On This Day, October 19: Bill Ponsford, one of the great prolific run-scoring legends of Australian cricket, was known for his rock-solid technique and extraordinary concentration: he is one of two players to have made two quadruple centuries.
His first great feat came in just his fourth first-class innings when he scored 400 not out for Victoria against Tasmania in the season 1922-23. Ponsford boasted an average of 83 in the Sheffield Shield.
Test Success
“Ponny,” as he was very affectionately known, shone brightly in his early Test career, wherein his feats included centuries in his first two matches. Some of his performances in his career were challenging, such as having to contend with the bowling of Harold Larwood, who more often than not was likened to Glenn McGrath.
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However, Ponsford broke through with an outstanding double century over Headingley and The Oval in 1934 in consecutive innings. This time he, in combination with Don Bradman, went on to score a sensational 451 for the second wicket and thus won the hearts of the English public.
Retirement And Legacy
Retiring from first-class cricket when he was 34 years old, Ponsford went on to become, at the time of his death in Victoria in 1991, Australia’s oldest surviving Test player who lived till the age of 90.
He is still not forgotten for his contribution to the cricketing fraternity since he is part of the critical sporting annals in Australia.
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