run partnership with Bill Ponsford in the first innings, Kippax impressed with a score of 42 from number seven. Wisden commented that the partnership "turned the fortunes of the game", and Australia went on to victory. Shock omission Another 585 runs at 83.57 in the 1925–26 season looked likely to win Kippax a place in the team to tour England in 1926. He failed in the Test-trial match staged in early December, but made the highest score of the Sheffield Shield competition, 271 not out (in 423 minutes) against Victoria at the SCG, which effectively steered NSW to the title. The subsequent omission of Kippax from the touring team is a famous blunder in Australian cricket history. Although Kippax was nearly 29, former Australian captain Monty Noble called the non-selection a "crime against the cricketing youth of Australia". His omission is usually attributed to "interstate parochialism" and was a "triumph of dullness over batting artistry." Australia surrendered the Ashes on the tour, with much of the blame for the loss directed at the team's skipper, Herbie Collins. After he returned to Australia, administrators relieved Collins of the captaincy of his grade team and NSW, thus creating an opportunity for Kippax. Captain of NSW Installed as leader of NSW, Kippax earned a reputation as one of Australia's leading batsmen over the next three years. His captaincy "welded with wit, kindness and some practical joking a raw team into a formidable unit, nurturing such youngsters as Archie Jackson, Stan McCabe and (Sir) Donald Bradman". He hit a century in each innings against Queensland in their inaugural Sheffield Shield match in 1926–27. The following season he registered the highest score of his career, 315 not out in 388 minutes versus Queensland at the SCG. Bradman wrote of this performance, "... although they say Victor Trumper was even more beautiful to watch, it is hard to conceive more graceful batting than our skipper produced on that occasion." Kippax ended the season with 926 runs at an average of 84.18. The Test selectors still had Kippax under consideration and during March 1928, he again toured New Zealand with an Australian second team, but failed to pass 40 in the seven innings he played. Restored to the Test team for the beginning of the 1928–29 Ashes series, Kippax made just 50 runs in four innings. Australia slipped to two heavy defeats and Kippax's place was not