William Albert Stanley Oldfield (9 September 1894 – 10 August 1976) was an Australian cricketer and businessman. He played for New South Wales and Australia as a wicket-keeper. Oldfield's 52 stumpings during his Test career remains a record several decades after his final Test.
Early life
Oldfield was born in Alexandria, a suburb of Sydney, the seventh and youngest child of John William Oldfield, an upholsterer born in Manchester and his Australian wife Mary Gregory.
Military service
During World War I, Oldfield served with the army in the first Australian Imperial Force as a Corporal in the 15th Field Ambulance. He was wounded and knocked unconscious at Ypres Salient in 1917, and spent six months recovering from shell shock. At the conclusion of the war, he was selected to be part of the Australian Imperial Forces cricket team, which played 28 first-class matches in Britain, South Africa, and Australia between May 1919 and February 1920.
Career
Oldfield made his first-class debut in England in 1919, and played his first Test match against England in his hometown of Sydney in the 1920–21 season. In 1921, it was reported that he entered into negotiations to play for Lancashire as an amateur. He had injured himself on the passage to the UK in 1921, giving Carter the chance to restore his position, although Oldfield replaced him for the last two Tests. He was awarded an MBE in 1970. A cricket oval in the Sydney suburb of Killara, where he lived later in life, is named in Oldfield's honour.
Gallery
<gallery>
File:Bert Oldfield.jpg|Portrait of Bert Oldfield
File:CrackerOldfield.jpg|Portrait of Bert Oldfield, 1930.
File:Bodyline 3rd Test Oldfield 01.jpg|A ball from Harold Larwood hits Bert Oldfield in the head.
File:Bert oldfield keep.jpg|Bert Oldfield wicketkeeping
File:BertOldfield-autograph.jpg|Autograph written at Bert Oldfield's Sports Store in 243 Pitt Street, Sydney
</gallery>
See also
- List of New South Wales representative cricketers