S. B. Joel's XI cricket team in South Africa in 1924–25

Last updated

S. B. Joel's XI cricket team in South Africa in 1924–25 was a team of English cricketers which toured South Africa between November 1924 and February 1925 and played 14 first-class cricket matches and seven other games. [1] The tour was an unofficial one: an official tour of Australia organised by the Marylebone Cricket Club took place at the same time.

England Country in north-west Europe, part of the United Kingdom

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to the west and Scotland to the north-northwest. The Irish Sea lies west of England and the Celtic Sea lies to the southwest. England is separated from continental Europe by the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south. The country covers five-eighths of the island of Great Britain, which lies in the North Atlantic, and includes over 100 smaller islands, such as the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight.

South Africa Republic in the southernmost part of Africa

South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by 2,798 kilometres (1,739 mi) of coastline of Southern Africa stretching along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countries of Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe; and to the east and northeast by Mozambique and Eswatini (Swaziland); and it surrounds the enclaved country of Lesotho. South Africa is the largest country in Southern Africa and the 25th-largest country in the world by land area and, with over 57 million people, is the world's 24th-most populous nation. It is the southernmost country on the mainland of the Old World or the Eastern Hemisphere. About 80 percent of South Africans are of Sub-Saharan African ancestry, divided among a variety of ethnic groups speaking different African languages, nine of which have official status. The remaining population consists of Africa's largest communities of European (White), Asian (Indian), and multiracial (Coloured) ancestry.

First-class cricket is an official classification of the highest-standard international or domestic matches in the sport of cricket. A first-class match is of three or more days' scheduled duration between two sides of eleven players each and is officially adjudged to be worthy of the status by virtue of the standard of the competing teams. Matches must allow for the teams to play two innings each although, in practice, a team might play only one innings or none at all.

Contents

The tour was financed by the South African cricket authorities with assistance from the wealthy Anglo-South African financier, Solomon Joel; at the time, it was generally referred to as "the Hon. L. H. Tennyson's XI" after the team captain, Lionel Tennyson. [1]

Solomon Joel British businessman

Solomon Barnato "Solly" Joel, born in London, England, moved to South Africa in the 1880s where he made his fortune in connection with diamonds, later becoming a financier with interests in mining, brewing and railways.

Lionel Tennyson, 3rd Baron Tennyson English cricketer

Lionel Hallam Tennyson, 3rd Baron Tennyson was known principally as a first-class cricketer who captained Hampshire and England. The grandson of the poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson, he succeeded his father to the title in 1928, having been known before that as "The Hon Lionel Tennyson". He should not be confused with his uncle, after whom he was named, who was also "The Hon Lionel Tennyson".

The team

William Ewart Astill was, along with George Geary, the mainstay of the Leicestershire team from 1922 to about 1935. He played in nine Test matches but was never picked for a home Test or for an Ashes tour. However, for the best part of three decades he was a vital member of a generally struggling Leicestershire team. With no amateur able to play frequently for the county, Astill became the first officially appointed professional captain of any county for over fifty years in 1935. The county enjoyed a useful season, but at forty-seven years of age, Astill was only a stop gap before an amateur of the required standard and availability could be found. He was a nephew of Leicestershire fast bowler Thomas Jayes.

Commander Edward Leslie Dayrell Bartley was an English first-class cricketer. He was a left-handed batsman who played primarily as a wicketkeeper.

Ted Bowley cricketer

Edward Henry Bowley was an English first-class cricketer who played for Sussex and England.

Most of the players had Test cricket experience before or after the tour: only Bartley, Jameson and Nicholas did not play Test cricket. Astill, who was coaching in South Africa, was not in the touring team but played in two of the matches against South Africa.

Test cricket the longest form of the sport of cricket; so called due to its long, grueling nature

Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket and is considered its highest standard. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined and conferred by the International Cricket Council (ICC). The two teams of 11 players each play a four-innings match, which may last up to five days. It is generally considered the most complete examination of teams' playing ability and endurance. The name Test stems from the long, gruelling match being both mentally and physically testing.

