Bert Ironmonger

Who was Bert Ironmonger?

Herbert Ironmonger was a Victorian and Australian cricketer.

He was the youngest of ten children of a farmer. As a child, he lost the forefinger of his left hand in an industrial accident.

He only made his first-class debut at the age of 27, and his Test debut at the age of 46. He played Test cricket until the age of 50, and first-class cricket until the age of 53. He is the fourth-oldest Test debutant, and the second-oldest Test player, records which are unlikely to be broken.

Unsurprisingly because of his age, his Test career spanned only 14 matches, during which he took 74 wickets at an average of 17.97. In that time though he achieved some outstanding results.

A hat-trick against MCC in 1924–25

11 wickets for 79 runs against the West Indies in Melbourne in 1930–31

9 wickets for 89 runs against South Africa in Brisbane in 1931–32

11 wickets for 24 against South Africa in Melbourne in 1931–32

He took a total of 31 wickets in the 1931–32 South African series