Page "Arthur Gilligan" Paragraph 10

Following heavy losses to Australia in two Test series immediately following the war, the England selectors needed to appoint a new captain.

England played few Tests between 1921 and 1924, and Frank Mann led the team during the tour of South Africa.

However, Mann was slightly too old to be a realistic candidate, according to cricket writer Alan Gibson, and his batting was not quite of the required standard.

Other possibilities early in the season included Fender and Arthur Carr.

In the event, the selectors appointed Gilligan as captain for the 1924 series against South Africa, in an attempt to assess his quality as a player.

Again, he was preferred to Percy Fender.

Cricket journalist E. W. Swanton writes that Gilligan was the favoured candidate of the influential Lord Harris, which may have assisted his appointment.

Gibson describes Gilligan at the time as " 29 years old, an attractive, smiling personality ".

Gilligan began the season very well.

He and Tate, in the weeks approaching the first Test, established a reputation as the best opening bowlers in the world.

At the time, the best batting teams in England were Surrey and Middlesex ; in consecutive matches, Gilligan and Tate dismissed the sides for 53 and 41 respectively.

In the latter game, Gilligan took eight for 25, and he and Tate bowled several county sides out for low scores.

In the first Test match, on Gilligan's debut as England captain, the pair bowled South Africa out for 30 runs.

Gilligan took six wickets for seven runs, and Wisden reported that " He bowled very fast and with any amount of fire.

Three times during the innings he took a wicket immediately after sending down a no ball ".

When South Africa followed-on, he took five for 83, to finish the game with 11 wickets.

England won the second Test, like the first, by an innings ; Gilligan took five wickets in the game, and by the end of June had 74 wickets in all first-class matches at an average of 15.

At this stage, the press and public had great expectations of success for Gilligan and Tate on the forthcoming tour of Australia.