The tour

The 14 first-class matches (some of them scheduled for only two days) were as follows:

Newlands Cricket Ground

Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town is a South African cricket ground. It is the home of the Cape Cobras, who play in the Sunfoil Series, Momentum 1 Day Cup and RamSlam Pro20 competitions. It is also a venue for Test matches, ODIs and T20Is. Newlands is regarded as one of the most beautiful cricket grounds in the world, being overlooked by Table Mountain and Devil's Peak. It is close to Newlands Stadium, which is a rugby union and football venue. The cricket ground opened in 1888.

Cape Town Capital city of the Western Cape province and legislative capital of South Africa

Cape Town is the oldest city in South Africa, colloquially named the Mother City. It is the legislative capital of South Africa and primate city of the Western Cape province. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality.

City Oval multi-purpose stadium in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

City Oval, is a multi-purpose stadium in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. The 12,000 capacity stadium is currently used predominantly for cricket matches, with the ground being used by KwaZulu-Natal Inland men's and women's teams, KwaZulu-Natal and Dolphins, and hosted two matches during the 2003 Cricket World Cup. It is one of only three first-class cricket grounds in the world to have a tree within the boundary ropes (the others being St Lawrence Ground in Canterbury, United Kingdom and VRA Cricket Ground in Amstelveen, Netherlands), and any cricketer that scores a century or takes a five-wicket haul in a match at the City Oval gets to plant a tree at the ground. The City Oval Pavilion is based on the design of Queen's Park cricket ground in Chesterfield, United Kingdom.

Pietermaritzburg Place in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second-largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838 and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its Zulu name umGungundlovu is the name used for the district municipality. Pietermaritzburg is popularly called Maritzburg in English and Zulu alike, and often informally abbreviated to PMB. It is a regionally important industrial hub, producing aluminium, timber and dairy products, as well as the main economic hub of Umgungundlovu District Municipality. The public sector is a major employer in the city due to the local, district and provincial governments being located here. It is home to many schools and tertiary education institutions, including a campus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal. It had a population of 228,549 in 1991; the current population is estimated at over 600,000 residents and has one of the largest populations of Indian South Africans in South Africa.

The South African captain, Vivian Neser, was the top scorer on either side, with 80 in the first innings. Buster Nupen took 5 for 54 and 5 for 33 for South Africa. [2]

Ted Bowley scored 118 and Nupen took 5 for 65 in S. B. Joel's XI's first innings; Herbie Taylor scored 112 and Ewart Astill took 5 for 65 in South Africa's. Nupen also took 7 for 46 in the second innings; Alec Kennedy took 5 for 51 for S. B. Joel's XI. Nupen took 22 wickets for 198 in the first two matches. [3]

George Geary took 6 for 37 and 4 for 42. Alf Hall took 6 for 62 in S. B. Joel's XI's first innings. The highest scorer on either side was Jack Russell, with 54 in S. B. Joel's XI's first innings. [4]

There was no play on the final day, when South Africa were chasing a target of 211 to square the series. Nupen took 3 for 73 and 5 for 51. The highest scorer on either side was Jack Russell, with 80 in S. B. Joel's XI's first innings. [5]

The highest scorer on either side was Bob Catterall, with 86 in South Africa's second innings. For South Africa, Hall took eight wickets, Nupen seven; for S. B. Joel's XI, Geary took eight wickets, Kennedy seven. The series ended 2–2. [6]

Leading players

The series was dominated by four bowlers. For South Africa, Nupen took 37 wickets despite missing the third match, and Hall took 27. For S. B. Joel's XI, Geary took 32 wickets, and Kennedy 21. The only two centuries were scored in the second match.

Related Research Articles

This article describes the history of South African cricket from the aftermath of the First World War in 1919 to the end of the Second World War in 1945.

Herbie Taylor South African cricketer

Herbert Wilfred Taylor MC was a South African cricketer who played 42 Tests for his country including 18 as captain of the side. Specifically a batsman, he was an expert on the matting pitches which were prevalent in South Africa at the time and scored six of his seven centuries at home. His batting was also noted for quick footwork and exceptional 'backplay'. He became the first South African to pass 2,500 Test runs and was selected one of Wisden's Cricketers of the Year in 1925. In domestic cricket, he played for Natal, Transvaal and Western Province.

