Archie MacLaren brought together eleven amateur cricketers who he said could beat the unbeaten 1921 Australian touring side The match took place on the 27-29th August at Eastbourne..
From the outset the England XI team batted miserably although Gregory bowled only two overs before an injured hand caused him to leave the field. Armstrong and Mac Donald bowled MacLaren's side out in seventy five minutes for the smallest total against the touring side that season, 43.
The tourists started well with Collins and Bardsley until Collins was out for 19. Macartney helped to put on a second wicket partnership of 51 but from then on got worse and they were bowled out for 174.The two main bowlers were Michael Falcon who later became a Conservative member of Parliament and was a fast bowler who played for Norfolk. The second bowler was Major George Aubrey Faulkner DSO who was aged 40. Before the war he was noted as the best all rounder in the world He was an aggressive middle order batsman and bowled fast googlies. He was born in South Africa.By the end of the day the England side had reached 8 for 1 wicket.
The English side again started poorly before Faulkner and Hubert Ashton, who played three years for Essex and who too became a Conservative member of Parliament, took the total to 214 before Ashton was leg before to Armstrong. His 75 included seven fours and had taken two hours and forty minutes. Faulkner went on to score 153 which included one 6 and twenty fours and had taken three hours and a half. The Australians were left 195 to win but lost Collins for 12 before stumps.
At lunchtime on the third day the scoreboard showed 109 and with five wickets in hand the result might well have been regarded as a foregone conclusion in favour of the visitors.On resuming after lunch however, Faulkner and Gibson bowled with such effect that the remaining wickets were quickly captured and the whole side was out for 167. .A truly remarkable victory by 28 runs mainly due to George Faulkner.
It was reported that the Australian missed out on a £10000 bonus for not going through the tour unbeaten.
More about Faulkner to come
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