English cricket team in South Africa in 1913–14

The English cricket team in South Africa in 1913–14 was organised by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). The team played as MCC in the non-Test fixtures and as England in the five Test matches. They played 18 first-class matches including the Tests, winning 9 times with 8 draws and 1 defeat.^[1]

England was captained by Johnny Douglas. South Africa's captain in the Test series was Herbie Taylor. The series is notable for the exceptional bowling of England's Sydney Barnes, and the determined batting of South Africa skipper Herbie Taylor. It would be the last Test series to be played until after World War I, when England toured Australia in December 1920.^[2]

Test series summary

England won the Test series 4–0 with one match drawn.

Match length: 4 days (excluding Sundays). Balls per over: 6.

First Test

13–17 December 1913
Scorecard

South Africa	v	England
182 (56.4 overs) HW Taylor 109 SF Barnes 5/57 (19.4 overs)		450 (144.4 overs) JWHT Douglas 119 AW Nourse 2/74 (29 overs)
111 (52.2 overs) AW Nourse 46 SF Barnes 5/48 (25 overs)

England won by an innings and 157 runs
Lord's, Durban
Umpires: AJ Atfield and FW Grey

South Africa won the toss and elected to bat.
16 December was taken as a rest day
PAM Hands, PT Lewis, AHC Cooper, GL Tapscott, HV Baumgartner, JM Blanckenberg and JL Cox (all SA), and Hon. LH Tennyson and MW Booth (both ENG) made their Test debuts.

Second Test

26–30 December 1913
Scorecard

South Africa	v	England
160 (62.5 overs) GPD Hartigan 51 SF Barnes 8/56 (26.5 overs)		403 (135 overs) W Rhodes 152 JM Blanckenberg 5/83 (38 overs)
231 (83.4 overs) AW Nourse 56 SF Barnes 9/103 (38.4 overs)

England won by an innings and 12 runs
Old Wanderers, Johannesburg
Umpires: AJ Atfield and FW Grey

South Africa won the toss and elected to bat.
28 December was taken as a rest day
C Newberry (SA) made his Test debut.

Third Test

1–5 January 1914
Scorecard

England	v	South Africa
238 (80.1 overs) JB Hobbs 92 HW Taylor 3/15 (10 overs)		151 (61.5 overs) JW Zulch 38 JW Hearne 5/49 (16 overs)
308 (93.3 overs) CP Mead 86 C Newberry 4/72 (22 overs)		304 (109.4 overs) JW Zulch 82 SF Barnes 5/102 (38 overs)

England won by 91 runs
Old Wanderers, Johannesburg
Umpires: AJ Atfield and FW Grey

England won the toss and elected to bat.
4 January was taken as a rest day
CD Dixon and LR Tuckett (both SA) made their Test debuts.

Fourth Test

14–18 February 1914
Scorecard

South Africa	v	England
170 (68.5 overs) PAM Hands 51 SF Barnes 7/56 (29.5 overs)		163 (75 overs) JB Hobbs 64 CP Carter 6/50 (28 overs)
305/9 d (102 overs) HW Taylor 93 SF Barnes 7/88 (32 overs)		154/5 (80 overs) JB Hobbs 97 JM Blanckenberg 3/43 (15 overs)

Match drawn
Lord's, Durban
Umpires: AJ Atfield and FW Grey

South Africa won the toss and elected to bat.
15 February was taken as a rest day.
D Taylor, FL le Roux and HW Chapman (all SA) made their Test debuts.

Fifth Test

27 February–3 March 1914
Scorecard

South Africa	v	England
193 (65.4 overs) PAM Hands 83 JWHT Douglas 4/14 (5.4 overs)		411 (144.3 overs) CP Mead 117 EB Lundie 4/101 (46.3 overs)
228 (95.1 overs) HW Taylor 87 MW Booth 4/49 (24 overs)		11/0 (2.1 overs) JB Hobbs 11*

England won by 10 wickets
St George's Park, Port Elizabeth
Umpires: FW Grey and DJ Smith

South Africa won the toss and elected to bat.
1 March was taken as a rest day
RHM Hands and EB Lundie (both SA) made their Test debuts.
After taking 49 wickets at an average of 10.93 in the first four Tests, SF Barnes declined to play due to a "difference of opinion" with the England team management.^[3]

References

^ Roy Webber, The Playfair Book of Cricket Records, Playfair Books, 1951
^ "Cricket's darkest day". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
^ Frindall, Bill (2000). The Wisden Book Of Test Cricket: Volume 1 1877-1970. London: Headline Book Publishing. p. 136. ISBN 0747272735.

External sources

Wisden Online 1915
England to South Africa 1913-14 at Test Cricket Tours

Annual reviews

Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 1915

v t e International cricket tours of South Africa
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See also: International cricket in South Africa from 1971 to 1981