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Status: Friendly
Date: 25 March 1929
Venue: Subiaco Oval, Subiaco, Western Australia
Western Australia: G.Miles, E.Nicholls, H.Miller, Andy Gordon (c), J.Rowbottom, Alec Gibson, Tommy Guthrie, E.Fyffe, William Taylor, Jack Conduit, Ted Jones
England Cricket XI: Fender, Harold Larwood, Les Ames, Ernest Tyldesley, George Geary, George Duckworth, Maurice Tate, Patsy Hendren, Wally Hammond, Tich Freeman, Mead
Referee: R.Pepworth
West Australian football fans were given plenty to cheer when the State team defeated the English Cricket XI 5-3 in their solitary 1929 outing. A crowd of over 2,000 were on hand at Subiaco Oval to watch Tommy Guthrie bag a hat-trick and William Taylor help himself to a brace in the English cricketers’ final game of a five-month tour of Australia.
The opening passages were fast with both teams going close to an early lead. Wally Hammond’s attempt from long-range whistled past the post before Taylor’s fine strike was saved by Fender. Clever play on the left between George Duckworth and Patsy Hendren ended with the latter bringing State custodian G.Miles into the action. Guthrie skimmed the crossbar after charging through the middle of the park, then a close-range attempt by Taylor was brilliantly kept out by Fenders as the host team began to get on top.
Jack Conduit found the back of the net with a shot from distance but referee R.Pepworth ruled offside against Guthrie. The State team were finally rewarded after 20 minutes when Taylor registered their first goal after receiving a pass from E.Fyffe. The English responded with a period of attack in which J.Rowbottom snuffed out several promising moves, while Miles brilliantly kept a Tich Freeman shot out of his net.
Guthrie doubled his teams lead with an instinctive finish after Taylor’s shot from distance deflected off a defender. England hit back straight from the restart , Mead running the ball forward before spectacularly hitting the net from 18-metres. Taylor’s goal bound header was cleared by Ernest Tyldesley, however, there was little relief for the visitors as Ted Jones gathered and centred for Taylor who, despite the presence of Les Ames, put away the wests third goal.
England pushed into attack immediately after the break with Hammond’s powerful shot kept out of the net by a diving Miles. Another shot from Hammond was touched behind by the State custodian, and from the resulting corner Andy Gordon has the mis-fortune of turning the ball into his own net. Unfortunately for the visitors they were slowly tiring and Western Australia wasted no time seizing the initiative.
Guthrie snared his second of the afternoon by intercepting a Hammond pass and from close-in slotted beyond the reach of Fender. Tate then managed to pull a goal back, the attacker making the most of Hammond pass. However, this was to be Western Australia’s day and close to the end Jones’ centring ball found a suspiciously offside looking Guthrie, who completed the route by firing past Fender for a third time.
Status: Friendly
Date: 5 October 1929
Venue: Leederville Oval, Leederville, Western Australia
Western Australia: L.Gibson, E.Clayton, W.Phelps, Andy Gordon, S.Greaves, Albert Hayter, Harry Bubb, Tommy Guthrie, Jimmy Gordon, Jack Conduit, Dave Birnie
HMAS Canberra: Hill, Hall, Kohler, Curtis, Robinson, Cullen, Harris, Lynch, Barnes, Taylor, Vale
Referee: Mr Firmiston
A small crowd braved some wintry weather to watch Western Australia run out comfortable 7-1 winners over a representative side from the HMAS Canberra. Jimmy Gordon helped himself to a hat-trick with Jack Conduit and Tommy Guthrie netting two apiece in a dominant performance by the home side, who would have finished with a good few more goals had it not been for the heroics of goalkeeper Hill. “Following an interesting first half, during which the sailors fully extended their opponents, the State eleven, playing the short passing game, had the sailors guessing and only a brilliant display by Hill in the latter’s goal in the second half saved his side from a heavy defeat,” (1) reported the ‘West Australian’ newspaper.
The sailors won the toss and elected to play with the aid of a strong breeze. However, the first shots on goal came from Jack Conduit and Tommy Guthrie, both players forcing good save from goalkeeper Hill. Western Australia’s early endeavour was rewarded on 8 minutes when captain S.Greaves combined with to Conduit, the latter releasing Jimmy Gordon to beat the ‘keeper with a left-foot drive. It took just two minutes for the sailors to draw level through the head of Barnes, who benefitted from some nice lead-up work initiated by Robinson. Western Australia’s response was equally as swift, Harry Bubb’s centre from the right being slammed into the roof of the net by Jimmy Gordon after 12 minutes.
Hill earned the applause of the crowd for a fine save which prevented Dave Birnie from increasing the hosts lead. Good play by Harris allowed Barnes to beat the defence only for his finish to graze the outside of the upright. Guthrie shot into the crossbar and Hill saved spectacularly from Jimmy Gordon before home custodian L.Gibson moved sharply to keep out Barnes’ daisy-cutter. An error by Hill, who failed to hold a well-flighted Bubb corner, was punished as Conduit made it three-one. There were further chances at both ends leading into half-time with Vale’s strike tipped over by Gibson, while Hill was untroubled by shots from Bubb and Guthrie at the opposite end.
With the wind in their favour, Western Australia monopolised the second half. Had it not been for the excellent work of Hill and solid performances by Hall and Robinson then the hosts would have added by far more than four goals before the final whistle sounded. A good twenty minutes had passed before Jimmy Gordon lashed his third into the net from a fine pass by Bubb. Guthrie worked his way through the defence a minute later to neatly tap past the advancing ‘keeper. Just three more minutes later Guthrie added another with a lofted shot which gave Hill no chance to save. Conduit completed the route with a vicious shot from a well-placed Birnie corner.
(1) p.18, the 'West Australian' newspaper, 7 October 1929
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