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Did you know: Wally Hammond, born on April 1, had an average of 563 in one series

Wally Hammond of England had a purple patch in the early 30s as the England legend scored 563 runs in the two Tests against New Zealand.

By Siddharth vishwanathan | Apr 1, 2021 | 2 Min Read

April 1 is Fool’s Day. A day when one can pull off pranks and make others laugh. However, for Wally Hammond of England, who was born on April 1, he achieved a rare feat. No one has beaten this feat for 88 years. On the occasion of his birthday, we look back at a series that redefined the term ‘Purple patch’ to a whole new level. This took place in the 1933 series between England and New Zealand which included just two Tests.

During the period of the early 30s, Hammond was a serious contender to Sir Don Bradman for the tag of ‘greatest batsman’. Bradman had hit 974 runs in five Tests against England in 1930. In the aftermath of that, England’s Bodyline tactics. In 1933, after England’s tour of Australia, they headed down to New Zealand for two Tests.

Hammond on song

In the first match at Christchurch, Hammond blasted 227 while England keeper Les Ames responded with 103. England ended with 560/8 declared and it was rain and dour New Zealand batting that forced a draw. At that time, Tests against New Zealand were only three days. Hammond achieved the record despite a septic knee injury.

However, in the next Test, Hammond showed his brilliance with a record-breaking 336. The knock included 10 sixes. Hammond raced from 200 to 300 in just 47 minutes. The strokeplay on show saw the crowd in Auckland swell to 15,000. England was also helped by some poor fielding.

When Hammond reached his triple century, many records were in sight. Hammond managed to go past Bradman’s 334 and become the highest individual scorer. After careful verification from the scorers, it emerged that Hammond had broken the record. With 227 and 336 in the two innings, Hammond ended the New Zealand tour with an average of 563. This remains the most by a batsman in a two-Test series even today.

For Hammond, the showed he was truly the best. He got the better of Bradman in the Ashes, scoring 440 runs. Bradman scored just 396 runs but still averaged 56. The combined tours of Australia and New Zealand saw Hammond scoring 1003 runs overall in seven Tests. Truly, the word ‘purple patch’ was redefined.