Top 5 bowling performances of Bert Ironmonger in Tests

In this article, we will discuss the Top 5 bowling performances of Bert Ironmonger in Tests. Australia is known for its fast-bowling prowess but in its rich legacy it has produced some quality spinners too- the prominent one being Shane Warne. But there is another spinner named Bert Ironmonger who is not very well-known but had a significant impact for the limited time he played for Australia. 

Born on April 7th, 1882, in Queensland, Bert Ironmonger was a slow left-arm orthodox spin bowler who played for Australia from 1928 to 1933. Interestingly, he was the fourth oldest player to make a debut for Australia as he played Test at the age of 45 years and 237 days.

Unfortunately, he had lost his spinning finger in a childhood accident but despite that, his love for the game and his grit played a huge role in getting selected for the Australian national team. He continued playing First-Class cricket till the age of 53 and took 464 wickets which is a testament to the grit and perseverance of the Aussie.

At the international level, Bert Ironmonger featured in 14 Tests for Australia in which he scalped 74 wickets at an impressive average of 17.97. In this article, we will highlight the top 5 performances of Bert Ironmonger at the international level:

5) 4 for 26 vs England – Melbourne 1932 

It was the controversial bodyline series where England defeated Australia 4-1 by using the much-argued bodyline bowling tactics. It was Bert Ironmonger’s last series for Australia, but he played a significant impact on the Melbourne Test match of the series which was the only Test Australia won in the series.

 While chasing 251 runs in their second innings, England bundled out for 139 runs eventually losing the match by 111 runs. Ironmonger contributed by 4 wickets in the match and he along with Bill O’Reilly took 9 English wickets to win it for Australia. 

4) 5 for 42 vs South Africa – Brisbane 1932

South Africa’s historic tour to Australia was a historic one. During those days timeless tests were played till one team emerged victorious. The series was known for the performances of Sir Donald Bradman and Bert Ironmonger.  

In the 1st Test at Brisbane, Australia posted a mammoth 450 runs on the board in the 1st innings courtesy of the double century by Don Bradman. In response, South Africa got out for just 138 runs on the back of the five-wicket haul by Bert Ironmonger. He registered his 4th best figures of 47-29-42-5 in the match.

3) 5 for 6 vs South Africa – Melbourne 1932 

In 1932, South Africa arrived in Australia for a five-match tour. The 5th test match at Melbourne was played on an underprepared wicket and Bert Ironmonger made the most of it. South Africa was bundled out for a paltry 36 runs in the first innings and Bert Ironmonger was the wreaker-in-chief as he picked up 5 wickets in the 1st innings. Bert ended the 1st innings with astonishing figures of 7.2-5-6-5.

2) 6 for 18 vs South Africa – Melbourne 1932

Bert Ironmonger had a successful series against South Africa as he scalped 31 wickets in the series but the 5th test at Melbourne turned out to be the most memorable one of the series for him. 

South Africa batted 1st on a soft wicket and skittled for 36 runs in the 1st innings and Ironmonger shined with 5 wickets but his best of the series was still to come. He picked up 6 wickets in the 2nd innings registering 2nd best figures of his career and South Africa got all out for 45. 

1) 7 for 23 vs West Indies – Melbourne 1931 

After a dreamy debut at the age of 46 against arch-rivals England, Bert Ironmonger was dropped from the side. But two years later he received another call-up in 1951 against the West Indies. Not everybody gets a second chance at this age, but Ironmonger is among the lucky ones, and he makes the most of it. 

He delivered his career-best performance in his comeback match by picking 7 wickets in a rain-affected match against the West Indies. Then again in the 2nd inning, he backed it up by picking another 4 wickets, ending up with 11 wickets in the match.