Clem Hill — First to 1,000 Test Runs in a Calendar Year, 1902

Hill came from Adelaide cricketing stock — his father had played for South Australia, and his elder brothers had played first-grade. He scored 360 for Prince Alfred College against St Peter's at age 16 in 1893 (a schoolboy record that would stand for decades). He made his Test debut in 1896 at age 19.

By 1902 he had played 21 Tests and was firmly established as Australia's number three or four. The 1902 calendar year, with England and South Africa back to back, gave him an exceptional volume of Test cricket.

Hill had averaged 41 in the 1901-02 home Ashes; the 1902 English summer began with the spectacular Edgbaston disaster (Australia 36 all out) and continued through five Tests, with the urn retained at Old Trafford.

Clement 'Clem' Hill, a stocky left-handed Adelaide batsman with a low grip and a very strong bottom hand, had been in the Australian Test side since 1896. By 1902 he was 25 and Australia's senior batsman alongside Trumper. The 1902 calendar year saw Australia tour England (5 Tests) and then South Africa (3 Tests) on the way home, an unusual combined series schedule.

In the 1902 Ashes Hill scored 268 runs at 33.50, including a century stand at Manchester. His first-innings 65 at Old Trafford was important to the eventual three-run win. He then averaged over 70 in the South African series, scoring two further centuries, finishing the calendar year with 1,061 runs in Tests.

It was the first time any batsman had passed 1,000 Test runs in a single calendar year. The record stood for 45 years — Don Bradman finally equalled and surpassed it in 1947. Hill went on to play 49 Tests, scoring 3,412 runs at 39.21 — a Test record on his retirement in 1912 — and to captain Australia ten times. He was one of the Big Six who refused to tour England in 1912 over the board's tour-manager dispute, and never played another Test.

“Hill's left-handed batting was a model of power.”

Hill remained Australia's senior batsman through the 1907-08 and 1909 Ashes series. He was appointed captain in 1910-11 and led Australia in 10 Tests. The 1912 Big Six dispute (Trumper, Hill, Armstrong, Cotter, Carter and Ransford refused to tour England) ended his Test career.

He became a respected administrator and selector for South Australia and worked for the Adelaide tote during the inter-war years. He died in 1945 aged 68.