81 Facts About Ian Meckiff

Ian Meckiff was born on 6 January 1935 and is a former cricketer who represented Australia in 18 Test matches between 1957 and 1963.

Ian Meckiff's achievement was engulfed by controversy, as English media and former players accused him of throwing Australia to victory.

The controversy over Ian Meckiff's action persisted as throwing was in the spotlight in England, where it was regarded as a growing problem.

Australian captain Richie Benaud chose to not bowl his paceman again, and Meckiff retired from all cricket at the end of the match.

Ian Meckiff was the second of three children born to Vera and Walter Ian Meckiff; he had an older brother Don and a younger sister Margaret.

Ian Meckiff routinely dominated the opposition batsmen in the competition, taking 200 wickets at a bowling average of only 4.50 during his career with Mentone.

Ian Meckiff began playing in Mentone's under-16 team at the age of 11.

Ian Meckiff started in the Fourth XI after his brother had to withdraw from a match.

Ian Meckiff followed his productive bowling with 47 runs in a tail-wagging performance, adding 71 for the eighth wicket with Wally Grout as Harvey's men responded with 419.

Ian Meckiff had performed strongly in his debut first-class season, ending with 27 wickets at an average of 23.66.

Ian Meckiff was the ninth-highest wicket-taker for the Australian summer and his average was superior to all eight bowlers who took more wickets.

Ian Meckiff Craig was installed as the nation's youngest ever captain at the age of 22, having previously played only six Tests without securing a regular position in the team.

Ian Meckiff ended the tour with 20 first-class wickets at 10.85, placing him top of the tour bowling averages.

Ian Meckiff claimed his maiden Test wicket, and Australia's first breakthrough, when he bowled Goddard for 90.

Ian Meckiff then removed McGlew for 108 and later dismissed Russell Endean and Roy McLean for 50 apiece.

Ian Meckiff was not as effective as he was on debut, taking two and one wickets for the matches respectively, and scoring 26 runs in his only innings of the Fourth Test.

Ian Meckiff's wickets included English Test batsmen Peter Richardson, Arthur Milton and Raman Subba Row.

Ian Meckiff's career peaked at the Second Test, which began on New Year's Eve, 1958 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Ian Meckiff made a duck as the hosts replied with 308 to take a 49-run lead.

Ian Meckiff described the hometown atmosphere as "electrifying", and attributed his performance to the crowd support.

The evening edition of the Melbourne Herald carried a column by former English spinner Johnny Wardle, accusing Ian Meckiff of "throwing England out".

The Evening News proclaimed: "Ian Meckiff's throwing was devastating" and The Star said: "at least two of his wickets were obtained by deliveries which looked to be thrown".

Former England spinner Ian Peebles asserted that Meckiff and Gordon Rorke threw "the greater number of balls they deliver", while former English paceman Alf Gover claimed that none of the left-armer's deliveries were legal; it was "ridiculous that a player of his action should be the agent of England's destruction".

The former Test opener and leading commentator Jack Fingleton said: "when he [Ian Meckiff] delivered to Bailey, his fastest ball looked most suspect" and that the left-armer should have been called for throwing.

Fingleton claimed to know of five former Australian Test cricketers who felt that Meckiff threw, but only named the 1930s paceman Ernie McCormick.

Former Australian captain Ian Johnson argued that if Meckiff were to be cited for an illegal action for jerking his wrist, then leading English bowlers such as Trueman, Brian Statham and Tony Lock, who played against Australia during the season, should be sanctioned.

When Lindwall was recalled for the Fourth Test in place of the injured Ian Meckiff he was reported to have said "I'm the last of the straight-arm bowlers".

Ian Meckiff was prominent in the two Shield matches against New South Wales, when both teams were at full strength.

Ian Meckiff became known by the derisive nickname "Chucker" and was credited on the front cover of his autobiography as "Ian 'Chucker' Meckiff".

Ian Meckiff reported that from the Melbourne Test onwards, his son was verbally abused by classmates; Ian Meckiff's parents were persistently told their son bowled illegally.

Ian Meckiff added that doctors believed his anxiety was contributing to stomach ailments.

At the time, players were not allowed to talk to the media during the season, and Ian Meckiff was upset because he could not rebut his accusers while they were free to attack him.

Ian Meckiff had a permanently bent bowling arm; he generated his pace from his wrist action, and asserted that his thin wrists gave the impression that his whole arm was bending.

Ian Meckiff was not called for throwing in either India or Pakistan, meaning that he had played in five nations without being sanctioned.

Ian Meckiff was wicketless in Australia's win in the First Test against Pakistan on a matting wicket in Dacca.

Ian Meckiff claimed four wickets in the match, and was batting when Australia reached their victory target with three wickets in hand.

Ian Meckiff was unbeaten on 14 when India secured the final wicket.

Ian Meckiff continued to hold the upper hand over Borde, dismissing him in both innings.

Ian Meckiff ended the subcontinental tour with 15 wickets at 35.73, and scored 70 runs at 23.33.

Ian Meckiff had particular success against Borde, dismissing him five times in as many Tests.

