Bill Johnston (William Arras Johnston; born Beeac, Victoria, February 26, 1922) was an Australian bowler who was one of the spearheads of Don Bradman's undefeated 1948 touring team - probably the best side in cricket history. Motto: Peace and Prosperity Other Australian states and territories Capital Melbourne Governor HE Mr John Landy Premier Steve Bracks (ALP) Area 237,629 km² (6th)  - Land 227,416 km²  - Water 10,213 km² (4. ... February 26 is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1922 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... A bowler in the sport of cricket is usually a player whose speciality is bowling. ... Sir Donald George Bradman (August 27, 1908 - February 25, 2001) was an Australian cricket player who is universally regarded as the greatest batsman of all time, and one of Australias greatest popular heroes. ...

Originally a slow left-arm spinner, Johnston turned, owing to the hardness of Australian pitches in his youth, to fast-medium bowling in the 1940s. He first played for Victoria in 1945/1946, but was not very sucessful until his third season, when he made such an impression that he was selected to tour England in 1948. On that tour, Johnston was an unqualified success. Not only did he take 27 wickets in the five Tests - of which Australia won four - but he served superbly both as a back-up pace bowler to Ray Lindwall and Keith Miller and as an able left-arm spinner on the many rain-affected pitches encountered during a wet summer. Johnston finished the season at the top of the first-class bowling averages and was chosen as one of Wisden's Five Cricketers of the Year. Keith Ross Miller (born 28 November 1919, died 11 October 2004, Melbourne, Australia) was an Australian all-round sportsman and World War II pilot. ... The Wisden Cricketers of the Year is an award given annually by the Wisden yearbook. ...

The versatility of Johnston's bowling was seen at its best in the following summers, most notably on the 1949/1950 tour of South Africa and in the deceptively tight 1950/1951 Ashes series, during both of which he took over twenty wickets for less than 20 runs apiece. Though more expensive, Johnston was again successful in 1951/1952 against the West Indies, but was chosen to tour England in 1953 despite being expensive aginst South Africa in 1952/1953. His poor bowling form - both as a paceman and as a spinner - showed that Johnston really was declining, and despite some good performances for his state he retired from first-class cricket at the beginning of 1955. The Ashes is a regular international cricket contest between England and Australia, played every two years, so named after the trophy, which is a small wooden urn, said to contain the burnt bails from an 1882 game between the countries at The Oval. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

Though an extremely poor batsman, Johnston headed the averages in England in 1953, being not out 16 times out of 17 and averaging 102!

External links

Test bowling in each series by Bill Johnston (http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/0/794/t_Bowling_by_Season.html)