Archie Jackson (Getty Images) On this day, February 4, almost a century ago in 1929, the batting genius scored his first – and only – century in his debut match for Australia against England in Adelaide. He was 19 and a mammoth 164 as an opener in the fourth Ashes Test was supposed to be his springboard to cricket stardom. But it didn’t last.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!Meet the tragic batting genius – Archie Jackson, who was dubbed ‘as good as’ Don Bradman at the time. Jackson played just eight Tests for Australia before dying of tuberculosis four years after his stunning debut aged 23.
Are India among the favorites to win the 2026 T20 World Cup? | Greenstone Lobo makes a HUGE PREDICTION
Jackson made his first-class debut at just 17 after making a name for himself in school-level cricket. Representing New South Wales, Jackson played 70 first-class games, including eight Tests for Australia, scoring 4383 runs at an average of 45.65, which included 11 hundreds and 23 fifties. He played just five seasons before his cricketing journey was cut short by ill health.The graceful batsman, Jackson also shared a record 243-run partnership for the fourth wicket with none other than Don Bradman at The Oval against England a year into his Test career. However, Jackson contributed just 73, which turned out to be his second-best score after a debut 164.Who was Archie Jackson?Archibald Jackson, popularly known as Archie Jackson, was a top-order right-handed batsman who could mix the right arm break. He was born on September 5, 1909 in Lanarkshire, Scotland.He first rose to prominence in school cricket, representing Rozelle School, before making his first-class debut for NSW in the 1926/27 season aged 17. Two years later, he made his international debut for Australia in the 1928/29 Ashes series.Archie Jackson’s Test debut and a big hundred in AdelaideJackson made his Australian debut in the fourth Test of the 1928/29 Ashes on 1 February.England captain Percy Chapman won the toss on Friday morning and elected to bat first. England openers Jack Hobbs (74) and Herbert Sutcliffe (64) gave the visitors the perfect start as they put on 143 for the opening wicket before both were bowled out for the same score – turning 143/0 into 143/2. But England No.3 Wally Hammond (47*) steered England to 246/5 at stumps on the first day.Hammond completed his century the next day and remained unbeaten on 119, but the visitors were bowled out for 334. Clarrie Grimmett took five wickets for Australia – 5 for 102.Australia did not start their first innings well, losing three wickets for just 19 on the board. Playing his first innings, the then 19-year-old Jackson kept one end intact amid the collapse and revived the Aussie innings along with captain Jack Ryder. The duo completed their half-centuries to take the team to 131/3 at the end of the second day of play, leaving the match level heading into Sunday’s rest day.On Monday 4 February, Ryder collapsed on 63 after reviving the innings with a 126-run stand for the fourth wicket with debutant Jackson. Jackson completed his first century and added 82 runs for another wicket with Bradman (40) to take the total past 200.When Jackson finally fell LBW to Jack White, who returned figures of 5/130, he made a majestic 164 to take Australia close to the 300 mark.Australia batted all day and finished on 365/9 before being bowled out for 369 at the start of the fourth day to take a slim first innings lead of 35.Hammond followed up his unbeaten 119 in the first innings with a mammoth 177 in the second and, supported by Douglas Jardine’s 98, England set Australia a target of 349 runs.Young Jackson scored 36 in the second innings and added 65 for the opening wicket with Bill Woodfull (30). Australia’s middle order contributed well, with Alan Kippax (51), Ryder (87) and Bradman (58) all scoring half-centuries, but regular wickets after Kippax’s dismissal left Australia in dire straits. The hosts were eventually bowled out for 336, 13 runs short of the target, and lost the thrilling match by 12 runs.White was England’s main destroyer, returning to excellent figures of 8 for 126 and 5 for 130 in the first innings.Australia lost the match but the young Jackson announced his arrival on the international stage with a big hundred. However, this was not to last long as seven Tests and four years later, Jackson died on 16 February 1933 at Clayfield, Brisbane, aged 23 years and 164 days.Archie Jackson’s Test CareerMatchesInningsRunsHSAve.100s50s81147416447.4012
