Jack Fingleton

Jack Fingleton

Personal information
Full name	John Henry Webb Fingleton
Born	(1908-04-28)28 April 1908 Waverley, New South Wales, Australia
Died	22 November 1981(1981-11-22) (aged 73) St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia
Batting	Right-handed
International information
National side	Australia
Test debut (cap 142)	12 February 1932 v South Africa
Last Test	24 August 1938 v England
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1928–1940	New South Wales
Career statistics
Competition Test First-class Matches 18 108 Runs scored 1,189 6,816 Batting average 42.46 44.54 100s/50s 5/3 22/31 Top score 136 167 Balls bowled 0 91 Wickets – 2 Bowling average – 27.00 5 wickets in innings – 0 10 wickets in match – 0 Best bowling – 1/6 Catches/stumpings 13/– 81/4
Source: Cricinfo, 26 December 2008

John Henry Webb Fingleton, OBE (28 April 1908 – 22 November 1981) was an Australian cricketer, journalist and commentator. The son of Australian politician James Fingleton, he was known for his dour defensive approach as a batsman, scoring five Test match centuries, representing Australia in 18 Tests between 1932 and 1938.

He made his first-grade debut in Sydney district cricket at the age of 16 and proceeded to his first-class debut for New South Wales at the age of 20 in 1928–29. In 1931–32, Fingleton gained a regular position for New South Wales. He then made his debut in the Fifth and final Test of the season against South Africa, making 40 in an innings victory. The following season, Fingleton won praise for an unbeaten century against the bodyline attack in a tour match despite suffering multiple bruises and being accused of leaking the infamous verbal exchange between Australian captain Bill Woodfull and English manager Plum Warner during the acrimonious Ashes.

Fingleton scored four centuries and was the leading run-scorer during the 1934–35 domestic season, earning a recall to the Australian team for the 1935–36 tour of South Africa. From that point onwards until the outbreak of World War II, he opened the batting with Bill Brown. At his height, Fingleton was scoring centuries in three consecutive innings as Australia won each of the last three Tests by an innings. In the Fourth Test, he and Brown put on the first double century opening partnership for Australia in a Test. In 1936–37, Fingleton made a century in the First Test to become the first player to score consecutive centuries in four Test innings.

Fingleton enlisted in the military during World War II and was eventually sent to work on media matters for Prime Minister John Curtin and one of his predecessors, Billy Hughes. After the war, Fingleton worked as a political correspondent in Canberra and commentated on cricket during the summer months in Australia and England. He was a prolific author, regarded as one of the finest and most stylish cricket writers of his time, producing many books. Fingleton was known for his forthright opinions and willingness to criticise, especially regarding his colleague Don Bradman, and his cricket reports were published by newspapers in several countries.