Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. to hit, usu. in cricket.

1903		Adelaide Obs. 11 July 16/4: ‘Tis merely childishness supreme / To think you can evolve a scheme / To suddenly become a dem / on bowler. / (When ‘tonked’ for oft-repeated ‘four,’ / That scheme you’re certain to deplore.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. 215: tonk Down Under from 1920s it meant to get the cane, which is closest to the original, mostly Midland, dialect tank, to strike.
2009		Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg) 22 Sept. 🌐 The Indian called Symonds a ‘monkey’. Game on! A massive hate-ball tonked straight up in the air.

2. in fig. use, to defeat, to overcome; thus tonking n.

1912		Sat. Referee (Sydney) 12 Oct. 4/6: Similarly the fact of having beaten an opponent can be described as having [...] ‘tonked him,’ ‘settled him,’ ‘smote him’ [etc].
1926		cited in Partridge DSUE (1984).
1941		Baker Popular Dict. Aus. Sl.
1999		Guardian Rev. 24 July 4: The 7–0 tonking that [...] Stoke City suffered at the hands of Birmingham City.
2003		Guardian 26 Feb. 🌐 I decided to have a cup of tea and watch England get tonked by India in the cricket instead.

3. to punish.

1941

Baker Popular Dict. Aus. Sl.

4. to run.

1967

E. Shepard Doom Pussy 226: Tonking stark naked through the hotel corridor.