Full Name

John Brian Iverson

Born

July 27, 1915, Melbourne, Victoria

Died

October 24, 1973, Brighton, Victoria, (aged 58y 89d)

Batting Style

Right hand Bat

Bowling Style

Legbreak Googly

John Brian Iverson, who died in Melbourne on October 24, aged 58, was an unusual bowler who created something of a sensation during a brief career in Australian cricket. He bowled fast when at school, but took no part in cricket for twelve years afterwards. While on Army service in New Guinea, Big Jack, as he was known, developed a peculiar method of spinning the ball, which he gripped between his thumb and middle finger. This enabled him to bowl a wide variety of deliveries, including off-breaks, leg-breaks and googlies, without any change of action. He first attracted attention in big cricket in 1949-50 when he took 46 wickets for Victoria at an average cost of 16.12. In the following autumn with W. A. Brown"s team in New Zealand, he, in all matches, disposed of 75 batsmen at a cost of seven runs each and in the next Australian season, at the age of 35, he was chosen for his country against the England team captained by F. R. Brown. So perplexing did the visiting batsmen find the bowling of this tall man that in the Test series he obtained 21 wickets for 15.73 runs apiece, including six for 27 in the second innings of the third Test at Sydney. During the fourth Test at Adelaide he suffered an ankle injury when he trod on the ball. He played in only one game in each of the next two seasons and then gave up cricket altogether.
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack

Jack Iverson Career Stats

Batting & Fielding

FormatMatInnsNORunsHSAve100s50s4s6sCtSt
Tests57331*0.75000020
FC34462727731*14.5700--130

Bowling

FormatMatInnsBallsRunsWktsBBIBBMAveEconSR4w5w10w
Tests581108320216/276/5215.232.3152.7210
FC34-887830191577/77-19.222.0456.5-91
Jack Iverson's mystery grip

Explore Statsguru Analysis

Test

Recent Matches of Jack Iverson

MatchBatBowlDateGroundFormat
Victoria vs South Aust12 & 34/65 & 0/1714-Nov-1952AdelaideFC
Victoria vs Sth Africans7* & 53/38 & 0/1907-Nov-1952MelbourneFC
Victoria vs Queensland1* & 1*3/90 & 2/12422-Dec-1951MelbourneFC
Australia vs England0 & 02/52 & 0/3223-Feb-1951MelbourneTest # 331
Victoria vs West Aust--1/15 & 5/3216-Feb-1951MelbourneFC

Debut/Last Matches of Jack Iverson

Photos of Jack Iverson

Jack Iverson's unusual grip
Jack Iverson, player portrait
Jack Iverson's mystery grip
Jack Iverson dismisses Len Hutton
Jack Iverson appeals for the wicket of Len Hutton, caught behind by Don Tallon
Sam Loxton takes a catch to dismiss Freddie Brown off the bowling of Jack Iverson