On This Day, February 4, almost a century ago in 1929, a batting genius scored his maiden — and only — century in his debut match for Australia against England in Adelaide. He was 19, and the mammoth 164 as an opener in the fourth Ashes Test was supposed to be his launch pad for cricket stardom. But it did not last.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Meet the tragic batting genius — Archie Jackson, who was dubbed ‘as good as’ Don Bradman at that time. Jackson went on to play just eight Tests for Australia before he died from tuberculosis four years after his stunning debut, aged 23.
Jackson made his first-class debut at the tender age of 17 after making his name 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 ill health cut short his cricket journey.A graceful batter, Jackson also shared a record partnership of 243 runs for the fourth wicket with none other than Don Bradman at The Oval against England a year into his Test career. Jackson, though, contributed just 73, which turned out to be his second-best score after the debut 164.Who was Archie Jackson?Archibald Jackson, popularly known as Archie Jackson, was a right-handed top-order batter who could bowl right-arm offbreak. He was born on September 5, 1909, in Lanarkshire, Scotland.He first made his name in school cricket, representing Rozelle School, before making his senior first-class debut for NSW in the 1926/27 season at the age of 17. Two years later, he made his international debut for Australia in the 1928/29 Ashes series.Archie Jackson’s debut Test and big hundred in AdelaideJackson made his Australia debut in the fourth Test of the 1928/29 Ashes on February 1.England skipper 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 a perfect start, posting 143 for the opening wicket before both were dismissed at the same score — turning 143/0 into 143/2 in no time. But England No.3 Wally Hammond (47*) steered England to 246/5 at stumps on Day 1.Hammond completed his century the next day and remained unbeaten on 119, but the visitors were bowled out for 334. Clarrie Grimmett took a five-wicket haul — 5 for 102 — for Australia.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 held one end intact amid the collapse and revived the Aussie innings along with captain Jack Ryder. The duo completed their half-centuries and took the team to 131/3 at the end of the second day’s play, leaving the match evenly poised heading into the Sunday rest day.On Monday, February 4, Ryder fell for 63 after reviving the innings with a 126-run stand for the fourth wicket with debutant Jackson. Jackson completed his maiden century while adding 82 runs for the next wicket with Bradman (40) to push the total past the 200-mark.When Jackson finally fell LBW to Jack White, who returned figures of 5/130, he had scored a majestic 164 and taken Australia close to the 300-mark.Australia batted through the day and ended at 365/9 before being bowled out for 369 early on Day 4, taking a slender first-innings lead of 35.Hammond followed his unbeaten 119 in the first innings with a mammoth 177 in the second, and with support from 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) reaching half-centuries, but regular wickets after Kippax’s dismissal left Australia in a tough spot. The hosts were eventually dismissed for 336, 13 runs short of the target, losing the tightly contested match by 12 runs.White was the wrecker-in-chief for England, returning excellent figures of 8 for 126 to go with his 5 for 130 in the first innings.Australia lost the match, but young Jackson announced his arrival on the international stage with a big hundred. It did not last long, however, as seven Tests and four years later, Jackson died on February 16, 1933, at Clayfield, Brisbane, aged 23 years and 164 days.Archie Jackson’s Test Career
| Matches | Innings | Runs | HS | Ave. | 100s | 50s |
| 8 | 11 | 474 | 164 | 47.40 | 1 | 2 |
