The Golden Age of Cricket Podcast

In this first part of a series dedicated to A.C. "Archie" MacLaren, host Tom Ford is joined by eminent writer and historian Giles Wilcock, known by his pseudonym "Old Ebor", who has written extensively about the famous Lancastrian from the so-called Golden Age. Wilcock helps answer questions about MacLaren's personality and why he seemingly ruffled the feathers of so many around him. DONATE: You c...

In this final episode dedicated to the evolution of the Sydney Cricket Ground in the nineteenth century, historian Geoff Armstrong discusses the building of the Ladies' Stand, the flurry of activity prior to the arrival of Andrew Stoddart's England XI in 1897-98 and what the future holds for the 'most beautiful ground in the world'. DONATE: You can buy Tom Ford a coffee! Every donation helps with...

In Part 2 of this exploration of the Sydney Cricket Ground's early history, Geoff Armstrong explains how the Ground came to host many other sports, the etymology of the 'Brewongle' Stand, and the curator's struggle to decide on a kind of pitch soil for the great 1894-95 Ashes series. DONATE: You can buy Tom Ford a coffee! Every donation helps with production and inspires Tom to keep the podcast go...

Consistently named one of the most beautiful sport venues in the world, the Sydney Cricket Ground is a beloved gem of Australia's habour city. Yet how many of us know its full history, stretching back to the mid-nineteenth century? How did the Ground transform from a piece of recreational military land to one of the splendours of Australian sport? A fascinating discussion about an important landma...

In the concluding episode on Bert Folkard (1878–1937), Tom is joined by co-authors Pat Rodgers and Peter Lloyd who discuss his style as both a batsman and bowler, his selection in the Australian squad of 1914, and his life and career after The Great War. A small but fascinating chapter in the grand history of cricket. ABOUT PAT RODGERS: Pat has taught History and coached cricket at schools in Sydn...

In this episode, Tom is joined by co-authors Pat Rodgers and Peter Lloyd who have just published a gem of a biography on Bert Folkard (1878–1937), a Sydney cricketer during the Golden Age who, owing to personal and professional circumstances, never reached his full potential on the sporting field. His one chance at playing for Australia was dashed with the outbreak of the First World War in 1914....

In the third and final part to the episode dedicated to Gilbert Jessop’s legendary innings at the Oval against the Australians in 1902, author Simon Wilde discusses how he analysed the number of minutes Jessop spent at the wicket, his re-evaluation of the number of balls he faced, what Jessop achieved in the backend of his career, and whether he thinks Jessop’s great record deserves to be broken....

In Part 2 of my chat with historian Simon Wilde, we discuss Gilbert Jessop's form leading into the famous Oval Test match of 1902, the affect rain had on the cricket that summer, the missing scorecards from the Oval Test, and whether Jessop was shortchanged in his innings because of an English cricket Law relating to boundaries.  A fascinating discussion about one the most glorified players i...

There is perhaps no English cricketer who encapsulates the spirit of The Golden Age more than Gilbert Jessop. A wildly talented all-round Amateur from Gloucestershire, whose great, improbable batting at The Oval during the Fifth Test match of the 1902 Ashes not only won the match, but established a mythical-like status for himself and the Age, which has only grown in reputation since. To this day,...

In Part 2 of this episode dedicated to exploring Victor Trumper's final tour, historian Ric Sissons dissects the matches the Australians played, Trumper's legendary eighth-wicket partnership with Arthur Sims in which they hit 433 (Trumper knocked up 293 alone), and contemplates the legacy of the tour and its impact on New Zealand cricket before, during and after the First World War. DONATE: You ca...

Little did cricket audiences realise at the time, but when Victor Trumper set sail for New Zealand in the early months of 1914, he was undertaking his final cricket tour. Along with fellow veterans Monty Noble, Frank Laver and Warwick Armstrong, and with a group of promising young players, Trumper played a dozen or so matches against some of New Zealand's finest cricketers, including what turned o...

In this final chapter to the discussion on the Trott brothers, biographer Rick Smith and host Tom Ford discuss Albert's decline in form, Harry's release from the asylum, the brothers' respective statistics, and their separate, tragic deaths. DONATE: You can buy Tom Ford a coffee! Every donation helps with production and inspires Tom to keep the podcast going. You can donate from a little as $5. Vi...

In Part 2 of this episode on the Trott brothers, Rick discusses Harry and Albert's falling out over team selection for the 1896 tour of England, Harry's captaincy style, Albert's relocation to Middlesex, his famous stroke over the members' pavilion at Lord's, and Harry's unfortunate time at Melbourne's Kew Lunatic Asylum. DONATE: You can buy Tom Ford a coffee! Every donation helps with production...

