William Harold Ponsford was one of the most prolific scorers in cricket history and half of an ever-memorable opening partnership with W.M. Woodfull, his Victorian state and Test captain. Bill Ponsford announced himself as a twenty-two-year-old by breaking, in 1922–23, the record first-class score held for more than a quarter of a century by A.C. MacLaren, who had scored 424 for Lancashire against Somerset at Taunton in 1895. He made 429 out of Victoria’s world record of 1,059 on the great Melbourne Oval against a modest Tasmanian side. The next year he took part in the highest Australian partnership (as it still is) of 456, also at Melbourne, against Queensland. When Victoria beat their own previous best with the still pre-eminent 1,107 against New South Wales in 1926–27, Ponsford made 334 of his score of 352 in a day, Melbourne once again being the venue. By this time, he had made 110 not out against England in his first Test and 128, on his home pitch, in his next.
A youngster eight years his junior was, however, taking due note in the country at Bowral, New South Wales – D.G. Bradman by name. Two seasons after his debut, Bradman bettered the world record by notching 452 not out against the luckless Queenslanders. Then came Bradman’s all-conquering tour of England in 1930, with Ponsford a valuable member of the supporting cast. Thereafter, Bradman’s triumphal career proceeded with scarcely a hitch for, whereas his technique was almost proof against mortal error, Ponsford was fallible against speed – especially Larwood’s. Ponsford, in fact, was dropped from the Test side in the 1932–33 Bodyline series, only to reappear and average ninety-four against England in 1934. Thereupon, before his thirty-fourth birthday, he announced his retirement.
Woodfull and Ponsford were a contrast at the crease, the former, with the minimum of back lift, generally a phlegmatic wearer-down, while Ponsford was always prepared to take the battle to the enemy. Bradman dominated his day, averaging ninety-five over his career. Yet only two other Australians in history, Ponsford and Woodfull, have boasted a career average in the sixties. Ponsford made 13,819, including forty-seven hundreds, at 65.18. The figures behind the decimal point are the measure of his advantage over his old friend, Billy Woodfull, who finished with 65.00.
William Harold Ponsford: b Fitzroy North, Victoria, 19 October 1900; d 6 April 1991