Sid Barnes with the Australian cricket team in England in 1948

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Sid Barnes

Barnes in 1948
Personal information
Full name	Sidney George Barnes
Born	(1916-06-05)5 June 1916 Annandale, New South Wales, Australia
Died	16 December 1973(1973-12-16) (aged 57) Collaroy, New South Wales, Australia
Nickname	Bagga[1]
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm leg break
Role	Batsman, occasional wicket-keeper
International information
National side	Australia
Test debut	10 June 1948 v England
Last Test	14 August 1948 v England
Career statistics
Competition Test First-class Matches 4 21 Runs scored 329 1,354 Batting average 82.25 56.41 100s/50s 1/3 3/8 Top score 141 176 Balls bowled 30 394 Wickets 0 2 Bowling average – 60.50 5 wickets in innings – 0 10 wickets in match – 0 Best bowling – 1/9 Catches/stumpings 1/0 19/0
Source: Test and First-class statistics from ESPNCricinfo, 12 December 2007

Sid Barnes was a key member of Donald Bradman's famous Australian cricket team, which toured England in 1948. The team went undefeated in their 34 matches; this unprecedented feat by a Test side touring England earned them the sobriquet The Invincibles. A right-handed opening batsman, Barnes was part of Bradman's first-choice team and played in four of the five Tests—he missed one match due to injury—partnering the left-handed Arthur Morris.

Barnes ended the first-class matches with 1,354 runs at a batting average of 56.41 including three centuries, placing him fifth in the aggregates and sixth in the averages among the Australians. Barnes found his best form in the Tests, yielding 329 runs at 82.25, ranking him third in the aggregates and second in the averages. He scored half-centuries in both innings of the First Test at Trent Bridge, before compiling a hard-hitting 141 in the second innings of the Second Test at Lord's, helping to set up victory in both matches. In the Third Test, Barnes was injured and hospitalised after being hit in the ribs by a Dick Pollard pull shot. He returned the next day and attempted to bat, but collapsed again and had to be taken back to hospital for an extended stay, missing two weeks of cricket. After missing the Fourth Test, Barnes returned to score his third half-century for the series as Australia completed a 4–0 win with an innings victory in the Fifth Test.

Aside from his run-scoring, Barnes, who was well known for being eccentric, gained fame throughout the season for his fielding at short leg—just a few metres from the batsman—where he took 19 catches for the season. Barnes stood much closer than others who fielded in the position, placing one foot on the edge of the pitch. His extreme proximity prompted questions about the legitimacy of his action and English captain Norman Yardley later admitted Barnes had intimidated his batsmen.