A touch of class at play in 1950s visits by Len Hutton's MCC, Stanley Matthews's Blackpool in Adelaide Oval games
English soccer wizard Stanley Matthews at 43 was still the star in Blackpool’s 1-0 win over Australia at Adelaide Oval in 1958.
Aspects of the English class system played out on Adelaide Oval in the 1950s. Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh in 1954 watched a country cricket match, the first visit by a reigning monarch to the oval.
In the same year, the English aristocratic bastion of cricket, the Marylebone club played South Australia as part of Test tour by England, with controversially a professional player, Len Hutton, as captain – an honour the English traditionalists through should be reserved for gentlemen.
Hutton had decided to bat first. Only Denis Compton (113) made many runs with rotund slow left arm bowler Jack Wilson taking 5/81 despite the wicket not turning and the MCC out for 246. South Australia passed that tally next day despite 5/62 from Frank Tyson as Les Favell boosted hopes of Test selection with 84, adding 119 for the first wicket with David Harris (48). But, after the rest day, only wicketkeeper Gil Langley (38 not out) added runs as South Australia fell to 254 all out – a lead of eight.
The MCC second innings revolved around Hutton's steadfast 98 as it was out for 181 with Wilson (4/32) again the destroyer. Next day, 6,000 turned up to see the local team beat the tourists. Favell (47) did well but South Australia slipped from 2/95 to 152 all out, with Bob Appleyard grabbing 5/46. The crowd didn’t appreciate the MCC’s 21-run win and booed it off the ground.
English soccer wizard Stanley Matthews thrilled 18,582 spectators in Blackpool’s narrow 1-0 win over Australia. Matthews was fierce critic of the old Etonian “blazer brigade” that ran soccer in England. Aged 43, Stan Matthews was still the star of English club Blackpool’s 1-0 win over Australia at Adelaide Oval in 1958. He gave many examples of his dribbling brilliance.
One of the greatest players of the British game, Matthews had become the oldest players to represent England in 1957 and there were still calls for him to be in the 1958 World Cup team.
Matthews helped Blackpool to win the FA Cup with a formidable personal performance in 1953. Between 1934 and 1957 he won 54 caps for England, playing in the World Cup in 1950 and 1954, and winning nine British home championship titles..
Matthews regularly condemned the “blazer brigade” at the Football Association in his autobiography, slating them as “conservative” and stressing that many of them were Old Etonians. He believed they treated players and supporters poorly.