The triumphant and tragic stories of Harry and Albert Trott are definitely worth re-telling, and biographer Rick Smith joins the podcast in an attempt to do so. In Part 1 of this episode, Rick discusses Harry and Albert's ancestry, their early days of cricket, Harry's ascension to international fame and Albert's remarkable Test debut in Adelaide during the famous 1894-95 Ashes series. DONATE: You...

In this episode, cricket journalist Tim Wigmore joins the podcast to discuss whether the so-called 'Golden Age of Cricket' was exactly that. We talk about the speed of scoring, the evolution of bowling, sticky wickets, racism and whether the Golden Age was a missed opportunity for the globalisation of the sport. Tim Wigmore is a sports writer for the Daily Telegraph (UK), and has also written for...

In this episode, cricket journalist Tim Wigmore joins the podcast to discuss whether the so-called 'Golden Age of Cricket' was exactly that. With host Tom Ford, Tim examines the status of Test cricket prior to the First World War, the evolutions that occurred during that period, and the role technology played in popularising Test cricket. Tim Wigmore is a sports writer for the Daily Telegraph (UK)...

In Part 2 of this episode dedicated to the 1912 Triangular Tournament between England, Australia and South Africa, historian Patrick Ferriday shares his thoughts on the strengths of each team, the factors for the tournament's failure, and whether such a series would work in the twenty-first century. ABOUT PATRICK FERRIDAY: Born in London, he lived for many years in West Berlin but returned to Engl...

The 1912 Triangular Test Tournament (featuring England, Australia and South Africa) was the first (and last) of its kind. The pet project of South African tycoon Abe Bailey (1864-1940), the tournament was hampered by a series of problems, including poor scheduling, absent star players and very, very wet weather. Posterity has always viewed the tournament as a failure, but was there anything to sal...

In this final installment of my chat with historian Richard Tomlinson, author of Amazing Grace - The Man Who Was W.G. (2015), we discuss Grace's love of sports outside of cricket, particularly lawn bowls and golf, his colossal statistics with both bat and ball, and his legacy today. ABOUT RICHARD TOMLINSON: Richard Tomlinson is a British historian and journalist whose biography of W.G. Grace was p...

Part 2 of the episode dedicated to the latter stages of the life and career of the most famous cricketer of all time – W. G. Grace. In this episode, biographer Richard Tomlinson discusses Grace’s relationship with his cricket-playing daughter Bessie, his disastrous final Test match in 1899, and his move from the Gloucestershire County Cricket Club to the newly formed London County Cricket Club. AB...

W. G. Grace, quite simply, was cricket in the 19th century. So large was the figure of Grace - both physically and figuratively - that he was known throughout the British Empire simply by his initials, W.G., and it’s believed at one point he was even more famous than Queen Victoria. With his large, domineering physique and his idiosyncratic beard, WG Grace dominated the sport of cricket like no on...

In Part 2 of this episode focusing on the rise of Australian batting legend Charlie Macartney, biographer Peter Lloyd—who was a previous guest on the Podcast in discussion about Monty Noble—explains Macartney's inconsistent form, his close relationship with Noble, and how his statistics compare to other Golden Agers, including Victor Trumper. DONATE: You can buy Tom Ford a coffee! Every donation h...

Perhaps best remembered today as the swashbuckling, aggressive batsmen of the 1920s, Charlie Macartney's rise to the Australian Test team occurred well within the period of the so-called Golden Age. He was one of a handful of international cricketers who transcended the First World War, playing for his country both before 1914 and after 1918. Biographer Peter Lloyd—who was a previous guest on the...

With Part 2 of this episode of 'Short Leg', Tom Ford concludes the re-telling of Clem Hill's famous innings at the MCG against England in 1898, in which he scored a match saving, series-winning score, with the help of off-spinner Hugh Trumble.  DONATE: You can buy Tom Ford a coffee! Every donation helps with production and inspires Tom to keep the podcast going. You can donate from a little a...

This episode of 'Short Leg' – discusses one of the most famous and, arguably, greatest Test innings of the Golden Age. Not yet 21, Clem Hill rescued Australia from a monumental batting collapse on Day 1 of the Fourth Test in Melbourne of the 1897/98 Ashes series. Along with Hugh Trumble, the pair put on a record 7th wicket stand to turn the innings, match and series. DONATE: You can buy Tom Ford a...