The Australia national cricket team toured New Zealand from February to April 1928 and played six first-class matches including two against the New Zealand national cricket team. This was before New Zealand began playing Test cricket.[1]
Don Bradman, Percy Hornibrook and John Scaife were selected as emergencies, but did not take part in the tour.[2] W. C. Bull of New South Wales was the team manager.[3]
It was a strong team. The Cricketer said that "the majority of the cricketers may be expected to represent the Commonwealth [of Australia] in the Test matches against England a few months hence. J. M. Gregory, in fact, was the only likely man who did not make the trip."[4]
The team arrived in Wellington on the SS Marama on 14 February. They were given a civic reception at the Town Hall that afternoon by the Mayor of Wellington, George Troup. The president of the New Zealand Cricket Council, the former New Zealand captain Dan Reese, also spoke at the reception, noting that the visit marked the golden jubilee of cricket tours between the two countries.[5]
(First-class matches are indicated below in bold.)
The Australians arrived in Nelson early on the morning of the match, which commenced at 11.55 after a welcome at the ground by the Mayor of Nelson. Grimmett, returning to New Zealand for the first time since migrating to Australia in 1914,[5] took 7 for 64 on the first day. Kippax scored 115.
Woodfull made 165, and Grimmett took seven wickets against his former team. Ted Badcock took four wickets in each innings for Wellington, and was later selected for the New Zealand team for the unofficial Tests.
Oxenham scored 169. In the North Otago second innings, when the Australians rested their main bowlers, Carl Zimmerman scored 117 not out, reaching his century in 46 minutes.[9]
Rain prevented play on the final day. Ponsford (148) and Woodfull (107) opened the match with a stand of 214. Grimmett took 6 for 23. For Otago, the fast bowler George Dickinson dismissed seven of the first eight batsmen, at one stage taking six wickets for three runs in five overs, and finished with 7 for 96.[11]
Ponsford and Jackson each scored 110, and opened with a partnership of 220. The Australians scored their runs off 81 overs – a little above a run a ball.
Grimmett took 13 wickets. Schneider scored 138 and Oldfield 137. For Canterbury, Bill Merritt took 5 for 105 in the first innings, and the English coach Jack Newman made 98 and 31.
The Waikato team included five guest players from the major centres; of them, Ted Badcock again took four wickets. Morton was the Australians' most successful bowler, with nine wickets; Grimmett was not playing.
Richardson made 107. McNamee had figures of 21–13–12–5 in the first innings, and Grimmett took 7 for 91 in the second. Auckland's top scorer in each innings was their English player James Langridge, who made 46 and 78.
Kippax made 102 and Alexander 127. The English coach Benny Wilson opened the batting and scored 80 in Taranaki's first innings.
Grimmett took 8 for 30 in the first innings. Ponsford made 101.
Only five hours of play was possible.
Woodfull made 284, after being 250 not out at the end of the first day. The opener Jackie Mills was New Zealand's top scorer in the first innings, with 58. Rain delayed the start of the third day's play.[20]
Grimmett took nine wickets, Blackie six. Herb McGirr took 4 for 54 in Australia's first innings. On either side, only Roger Blunt, who made exactly 50 in New Zealand's first innings, reached 50; he added 85 for the second wicket with Henry Foley, the highest partnership of the match.[20]