Basil Travers
Encyclopedia
Basil Holmes 'Jika' Travers (7 July 1919 – 18 December 1998) was an Australia
n sportsman who represented the England national rugby union team
and played first-class cricket
with Oxford University
.
Travers, a Shore old boy, moved from Australia to England in 1940 to study on a Rhodes Scholarship. He was capped six times in total for England, the first in the 1947 Five Nations Championship
, which England were joint winners of, where he played in their games against both Ireland and Wales. He also played in a friendly against his home country in 1948, as well as making appearances in the 1948 and 1949 Five Nations. The only points of his international career came courtesy of two conversions in a Test against Scotland.
An all-rounder
at cricket, he was a right-handed batsman and right-arm medium pace bowler. Travers scored 718 runs at 25.64 and took 48 wickets at 30.20 from his 24 first-class matches. All but one of those matches were for Oxford University, with the other coming in a match for the Free Foresters Cricket Club
when he swapped sides and played against the University. Although he never scored a century or managed a five wicket haul, Travers made four half centuries and had best figures of 4/65.
One of Travers' biggest tests came on his first-class debut, when he had to bat and bowl against India in 1946. Oxford batted first and Travers was dismissed for just 13 by Vinoo Mankad, in what would be his only innings of the match. He had success with the ball though, taking the wickets of middle order players Raosaheb Nimbalkar and Nawab of Pataudi
to finish with 2/48. He finished the season with an impressive 27 wickets at 24.25.
Once leaving England, Travers was the Headmaster of the Launceston Church Grammar School
from 1953 to 1958, and later the Headmaster of the Sydney Church of England Grammar School
from 1959 to 1984. An Australian Schoolboys rugby trophy has been named in his honour, called the BH Travers Shield.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n sportsman who represented the England national rugby union team
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
and played first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
with Oxford University
Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...
.
Travers, a Shore old boy, moved from Australia to England in 1940 to study on a Rhodes Scholarship. He was capped six times in total for England, the first in the 1947 Five Nations Championship
1947 Five Nations Championship
The 1947 Five Nations Championship was the eighteenth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the fifty-third series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played between 1...
, which England were joint winners of, where he played in their games against both Ireland and Wales. He also played in a friendly against his home country in 1948, as well as making appearances in the 1948 and 1949 Five Nations. The only points of his international career came courtesy of two conversions in a Test against Scotland.
An all-rounder
All-rounder
An all-rounder is a cricketer who regularly performs well at both batting and bowling. Although all bowlers must bat and quite a few batsmen do bowl occasionally, most players are skilled in only one of the two disciplines and are considered specialists...
at cricket, he was a right-handed batsman and right-arm medium pace bowler. Travers scored 718 runs at 25.64 and took 48 wickets at 30.20 from his 24 first-class matches. All but one of those matches were for Oxford University, with the other coming in a match for the Free Foresters Cricket Club
Free Foresters Cricket Club
Free Foresters Cricket Club is an English amateur cricket club, established in 1856 for players from the Midland counties of England. It is a 'wandering' club, having no home ground....
when he swapped sides and played against the University. Although he never scored a century or managed a five wicket haul, Travers made four half centuries and had best figures of 4/65.
One of Travers' biggest tests came on his first-class debut, when he had to bat and bowl against India in 1946. Oxford batted first and Travers was dismissed for just 13 by Vinoo Mankad, in what would be his only innings of the match. He had success with the ball though, taking the wickets of middle order players Raosaheb Nimbalkar and Nawab of Pataudi
Nawab of Pataudi
The term Nawab of Pataudi may refer to any of an Afghan/Pashtun lineage of rulers of the princely Pataudi State in India, but most commonly refers to the 8th Nawab, Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, who played cricket for both England and India. Both he and his son the 9th Nawab captained the Indian...
to finish with 2/48. He finished the season with an impressive 27 wickets at 24.25.
Once leaving England, Travers was the Headmaster of the Launceston Church Grammar School
Launceston Church Grammar School
Launceston Church Grammar School is a co-educational private school in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia for years kindergarten through to Year 12....
from 1953 to 1958, and later the Headmaster of the Sydney Church of England Grammar School
Sydney Church of England Grammar School
Sydney Church of England Grammar School is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for boys, located in North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
from 1959 to 1984. An Australian Schoolboys rugby trophy has been named in his honour, called the BH Travers Shield.