Syd Gregory's Eighth Tour — Recalled at 42 to Captain Australia in 1912

Gregory had toured England in 1890, 1893, 1896, 1899, 1902, 1905, 1909 and now 1912 — eight tours, a record.

After the Big Six withdrew in March 1912, the Australian Board approached Gregory in his retirement.

Gregory was the senior surviving Australian Test cricketer of the 1880s generation, having debuted in 1890 and toured England seven times before 1912. He had been a brilliant fielder and a stylish batsman in his prime. By 1912 he was 42 and had effectively retired from international cricket. With the Big Six refusing to tour, the Australian Board approached Gregory and persuaded him to come out of retirement and lead the side. He accepted, knowing the team would be weak. On the tour he played his 58th Test — a record at the time — and contributed steadily with the bat without dominating. Australia lost the deciding Test to England. Gregory, dignified throughout, returned home and never played another Test. He died in 1929. His acceptance of the captaincy in 1912 is one of the unsung gestures of Australian cricket history — a player taking on a thankless task to keep the international fixture alive.

“Syd Gregory took the job because someone had to.”

Gregory retired immediately after the tour. He worked as a cricket coach in Sydney until his death in 1929 at 59.