Sydney, 20 Feb 2012

Of all the members of the famous 1948 Invincibles team, Sam Loxton had the closest relationship with its skipper, Sir Donald Bradman. This friendship continued unabated for over 50 years until the passing away of Loxton's great hero on 25 February 2001. A sign of the strength of this special relationship was that Loxton was the only person who could call The Don by his nickname "George" and get away with it.

Sam Loxton was the oldest living Australia cricketer at the time of his demise at the age of 90 on 3 December 2011.

Sam Loxton was a unique Australian who reached the highest echelons in 3 different disciplines - as a cricketer, footballer and politician. His greatest feat was making the 1948 Ashes tour to England that achieved immortality afterwards. He was also an elegant story teller and raconteur of the very highest order, keeping many large crowds entertained with a sharp turn of wit, even in his later years when he was deemed legally blind.

The Invincibles Tour

The 1948 Invincibles Team contained many all-time great players of the calibre of Bradman, Barnes, Hassett, Lindwall, Brown, Miller, Morris, Harvey and many others. The main reason that this Invincibles team is considered as the best ever to leave the shores of Australia is because they are the only team to complete an entire tour of England without any defeat: 31 first class games and 3 other games, 112 days of play in 144 days for 25 wins and 9 draws. A truly phenomenal yardstick to measure success, especially considering that England contained many great players such as Compton, Bedser, Laker, Edrich and Hutton.

"Sam Loxton was instrumental in keeping the legend alive by sharing the memories of the 1948 Invicibles with the next generation" said Sid Barnes jnr, who now owns the famous Invincibles brand. Barnes was associated with Loxton and Neil Harvey on many speaking "Invincibles" tours over the years, traveling the breadth of Australia.

Barnes stated that Loxton “reminded him of his father”, the great Sid Barnes, who was a team mate of Loxton on the 1948 Invicibles tour. He said that "Both were sticklers for protocol, played attacking cricket by instinct, and were real characters".

Play it on the ground, Sam

Neil Harvey, the baby of the 1948 Invincibles team and probably Australia's best ever left handed batsman recollected this amusing anecdote in a conversation with CricketCrowd "Don (Bradman) never offered me advice at all”.

“In fact the only thing that he did offer when I had to go to my friend Sammy Loxton in London when we’d played about 4 or 5 games and I was averaging about 7 and the wickets over there in those days were different to what they are today they were green and they used to zoom around a lot and I couldn’t handle that and I wasn’t doing any good and I said to Sam who was a good friend of Don’s I said to Sam “would you do me a favour” he said “yes what do you want” I said “would you go and ask the boss what I’m doing wrong” he said “yes okay” so he went to Don and he said “eh George” he said, that’s what he called him all the time, he said “eh George my little mates got a problem, he’s not making any runs can you tell him what he’s doing wrong” so the answer came back the same way, the answer came back via Sam he said “you go back and tell your little mate that the only thing I can tell him, if he keeps the ball on the ground he can’t get out”. I always remember that and it doesn’t apply today does it because they keep trying to hit the ball over the fence’.”

Rescue Act

Sam Loxton’s finest moment on a cricketing field was at Leeds, on the third day of the 4th Test in 1948. England had batted first posting an imposing 496 with Loxton shining with the ball with 3-55. Australia were in trouble at 189-4 with both Bradman and Hassett gone cheaply in the same over; enter Sam Loxton to join his great friend, 19 year old Neil Harvey.

Loxton smashed 93, an innings which included five sixes and nursed Harvey through to a superb century (112) on his Ashes debut. Loxton was so excited by this feat that he almost ran himself out in his hurry to shake his young mate's hand. Loxton was finally bowled by Yardley, going for another six — but by that time Australia were on level terms. Loxton and Harvey had put on 105 in just 95 minutes to wrest back the initiative.

In the fourth innings, Arthur Morris (182) and Bradman (173 not out) took Australia to a record winning 4th innings score of 404-3 to secure a famous victory by seven wickets.

Albert Park to Parliament

Sam Loxton was born at Albert Park, Melbourne, on March 29 1921. He finished his education at Wesley College and played first grade VFL for St Kilda. In the Second World War, he served with a tank unit in the 2nd Australia Armoured Division.

He made a sensational first class debut for Victoria in 1946, scoring 232 not out against Queensland. He made his test debut against India in the fifth Test a season later at his home ground in Melbourne making 80, and taking three wickets. He did enough to be picked in the 1948 Ashes touring squad.

Whilst his form fell away after the 1948 Invincibles Tour, he did play in all five Test matches on the Australian tour of South Africa in 1948-49, making a quick fire 101 in the First Test at Johannesburg.

Loxton was a popular member of the Victorian State Parliament, representing Prahran for 24 years from 1955-1979. He served as an Australian selector from 1970 to 1981, commencing just prior to the sacking of Bill Lawry as captain.

In 1981, Loxton was the selector "on duty" on that fateful day where poor sportsmanship was on display at the MCG. He was one of the first on the scene to denounce the underarm ball ordered by Greg Chappell when the players returned to the dressing room.

Loxton retired to Queensland’s Gold Coast where he maintained his links with cricket on the speaking circuit, umpiring and coaching.

Loxton was a fine all-rounder who lived in the shadow of the great Keith Miller. His cricketing prowess is best summed up by Wisden Almanack after the 1948 tour: "A fine driving batsman with a fierce square cut, Loxton achieved little as a bowler, but he played his part as an all-rounder, one of many in the team; in addition to his batting feats, he kept the game alive by his unlimited enthusiasm. Whether in stopping the ball or hurling down the wicket from almost any angle, he won the admiration of all who appreciated keenness in the field"

 

Career Statistics

Test Record

Matches: 12 Innings: 15, Aggregate: 554, Average: 36.93, Highest Score: 101, Centuries:1, Half Centuries: 3 Overs: 129, Runs: 349, Wickets: 8, Average: 43.63, Best Bowling: 3/71 v England at Headingley, Leeds in 1948

First Class Record Matches: 146, 13 Centuries, 32 half-centuries, Aggregate: 6249 runs at 36.97. Wickets: 232 at 25.73 Catches: 83

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