlah XI | Drawn | z | ϯ Mysore | Mysore(2-day) | Won inns 288 | a’ | Madras | Madras | Won inns 352 | b’ | ϯ Madras | Indian Cricket Federation (1-day) | Won 187 r | c’ | MADRAS | INDIA Third Test | WON 202 r | d’ | Coombo | All-Ceylon | Won 10 w | e’ | ϯ Galle | Galle(1-day) | Drawn | f’ | Colombo | India & Ceylon | Won 8 r | g’ | ϯ Darrawella | Up-Country XI (1-day) | Drawn | h’ | Bombay | Indian XI (charity
match) | Drawn |
| † not first-class Time spent in India before First Test: 28 days (24 October - 15 December) | |
| Test
appearances on tour (v India
1933-34) | 3 - Barnett, Clark, Jardine, Langridge, Mitchell, Nichols, Townsend, Verity, Walters 2 - Elliott, Valentine. 1 - Bakewell, Levett 0 - Gregory, Human, Marriott. | | |
| Match
appearances T Test match x other match p practice match W won L lost D drawn N no
result C cancelled A
abandoned u unknown
result | | a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | i | j | k | l | m | n | o | p | q | r | s | t | u | v | w | x | y | z | a ‘ | b ‘ | c ‘ | d ‘ | e ‘ | f ‘ | g ‘ | h ‘ | Bakewell | x | x | x | x | x | x | | x | x | | x | x | | | x | | | | x | | | x | x | x | | x | x | x | T | x | x | x | x | x | Barnett | x | | x | x | | | x | x | x | x | x | x | | x | x | T | x | x | x | x | T | x | x | | x | x | x | x | T | x | x | | x | x | Clark | | | x | | | x | x | x | | | x | x | x | x | | T | | | | | T | x | x | | x | x | x | | T | x | | x | x | | Elliott | | | | | x | x | | x | | x | x | x | x | | x | T | x | x | x | | | | x | | | x | x | | T | | x | | x | | Gregory | x | | x | | | | | x | x | | x | | x | x | x | | x | x | x | x | | | x | x | x | x | x | | | x | x | | x | x | Human | x | x | | x | x | x | x | x | | x | | x | x | | | | | | x | x | | x | x | x | x | x | | x | | x | x | x | | | Jardine | x | x | x | x | x | | x | x | x | x | | | x | x | x | T | | x | x | x | T | x | | | x | x | x | x | T | x | x | | x | x | Langridge | x | | x | | x | x | x | x | | x | x | x | x | x | | T | x | | x | | T | | x | x | | x | x | x | T | x | | x | x | | Levett | x | x | x | x | | | x | | x | | x | | | x | x | | x | | | x | T | x | | x | x | | | x | | x | | x | | x | Marriott | | x | x | x | x | x | | x | | | | | | x | x | | x | x | x | x | | | x | | x | | x | x | | x | x | x | x | x | Mitchell | | x | x | x | x | x | | x | x | x | x | x | x | | x | T | x | x | | | T | | x | x | x | x | x | x | T | | x | x | x | x | Nichols | x | x | | x | x | | x | | x | x | | x | | x | | T | | x | x | x | T | x | | x | x | | | x | T | x | x | x | | x | Townsend | x | x | | x | x | x | x | | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | T | x | x | x | x | T | x | x | x | | | x | | T | x | x | x | | x | Valentine | x | x | | x | x | x | x | x | | x | x | x | x | | x | T | x | x | x | x | T | x | | x | x | x | x | | | | | x | x | x | Verity | | x | x | x | | x | x | | x | x | | x | x | x | | T | x | x | | x | T | x | | x | x | | | x | T | | x | x | x | x | Walters | x | x | x | | x | x | x | | x | x | x | | x | x | x | T | x | x | | x | T | x | x | x | | x | | x | T | | | | | | Mah Patiala | | | | | | | | | x | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | R E S U L T S | D | D | W | W | D | W | D | D | W | W | W | W | D | D | D | W | D | D | W | D | D | L | D | W | D | W | W | W | W | W | D | W | D | D | | a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | i | j | k | l | m | n | o | p | q | r | s | t | u | v | w | x | y | z | a ‘ | b ‘ | c ‘ | d ‘ | e ‘ | f ‘ | g ‘ | h ‘ |
| | |
| Highlights | • Stan Nichols took 5-55 in the first Test at
Bombay • Brian Valentine scored a century on his
Test debut • • | | |
| Tour
Summary | | F | W | L | D | Aban | Test Matches | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | - | Other first-class matches | 15 | 8 | 1 | 6 | - | †Minor matches | 16 | 7 | 0 | 9 | - | All Matches | 34 | 17 | 1 | 16 | - |
| F Fixtures W Won
L Lost
D Drawn T Tied Canc Cancelled
Aban abandoned | |
| Return
to England Bombay T Plymouth ‘Rawalpindi’ | The team travelled from Ceylon
to Bombay for
an additional fixture, a charity match in aid of earthquake victims. Jardine
then left for Mysore
where he was invited for a shooting holiday, and he returned home in April. The team sailed from Bombay
for London on the 'Rawalpindi',
on 10 March, calling at Aden, Suez,
Malta and Gibraltar. Ten of the team disembarked at Plymouth on 28 March
after "a strenuous but successful tour". | Time away from England 187 days
(22
September - 28 March) | |
| Finances | The Indian Board reported a loss of Rs 8000 on the MCC tour owing
to the expense of holding trial matches. | | |
| Accounts
of the tour | “Jardine’s
Last Tour : India
1933-34” by Tim
Heald (Methuen, 2011) | | |
| Postscript | At his own request, Jardine was not included in the Ashes series against
the Australians the following season and, if he had not withdrawn, it is
possible the Australians would not have played. | | |
| Other
tours in 1933-34 | None | | |