On 29 June 1899, in the first Test ever played at Headingley, Middlesex's medium-pacer Jack Hearne took the wickets of Clem Hill, Syd Gregory and Monty Noble in three consecutive balls — England's first hat-trick against Australia in Test cricket. Australia were dismissed for 172. The match was drawn after Johnny Briggs collapsed in an epileptic fit overnight (see entry); the hat-trick lit one of the bleakest days in English cricket.
Hearne had already played 11 Tests across the 1891-92 South Africa tour, the 1894-95 Australia tour and at home against Australia in 1896. The 1899 Headingley Test was his eleventh.
Australia 39/0 overnight on a true Headingley pitch. Hearne and Hirst opened the new-ball spell on day two.
Jack Hearne — known as 'JT', cousin of the Hearne brothers who played Test cricket separately — was the leading English medium-pacer of the late 1890s. He had taken nine for 30 against Yorkshire at Lord's in 1894 and over 200 first-class wickets in 1896 and 1898. The 1899 series had brought him into the Test side at age 32.
The Third Test, the first at Headingley, opened on 29 June 1899. Australia, captained by Joe Darling, had won the toss and were 39 for 0 at the close of the first day. Hearne was given the new ball with George Hirst on the second morning. He removed Joe Darling for 8 in his first over; in his second over he took the most famous trio of his career.
Ball one: Clem Hill caught at slip for 0. Ball two: Syd Gregory caught behind for 0 (the wicketkeeper Lilley took an inside edge). Ball three: Monty Noble bowled middle stump for 0. Hat-trick — England's first against Australia, and Hearne's only Test hat-trick. Australia 56 for 4; they recovered to 172 thanks to a Trumble 56.
The Test that followed turned tragic. Briggs, having bowled long spells across the day, suffered an epileptic fit overnight at the team hotel and was hospitalised. Australia made 224 in the second innings; England chased 176, fell to 19 for 4, and were rescued only by rain on the third afternoon. The match was drawn.
Hearne removes Darling for 8 in opening over.
Second over: Hill caught slip 0.
Same over: Gregory caught behind 0.
Same over: Noble bowled 0.
Hat-trick: first by England v Australia in Test cricket.
Australia 56/4; recover to 172.
Briggs fits overnight, hospitalised — match overshadowed.
Match drawn after rain on day three.
29 Jun 1899
First Headingley Test begins; Australia 39/0 overnight.
30 Jun, morning
Hearne removes Darling, then Hill, Gregory, Noble in his second over.
30 Jun, evening
Briggs collapses in epileptic fit at team hotel.
1 Jul
Match drawn after rain; Australia 224 second innings.
“He took the very best of Australia in three balls and never bowled a finer over in his life.”
Hearne played another four Tests across the 1899 and 1903-04 series. He played first-class cricket until 1923 and finished with 3,061 first-class wickets — the fourth-highest in cricket history. He died in 1944 at his Buckinghamshire home, aged 76.
England's first hat-trick against Australia, taken with three consecutive ducks for the cream of the Australian middle order.
Hearne's hat-trick is the foundational English Ashes hat-trick. Three more Englishmen have done it since: Hugh Trumble (Australia, 1903-04), Jimmy Matthews (twice in one match, 1912), Maurice Allom (1929-30 v New Zealand, four wickets in five balls), and the more recent Stuart Broad and Peter Siddle. The Hill-Gregory-Noble trio of victims remains the most prestigious set ever taken in a Test hat-trick.
Yorkshire v Essex
1932-06-16
On 15-16 June 1932 Herbert Sutcliffe (313) and Percy Holmes (224*) put on 555 for the first wicket against Essex at Leyton, breaking the world first-class record for any wicket and adding a layer of folklore — including a scoreboard that read 554 for several minutes and a hastily reversed declaration — that has clung to the partnership ever since.
Australia v England
1933-02-14
With the fate of the Bodyline series in the balance and England 216 for 6 chasing 340, Eddie Paynter checked himself out of a Brisbane hospital where he was being treated for acute tonsillitis, taxied to the Gabba in pyjamas and a dressing gown, and batted for nearly four hours to score 83. England drew level on first innings, won the Test by six wickets and the series 4-1.
Australia
1934-09-25
Days after the 1934 Oval Test, Bradman fell seriously ill with appendicitis that progressed to peritonitis. With antibiotics not yet available, he was given little chance of survival; his wife Jessie left Adelaide on a sea voyage to England prepared for the worst. He recovered after weeks of intensive nursing in a London nursing home and returned to first-class cricket the following Australian summer.