Victor Trumper

The Crown Prince

Born in the year of the first Test match, 1877, Trumper captured the hearts and minds of crowds and critics alike with the beauty of his batting allied to a generous spirit and warm personality. His suppleness and quickness of eye and foot allowed him a vast range of strokes that he played with grace and courage.

An undefeated 292 for New South Wales against Tasmania led to his selection for England in 1899 where he scored 135 on his first appearance at Lord's. The first Test player to make a century in one session he was renowned for flourishing in "impossible conditions." In the famously wet English summer of 1902 he scored 2,570 runs at 48.49 - 956 runs more than his nearest rival in the team. He was an integral member of the Australian team until 1912 three years before his untimely death from kidney disease at 37.

'He was Australia's greatest batsman... he never realized his own greatness... runs came in every direction when he was at the crease, but he did not play for himself... when runs were wanted he could always be relied on.' Clem Hill, team-mate

'He was the most gallant and handsome batsman of them all; he possessed a certain chivalrous manner, a generous courtly poise... his swift and apparent daring, the audacity of his prancing footwork, were governed by a technique of rare accuracy and range. Victor was no mere batsman of impulsive genius; he was in the purest sense a stylist...' Sir Neville Cardus

The Stats

Victor Trumper’s greatness lay not merely with the runs he made but in the manner in which he scored them. His performances on the uncovered wickets of the day were extraordinary and his achievement of high scores on the worst wicket surfaces bear lasting testament to his great skill. This cavalier approach stimulated the crowds of the day who flocked to watch him bat. He was also a principled and generous man, widely respected and much lamented after his premature death.

Did you know?

180 Test players have scored more than 900 runs in a 10 match period, but in the period before World War I, playing on uncovered wickets, only three Australians achieved this feat. Trumper was one of these, and his average of 65.87 in 18 innings is remarkable.