dedication", stating that "class always tells". When Hassett realised that Johnston was atop the batting averages, he told Johnston to tell the opposing captain of this fact and ask them to refrain from dismissing him. In the last match against T. N. Pearce's XI at Scarborough, English Test paceman Alec Bedser bowled wide of the stumps and advised Johnston not to do anything that would lose him his wicket. In 1954–55 he made 39 for the last wicket with Neil Harvey as they chased 78 for victory before he edged Frank Tyson to the wicket-keeper Godfrey Evans. "Bill Johnston did his bit for his team with true Aussie grit. His speciality stroke was a right-handed, one-handed, back-handed, glancing scoop off the line of his bum – cricket's equivalent of tennis' back-handed retrieve. It bought him a dozen runs – plus a considerable amount of pain when he failed to make contact and the ball clipped his maximus gluteus!" – Frank Tyson, In the Eye of the Typhoon. Life after cricket Johnston had a varied career after cricket, holding a variety of jobs. These included acting as a sales representative for Dunlop sports goods and shoes, a publican and an apartment building manager. In his later working career, he ran a post office on the Gold Coast of Queensland after he and his wife moved there. Outside cricket, Johnston also played baseball to a high standard. He won the world's junior championship for throwing a distance of , and he broke the national baseball long-distance record with a throw in September 1945. He was married to Judy and they had two sons, David and Peter. David played 10 matches for South Australia at first-class level; He later became an administrator and was the Chief Executive of the Tasmanian Cricket Association at the time of his father's death. After the death of his wife in 2004, Johnston moved from the Gold Coast to a Sydney nursing home to be close to his son Peter. He died peacefully there on 25 May 2007. Apart from his two sons and their families he is survived by a younger brother, Bruce. Test match performance Key: *–not out Notes References External links Obituary, The Daily Telegraph, 27 May 2007 1922 births 2007 deaths Australia Test cricketers Victoria cricketers Wisden Cricketers of the Year Cricketers from Victoria (Australia) Richmond cricketers The Invincibles (cricket) Royal Australian Air Force