Dowling said the strident press attacks on Meckiff had amounted to intimidation of umpires through the media, and claimed that some administrators had privately told him that the Australian paceman would be called if he toured England.

Ian Meckiff played in the First and the Third Tests, taking two wickets at 117.00 and scoring 12 runs at 6.00; he was unable to complete either match, sustaining injuries during the second innings of both fixtures.

Ian Meckiff noted that the umpire had told him there was little point in changing his action.

The Caribbean team batted first and attacked Ian Meckiff, taking more than seven runs per over from his bowling.

Benaud was caught behind on the second ball of the final over attempting a hook and Ian Meckiff came to the crease to join Wally Grout.

Ian Meckiff faced the sixth ball; it was a half volley and he lofted it over square leg.

Ian Meckiff backed up significantly in anticipation of a quick single, and set off for the winning run after his partner hit the ball to square leg.

Ian Meckiff then broke down after five overs in the second innings.

Persistently hampered by ankle and back injuries, Ian Meckiff aggregated only 19 first-class wickets at 40 for the summer.

Ian Meckiff was Victoria's leading bowler with 28 wickets at 27.14 in eight matches and was not called.

Ian Meckiff had little success, taking four wickets at 53.00 in three matches.

Ian Meckiff topped the bowling averages for the Australian first-class season with 58 wickets at 19.86 from ten matches, as Victoria won the Sheffield Shield, ending New South Wales' run of titles.

Ian Meckiff dismissed Ray Illingworth, Geoff Pullar and Alan Smith as Victoria took a four-run first innings lead, but the hosts collapsed in their second innings and Dexter's men reached their target of 180 with five wickets in hand.

Ian Meckiff contributed 32 runs at the end of the Victorian first innings reply, helping to extend his team's first-innings lead to 135 runs.

Ian Meckiff's season was then marred when he was called for throwing for the first time in any competition.

The hosts had a target of only 108 in the second innings for victory, but Ian Meckiff removed Favell, Cunningham and Neil Dansie with the new ball to destabilise the run-chase.

Ian Meckiff had a final chance to push for Test selection in the second of his state's two matches against England.

England set Victoria 287 for victory, and the hosts faced defeat before Ian Meckiff batted late in the order to score 38 and help his side to a draw with one wicket in hand.

Ian Meckiff had been the state's leading wicket-taker and one of the key figures in their triumph, but his bowling action was the main talking point at the end of the match.

Ian Meckiff's wickets included Test batsmen Les Favell, Garry Sobers, Keith Slater and Barry Shepherd.

However, as a result of these strong personal performances, Ian Meckiff was selected for the First Test in Brisbane.

The South Africans were reportedly stunned by Ian Meckiff's selection, giving the impression that they considered him an illegitimate bowler.

Miller further predicted that the umpires Egar and Lou Rowan would be having sleepless nights and predicted that the selectors would be biting their fingernails, adding that he hoped Ian Meckiff was not being used as a scapegoat for the anti-throwing movement.

Ian Meckiff took the ball for the second over, bowling from the Vulture Street End to South African captain Trevor Goddard.

Ian Meckiff had previously been passed in five countries, having played Tests in four of these nations.

Benaud removed his paceman from the attack and Ian Meckiff did not bowl again in the match, later saying he could not remember the over because he was absorbed by a feeling of complete deflation.

Ian Meckiff retired from all forms of cricket at the end of the game, but continued to proclaim that his bowling action was fair.

The majority of reporters believed all of Ian Meckiff's deliveries had been bowled with an identical action.

England captain Dexter implicitly accused Meckiff of throwing, saying: "One courageous Australian umpire has brought it to a timely end".

Ian Meckiff said that he could have called more deliveries, but was worried whether the over would ever end.

The Australian captain was criticised for being acquiescent, and one of his predecessors Lindsay Hassett believed Meckiff should have been used at reduced speed.

Ian Meckiff described Meckiff's action as "slightly different" but attributed this to an accentuated wrist action used in an attempt to get more life out of dead pitches, rather than his elbow.

Ian Meckiff said that Egar's calls "hit him like a dagger in the back", but described the umpire as "a fair and just man who acted according to his convictions".

Sections of the cricket community believed Ian Meckiff was no-balled to prove that Australia was serious about dealing with the wave of complaints regarding suspected throwing in the 1950s and 1960s.

Former Australian captain Hassett hinted at a conspiracy when he stated that, as the selectors must have considered Meckiff to be legitimate, then.

Ian Meckiff pointed out that although the pitch was conducive to spin bowling, Australia chose five specialist batsmen, two spinners and three fast bowlers.

Ian Meckiff recalled Rowan's words at the pre-match function: "It's going to be a very interesting game".

Ian Meckiff received offers to play in the Victorian Football League, the top-tier competition at the time, but declined contracts so he could pursue his cricket career.

Ian Meckiff played golf in pennant competition and captained the Victoria Golf Club.

Ian Meckiff sued for libel in a five-year case, which ended with an out-of-court settlement and apology from Simpson.

Ian Meckiff says that he never brings up the topic of the no-ball with them.