by The Professor » Mon Mar 28, 2016 10:58 am
On this day in 1859 George Giffen, one of Australia's most talented cricketers, was born.
Born in Adelaide, Giffen began his career with the Norwood Cricket Club before moving to the West Adelaide Club. His career kick started when he began playing for South Australia. He started off as a squad member but some stand out performances saw him become a regular soon enough due to the fact that he was equally strong with bat and ball.
Giffen made his test debut in the 1881-82 series against Australia which they won 2-0 but was largely underwhelming; only getting two wickets and making 44 runs in the three matches which he played.
Giffen was part of the series that Summer that coined the phrase 'The Ashes' - taking 32 wickets at an average of 21.84 and making 699 runs averaging 19.02. Despite this he was over shadowed by his more experienced bowling team mates.
Despite some dubious batting figures , by The Ashes series of 1882-83, he was invited to open the batting. He got 41 in his first innings, a career best at the time, and followed up with 7 in the second innings. During this tour Giffen became the first non-English player to get a whole team out.
The 1884 tour of England helped mark his claim to be an all rounder. He took 81 wickets in England at an average of 19.60 and top scored, against Lancashire, with 118 runs.
Giffen's reputation was tarnished with the Australian public when he, alongside a number of the other Australian team, struck during the 1884-85 tour to complain about their share of the profits. They may have been won over by his figures of 7/117 in his return match.
Giffen holds some rather extraordinary figures. In 1891, in a domestic game against Victoria he scored 271 runs and took 16/166 across the two innings. His fine form continued internationally. In the 1886 England tour of Australia he made 1424 runs and took 154 wickets including 13 fivefers.
Giffen raged at the dying of the light. Despite retiring from international duty in 1896, he still took 13 English wickets in a domestic game in 1900 aged 41. He finished his career aged 44. His last figures were 81, 7/75, 97* and 8/110.
By the end of his career Giffen had stacked up many records he was the first Australian to take 1000 first-class wickets and score 1000 runs. He totalled 18 first-class centuries and 4 double centuries.
"It has been said of the unseen army of the dead, on their everlasting march, that when they are passing a rural cricket ground the Englishman falls out of the ranks for a moment to look over the gate and smile."