Len Johnson

A Queensland stalwart of the post-war years, Joseph Leonard `Len' Johnson, died in Ipswich on April 20. Born in 1919, he first attracted attention in the so-called Sheffield Shield competition for Australian troops at Bougainville, in the Solomons, at the end of the war. Norm McMahon, treasurer of the present Australian touring team, also played there. Len Johnson was a fast-medium right-arm bowler and strong hitter in the lower order. His eventual tally of 171 wickets in 43 Shield matches for Queensland was a State record until overtaken by Ross Duncan and Peter Allan. He toured New Zealand with an Australian `Second XI' in 1950, but was destined to play for his country only once: against India at Melbourne in the final Test of the 1947-48 series. He scored 25 not out and took 3 for 66 and 3 for 8, and was entitled to feel a trifle hard done by to have received only that one cap. It is thought that Sam Loxton won preference over him in selection for the 1948 tour of England.
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