In this occasional series based on Blackpool C.C., Gerry Wolstenholme describes the League career of a much-loved Australian fast bowler who played the final summers of his cricket career as a professional at Blackpool C.C. 1934-1937 before his untimely and tragic death near Bolton in 1937. In his admirable book ‘Australian Cricket: The Game and the Players’, Jack Pollard states that Ted McDonald “had a temperament which prevented him exerting himself against lesser batsmen”. Whether this is true or not of his performances in first-class cricket is certainly questionable when Ted McDonald’s record in the Lancashire Leagues is analyzed.
After First-Class games with his native Tasmania, then Victoria, and a short Test Match career of 11 games, including all five Tests with Warwick Armstrong’s all conquering tourists in 1921, Ted McDonald returned to England to enter the first stage of his League career. He had signed a contract to become professional for Nelson in the 1922 season. He was to stay with the club for three seasons, in which time he took 292 wickets at 8.62 runs each. He announced himself with a relatively moderate first season, 81 wickets at only 12.18 runs each.
1923 saw him take the League by storm. He was feared by all opponents and ended the season with 112 wickets at the low cost of 6.67 runs each. The high spot of the season was Burnley’s dismissal for 38 when he captured all 10 wickets for 18 runs. Other notable performances were 8-15 v. Enfield (29 all out), 8-25 v. Bacup (48), 7-4 v. Ramsbottom (17) and 7-12 v. Lowerhouse (23). 1924 saw very little decline in his performance, as his 99 wickets at 7.78 indicate; he only missed his century because the last match v. Bacup was completely rained off.
Once again, opponents were dismissed cheaply. Burnley suffered again as Ted McDonald’s 5-13 was instrumental in dismissing them for 31 and 7-22 saw East Lancs dismissed for 27, whilst 8-40 ended Lowerhouse’s innings at 46. However, the team that was most embarrassed were Church, who found themselves dismissed for nine! Ironically, Ted McDonald with 3-7 played a supporting role to the amateur, Pollard, who returned 6-2! By this time Lancashire were beginning to take an interest in Ted McDonald, and, having tried unsuccessfully to extend the residential qualification period in order to sign him earlier, they eventually were able to play him in midweek games in 1924.
With two years of his Nelson contract still to run, he signed for Lancashire for the 1925 season; in return, Lancashire agreed to play County Championship matches at Nelson for the next two seasons. In fact, arrangements were so satisfactory that county fixtures were held at Seed Hill until well into the 1930’s. The League Career of ‘Ted’ McDonald His stay with Lancashire was to last a further seven seasons, by which time he had added 1,053 wickets to his First-Class tally. There was a marked decline in form and fitness in 1931, and after the season, Ted McDonald expressed a desire to return to the less demanding League scene, for after all, he was now 40 years old.
By mutual consent, his contract was ended and he signed for Bacup as professional for the forthcoming 1932 season. His salary was to be £400 with a small bonus for talent money. Thus began the second phase of his career. In his two seasons with Bacup, he took 192 wickets. Once again, he had his memorable moments, 9-33 against Todmorden, 8-24 v. Burnley (yet again!) and his old club Nelson on the receiving end of 6-46 and 5-41 returns in 1933. He relinquished the professional’s post at Bacup for the 1934 season and Gerry Wolstenholme joined Blackpool as an amateur. Sir Lindsay Parkinson, the patron of Blackpool Cricket Club, wooed him to the seaside with the tenancy of the local hostelry, The Raikes Hotel – coincidentally close by the Whitegate Park cricket ground.
He enjoyed over three seasons success with Blackpool before he was tragically killed in an automobile accident. Although his tremendous pace had reduced, he added a further 258 wickets to his tally. Fine performances still abounded, 9-51 v. Read, 8-39 v. Leyland and 7-18 v. Barnoldswick, the latter performance including the hat-trick. He continued to take wickets right to the very end, as 8-51 v. St Annes, 8-53 v. Read and 7-70 v. Ciltheroe testify. I
In his last League game, only five days before his death, he took 6-45 v. St Annes. His last game was in a friendly match, Major Godfrey’s XI v. P. T. Eckersley’s XI in aid of Salford Royal Hospital, on 22nd July 1937. On his way back to Blackpool from that game, he was involved in a motor accident with one James Murray at Blackrod near Bolton. Ted McDonald’s car ended up in a field, but fortunately, no-one was injured. However, as Ted McDonald, Murray, and a policeman were noting particulars of the accident, a further car, driven by George Frederick Foster, approached and knocked Ted McDonald down. He died shortly afterwards from injuries he received.
As testimony to the loss the cricket world had experienced, play in the second Test match v. New Zealand at Old Trafford was halted for two minutes as the bell that often called Ted McDonald into action was tolled three times, whilst the players and 8,000 spectators stood in silence. The final tribute was at the funeral, which took place at St. John’s Church, Blackpool, where 500 people packed the church and a further 2,000 stood outside in the rain. The many floral tributes included blood red roses from Lancashire, a broken wicket from Blackpool and a huge cricket bat from Nelson. The cricket world had lost not only a great cricketer but also a fine all-round sportsman and, more importantly, a true gentleman. Read More: Victor Trumper: The Greatest Batsman of Golden Age
