Name:

Faulkner, George Aubrey

Date of Birth:

17 Dec 1881

Gender:

Men

Place of Birth:

Port Elizabeth, Cape Colony

Date Died:

10 Sep 1930

Career:

Test: 1906 - 1924
First Class: 1902 - 1934

Teams:

Transvaal (Regional)
South Africa (Country)

1924 2nd Test: Hobbs and Sutcliffe partnership delivers win (Lords)

Aubrey Faulkner: No 1 Allrounder in the World

Aubrey Faulkner was born on December 17, 1881 in Port Elizabeth, Cape Province. He died aged 48 on September 10, 1930, in Walham Green, Fulham, London.

He was a top quality allrounder, batting right handed and bowling fast leg spin. He had a well disguised googly that was delivered with a fast wheeling action.

South Africa has always been blessed with premier allrounders over the generations in Trevor Goddard, Eddie Barlow, Mike Procter, Jacques Kallis and Shaun Pollock. However, only one player has ever topped both ICC batting and bowling rankings in Test cricket and that man was Faulkner.

He made his Test debut against England in Johannesburg in 1905/06. He took 4-26 in a tense match that was won by just 1 wicket by South Africa.

Faulkner's shining moment was in the 1910/11 series in Australia. He scored 732 runs in the five Tests, including a career-best innings of 204 in the second Test at Melbourne.

He formed a famed partnership with fellow googly bowlers - Vogler and Schwartz - on the tour of England in 1907. In the 3 Test series, Faulkner took 12 wickets at 18.60. This included 6-17 to bowl England out for 76 in the Headingley Test.

The intervention of World War 1 disrupted Faulkners career during which he won a DSO for his military action. He was recalled briefly in 1924 for the Test at Lords but retired soon afterwards.

A final memorable moment in his career was when he was instrumental in defeating the previously unbeaten Australian team of Warwick Armstrong during their tour of England in 1921. At Eastbourne, turning out for Archie Maclarens team, he scored 153 and took 6 wickets to ensure the Australians lost their only game on tour

In retirement, Faulkner settled down in England and ran a renowned school of cricket to nurture young champions. He suffered from melancholia and took his own life.

Source: CricketCrowd Staff Reporter