Former Australia fast bowler Frank Misson dies aged 85

SYDNEY (Agencies): Former Australia and New South Wales fast bowler Frank Misson has passed away at the age of 85. Misson played five Tests across the famous 1960-61 home series against the West Indies and the 1961 Ashes tour to England but his Test career was cut short by an Achilles injury. He took 16 wickets at 38.50 including a career best 4 for 58 against West Indies in Melbourne. He played 71 first-class matches, mostly for New South Wales, and finished with 177 first-class wickets at 31.13 in a short career that spanned from 1958 to 1964. Misson was a stellar athlete in his youth, training with legendary Australian athletics middle distance coach Percy Cerutty who famously coached Australia’s Herb Elliott to Olympic gold and a world record in the 1500m in Rome in 1960.

Misson carried that fitness and athletics background into his cricket career, bursting onto the scene to take six wickets as a 20-year-old for NSW on Sheffield Shield debut in the last match of the 1958-59 season. At the end of the 1959-60 Shield season Misson was selected in an Australian second XI that toured New Zealand and he took 17 wickets at 12.47. The following summer he made his Test debut against the West Indies in the second Test in Melbourne that followed the famous tied Test in Brisbane. Misson played two more Tests in the five-match series before being selected on the 1961 Ashes tour. Former Australian captain Ian Chappell wrote about Misson’s incredible fitness regime to prepare for the tour.

“The 1961 Australian team travelled to England by boat, but Misson was not to be denied his training regime,” Chappell wrote. “As he ran laps of the deck, some of the less physically minded players sitting in the bar saw Misson flash past the window. Perhaps embarrassed by Misson’s zealous workouts, they decided to complicate his exercise regime by placing deck chairs in his path. When Misson hurdled the first set of obstacles and did the same to yet another layer of chairs, the bar rats relented and left him to train in peace.” Misson played the first two Tests of the Ashes series but an Achilles injury caused him issues for the remainder of the tour and he did not play another Test match. Cricket NSW chief executive Lee Germon paid tribute to Misson following his passing. “We pass on our sincerest condolences to Frank’s family and friends, especially all of those that played with him as part of the NSW Men’s Team and the Australian Men’s Team,” Germon said. “Frank’s career was cut short by injury, which was ironic considering the focus he had on health, diet and fitness in an era where sports science was not very prevalent. “His five Test caps are recognition of his talent and determination and there is little doubt that if it wasn’t for injury he would have played many more times for his state and country.” Misson’s attitude towards cricket fitness would have a lasting legacy on Australian cricket with his son David Misson becoming the fitness advisor for the Australia men’s team between 1998 and 2000 as well as with Cricket New South Wales in the early 2000s.