 It was a thankless job as even with the retirement of the great Don Bradman it was clear that Australia were the stronger team and would be hard to beat on their own ground.They had defeated Wally Hammond 3-0 in 1946-47 and Yardley 4-0 in 1948 and England had not won a Test against them in twelve years.There were two managers of equal rank; Brigadier Michael Green, a career Army officer who had played for Gloucester and Essex and was the Secretary of Worcestershire County Cricket Club, was in charge of the social calendar and public relations, and John Nash, Secretary of Yorkshire County Cricket Club since 1931, controlled the finances.