History of Australian cricket from 1945–46 to 1960
From the end of World War II in 1945–46 to 1960, Australian cricket produced many great players, including Don Bradman, Arthur Morris, Ray Lindwall, Keith Miller, Neil Harvey, Alan Davidson and Richie Benaud.
In domestic cricket, Western Australia surprised everyone by winning the Sheffield Shield in their debut season, 1947–48. But for much of this period and into the mid-1960s, New South Wales dominated the domestic competition.
Overseas teams also visited Australia during these years. England toured in 1946–47, India in 1947–48, England again in 1950–51, the West Indies in 1951–52 and South Africa in 1952–53.
In March 1954, New Zealand toured Australia and played three first-class matches, including their first meeting with Western Australia at the WACA. New Zealand beat Western Australia by 184 runs, beat South Australia by 8 wickets, and drew with Victoria. Bert Sutcliffe was the standout player, scoring a century in each game, while John Reid contributed big scores to help Sutcliffe save the Victoria match. The era also included England’s tours in 1954–55 and 1958–59.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 13:25 (CET).