Establishment
With Alec Bedser and the spinners doing most of the work against South Africa in 1951, Statham had to do very little in the Tests, but he only missed 100 first-class wickets due to injury and showed himself a formidable bowler on a pitch offering help. In India, his average was good, but the heat and humidity certainly seemed to take their toll upon his body and he did little in the Tests, with the result that he was not chosen for a Test match in 1952 even though he was gaining speed and straightness and was often extremely formidable despite conditions rarely favouring bowlers. In 1953, Statham was within a whisker of heading the first-class averages and bowled wonderfully on the most placid of pitches against Hampshire, but Bedser ensured he was not needed in the Ashes Tests. Statham and fellow fast-bowler Fred Trueman were on occasion, in 1953, called up to the Test squad, but with the England team maturing, the captain, Len Hutton did not feel comfortable playing two fast-bowlers, often preferring the more economical, slower bowling of Alec Bedser and Trevor Bailey. This meant that Statham and Trueman rarely bowled in tandem in this period.
It was against the West Indies in 1953/1954 that Statham's determination saw him gain a regular Test spot. Excellent performances on placid pitches made him the leading bowler on either side with 16 wickets for 28.60 each, and in 1954 he was deadly when cricket was possible against Pakistan (injury kept him out of England's shock loss at the Oval). Statham headed the first-class averages for the first of four occasions, though he only took 92 wickets due to appalling weather constantly interrupting cricket in Lancashire, and was made a Cricketer of the Year by the 1955 Wisden.
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