Otto Nothling

Dr Otto Ernest Nothling (1 August 1900 – 26 September 1965) was a rugby union player who represented Australia, as well as an Australian cricketer who played in one Test in 1928. He is one of only two Australian rugby and cricket dual internationals, the other being Johnny Taylor.

Otto Nothling
Birth nameOtto Ernst Nothling[1]
Date of birth(1900-08-01)1 August 1900
Place of birthTeutoberg, Queensland, Australia
Date of death26 September 1965(1965-09-26) (aged 65)
Place of deathChelmer, Queensland
UniversityUniversity of Sydney[2]
Rugby union career
Position(s) fullback[1]
National team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
1921–24 Wallabies 19 (36[1])
Cricket information
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm fast-medium
International information
National side
Only Test (cap 127)14 December 1928 v England
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1922-23 to 1924-25New South Wales
1927-28 to 1929-30Queensland
Career statistics
Competition Tests First-class
Matches 1 21
Runs scored 52 882
Batting average 26.00 24.50
100s/50s 0/0 1/6
Top score 44 121
Balls bowled 276 3810
Wickets 0 36
Bowling average – 41.05
5 wickets in innings – 2
10 wickets in match – 0
Best bowling – 5/39
Catches/stumpings 0/– 15/–
Source: cricinfo, 10 October 2019

Early life and education

Otto Nothling was born of German immigrant parents in Teutoberg, Queensland, an area settled by German immigrants. He won a scholarship to Brisbane Grammar School, and went on to the University of Sydney, where he studied Medicine.[3] At the time there was no medical school in Queensland.[4]

He was a champion athlete at school and university, excelling at running distances between 100 and 440 yards, as well as shot put and javelin. He set a New South Wales record at his first javelin event.[4]

Rugby union career

Nothling, a fullback, claimed a total of 19 international rugby caps for Australia, playing against New Zealand, Maoris and South Africa.[4] He retired from rugby when he graduated from university.[5] At the time of his death he was vice-president of the Queensland Rugby Union.[3]

Cricket career

Nothling was a right-arm fast-medium bowler and hard-hitting middle-order batsman. He played for New South Wales while studying in Sydney, then for Queensland from the 1927–28 season.[3] He took five wickets – all of leading batsmen – when Queensland played the touring MCC in November 1928.[6] A few weeks later he was selected for the Second Test. He opened the bowling but took no wickets, and made 44 in the second innings, adding 101 for the fifth wicket with Jack Ryder.[7]

His best first-class score was 121, scored in 145 minutes, for Queensland against New South Wales shortly after his Test appearance in 1928–29.[8][9] His best bowling figures were 5 for 39 against New South Wales in 1927–28 in the second innings, when Queensland almost won the drawn match after being made to follow on.[10] In a club match for Maryborough against Gayndah in December 1929 he took 10 for 16 in the first innings.[11]

Later life

After graduating as a doctor, Nothling briefly practised medicine in Dubbo in western New South Wales before returning to Queensland.[4] He moved to Maryborough, Queensland, in 1929, and retired from major sport, although he continued to play cricket locally.[3] He served in World War II as a medical officer, with the rank of major, in Egypt and Greece from 1940 until 1943, when he was invalided out.[12][5]

He later became a dermatologist, practising in Brisbane.[5] At the time of his death he was President of the Queensland Cricket Association.[3]

References
  1. "Scrum.com player profile of Otto Nothling". Scrum.com. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
  2. "St Andrew's College Wallabies". Planet Rugby. Archived from the original on 10 September 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
  3. The Oxford Companion to Australian Cricket, Oxford, Melbourne, 1996, pp. 393–94.
  4. "Otto E. Nothling, Queensland's Test Cricketer, is Adept in Many Sports". Sporting Globe: 3. 24 December 1928.
  5. Roebuck, Peter. "The day Otto kicked Bradman out of a Test team". www.peterroebuck.com. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  6. "Queensland v MCC 1928-29". Cricinfo. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  7. "2nd Test, England tour of Australia at Sydney, Dec 14-20 1928". Cricinfo. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  8. "New South Wales v Queensland 1928-29". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  9. "Sheffield Shield". Cairns Post: 4. 4 January 1929.
  10. "New South Wales v Queensland 1927-28". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  11. "Medico Cricketer". Lithgow Mercury: 1. 9 December 1929.
  12. "World War Two Service". Department of Veterans' Affairs. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
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