Thomas Leather
Encyclopedia
Thomas William Leather (2 June 1910 – 10 May 1991) was an Australian first-class cricket
er who represented Victoria
. He also played Australian rules football
with North Melbourne
in the Victorian Football League
(VFL).
Leather, who was born in Scotland, played 16 games and kicked 11 goals for North Melbourne in a brief career which encompassed the 1932 and 1933 VFL seasons. He then appeared in four first-class cricket matches for Victoria in 1934 and 1935, taking 14 wickets at 26.07. On the back of these performances, he was picked to tour Ceylon and India with the Australian cricket team in 1935-36
. Australia's Test team was touring South Africa at the time so this was a second string side. As a result, the matches against India, which Leather took part in, where given first-class status but were not Test matches.
After going wicket-less in their match against Ceylon, Leather went to India and played in all four 'Tests'. He took 21 wickets in those matches, taking five wicket hauls in Calcutta and Lahore to finish the Indian tour with an impressive 47 first-class wickets at 17.25. This made him Australia's most successful bowler for the tour after Frederick Mair and Ron Oxenham
.
Although Leather was only 25 when he returned to Australia, he played just one more first-class match in his career. This was for the Don Bradman's XI in a match against the Victor Richardson's XI at the Sydney Cricket Ground
.
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...
er who represented Victoria
Victorian Bushrangers
The Victorian cricket team, nicknamed the Bushrangers, is an Australian cricket team based in Melbourne, that represents the state of Victoria. It is administered by Cricket Victoria and draws its players from Melbourne's Premier Cricket competition...
. He also played Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
with North Melbourne
North Melbourne Football Club
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
in the Victorian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
(VFL).
Leather, who was born in Scotland, played 16 games and kicked 11 goals for North Melbourne in a brief career which encompassed the 1932 and 1933 VFL seasons. He then appeared in four first-class cricket matches for Victoria in 1934 and 1935, taking 14 wickets at 26.07. On the back of these performances, he was picked to tour Ceylon and India with the Australian cricket team in 1935-36
Australian cricket team in Ceylon and India in 1935-36
An Australian cricket team toured Ceylon and India in the winter of 1935-36.This was a secondary tour by Australia whose "first team" had gone to South Africa...
. Australia's Test team was touring South Africa at the time so this was a second string side. As a result, the matches against India, which Leather took part in, where given first-class status but were not Test matches.
After going wicket-less in their match against Ceylon, Leather went to India and played in all four 'Tests'. He took 21 wickets in those matches, taking five wicket hauls in Calcutta and Lahore to finish the Indian tour with an impressive 47 first-class wickets at 17.25. This made him Australia's most successful bowler for the tour after Frederick Mair and Ron Oxenham
Ron Oxenham
Ronald Keven Oxenham was an Australian cricketer who played in 7 Tests from 1928 to 1931....
.
Although Leather was only 25 when he returned to Australia, he played just one more first-class match in his career. This was for the Don Bradman's XI in a match against the Victor Richardson's XI at the Sydney Cricket Ground
Sydney Cricket Ground
The Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian...
.