He was out for a duck on his Test debut in England in 1899 before making amends on his second appearance with 135 at Lord's, the home of cricket.

And by the end of the series he was opening at the age of 21, having gone on tour primarily to provide administrative support to the management.

When he returned to England three years later he was imperious, scoring a hundred before lunch at Old Trafford on the opening day - Trumper at his best.

In the next series he was equally formidable, with an unbeaten 185 at Sydney before making 74 out of 122 on a treacherous pitch in Melbourne - an innings that gets lost in statistics.

He played with an ease and an elegance, but it was his modesty and generosity off the pitch that also won him plaudits.

When he died of Bright's Disease in 1915, all of Australia and the cricketing world beyond mourned the loss of a great.