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Ben Barnett

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For the English footballer, see Ben Barnett (footballer).

Ben Barnett
Personal information
Full name
Benjamin Arthur Barnett
Born23 March 1908
Auburn, Victoria, Australia
Died29 June 1979 (aged 71)
Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
BattingLeft-handed
RoleWicketkeeper-batsman
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 160)10 June 1938 v England
Last Test20 August 1938 v England
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1929-30 to 1946-47Victoria
1951 to 1964Buckinghamshire
Career statistics
Competition Tests First-class
Matches 4 173
Runs scored 195 5531
Batting average 27.85 27.51
100s/50s 0/1 4/31
Top score 57 131
Balls bowled 0 24
Wickets – 1
Bowling average – 20.00
5 wickets in innings – 0
10 wickets in match – 0
Best bowling – 1/3
Catches/stumpings 3/2 216/141
Source: Cricinfo

Benjamin Arthur Barnett AM (23 March 1908 – 29 June 1979) was an Australian cricketer who played in four Tests in 1938.

Life and career

Barnett was educated at Scotch College in Melbourne. One of six siblings, he played cricket for Hawthorn-East Melbourne and Victoria during the 1920s and 1930s. He toured England as reserve wicket-keeper for the 1934 Australian Test team and his subsequent selection as principal wicket-keeper for the 1938 team attracted some controversy, other contenders being the aging Bert Oldfield and the younger Don Tallon. Barnett played in all four Tests in the series.[1]

Barnett's cricket career was interrupted by World War II, when he volunteered for the army and served with 8th Divisional Signals in Singapore. When Singapore fell to the Japanese in 1942, Barnett was incarcerated first in Changi Prison and subsequently in Thailand on the railway. Acting as adjutant for 8th Div Sigs, Barnett maintained records which are now held in the Australian War Memorial (Canberra) and also the Signals Museum in Wantirna, Melbourne.

After the war, Barnett settled in England with his wife Mollie and sons Ian and Ross. Working at the time for the Australian pharmaceutical firm Aspro-Nicholas, he played Minor Counties cricket for Buckinghamshire. At the age of 45, he captained the Commonwealth XI team that toured India in 1953-54. He played in 16 of the 21 first-class matches spread over four months, and played in all five of the matches against India.[2] He played numerous matches for Commonwealth XI teams in England between 1950 and his last first-class match in 1961, when he was 53.[3]

As an administrator he represented Australia in the UK for both cricket and tennis and was voted President of the International Lawn Tennis Federation in 1964, a position he held for a number of years. He retired in 1974, and returned to Australia.[1] He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 1977 for service to sport.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b The Oxford Companion to Australian Cricket, Oxford, Melbourne, 1996, p. 49.
  2. ^ "Commonwealth Team in India, 1953-54", Wisden 1955, pp. 812–40.
  3. ^ "First-Class Matches played by Ben Barnett". CricketArchive. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  4. ^ "Mr Benjamin Arthur BARNETT". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
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