Dalton Conyngham South African cricketer

Dalton Parry "Conky" Conyngham was a South African cricketer who played in one Test match in 1923. He was born and also died in Durban, Natal.

Dave Nourse South African cricketer

Arthur William "Dave" Nourse, was a cricketer who played for Natal, Transvaal, Western Province and South Africa.

Jimmy Blanckenberg South African cricketer

James Manuel Blanckenberg was a South African cricketer. A middle-order batsman and right-arm medium pace bowler, Blanckenberg’s first-class career spanned the years 1912 to 1924. In a period interrupted by the First World War, he played with Western Province except for his final domestic season, which was spent with Natal. For several years he was considered the best bowler in South Africa, a player that could bowl for hours on matting wickets if asked to do so. Twenty-one times during his career he took five wickets in an innings, his best being 9 for 78 gained at Johannesburg in the Currie Cup match between Transvaal and Western Province, January 1921. And three times he surpassed 10 wickets in a match – 11 for 161 in that same match at Johannesburg in January 1921, Transvaal v Western Province; 10 for 102 at Newlands, Cape Town in March 1921, Western Province v Natal; and 10 for 74 at Northampton on the South African tour of England in July 1924, Northants v South Africa. Two other bowling feats are worthy of note. In December 1923, in a Currie Cup match at Johannesburg between Griqualand West and Natal, Blanckenberg took 9 for 75. And in August 1924, in a tour match at Cardiff against Glamorgan, he took 8 for 97 in South Africa’s only innings on the field, all his victims being bowled.

Isaac Daniel "Izak" Buys (born 4 February 1895, death date 9 Oct 1946 in the Grootte Schuur Hospital, Cape Town was a South African cricketer.

Robert Hector "Bob" Catterall was a South African cricketer who played in 24 Tests from 1922 to 1931.

Alf Hall South African cricketer

Alfred Ewart Hall was a South African cricketer who played in seven Tests from 1923 to 1931.

Nummy Deane South African cricketer

Hubert Gouvaine "Nummy" Deane was a South African cricketer who played in 17 Tests from 1924 to 1931. All of his Tests were against England and he captained his country in 12 of them.

Stanley Keppel "Shunter" Coen was a South African cricketer who played in two Tests in 1927–28. He was born in Heilbron, Orange Free State, and died in Durban, Natal.

George Finlay Bissett was a South African cricketer who played in four Test matches in the 1927-28 season. He was born at Kimberley, Cape Province and died at Botha's Hill, Natal.

Australian Imperial Force Touring XI

When the First World War ended in November 1918, thousands of Australian servicemen were in Europe as members of the First Australian Imperial Force (AIF) and many remained until the spring of 1919. In England, a new first-class cricket season was planned, the first since 1914, and an idea that came to fruition was the formation of an Australian touring side made up of servicemen. Agreement was reached with the Australian Corps HQ in London, commanded by Field Marshal William Birdwood, 1st Baron Birdwood, and the Australian Imperial Force Touring XI was formed, initially under the captaincy of pre-war Test player Charlie Kelleway. Kelleway departed after only six matches following a dispute about the fixtures list. A players' meeting elected future Test player Herbie Collins as team captain for the remainder of the tour, despite the fact that Collins' military rank was lance corporal and there were seven officers in the party. The bulk of the team remained intact for nearly nine months from May 1919, playing 33 matches in Great Britain, ten in South Africa on their way home and then another three in Australia itself before disbanding in February 1920. Of the 46 matches, 39 are adjudged first-class and the team had only four defeats, all of these in England. The players lived on their army pay and all profits from gate money went to an AIF Sports Control Board.

The South African cricket team toured England in the 1924 season to play a five-match Test series against England.

The 1889–90 Currie Cup was the inaugural edition of the Currie Cup, the premier first-class cricket tournament in South Africa. The 1889–90 competition involved just two teams, Transvaal and Kimberley. The two sides played a single, three-day match, which was won by Transvaal by six wickets.

Sydney Austen Cowper was a South African-born cricketer whose six-match first-class career spanned from 1908 to 1924. He played once for Western Province in South African domestic cricket, twice for the Argentine national side, and finally three times for Rhodesia.

Vivian Herbert "Boet" Neser MC was a South African cricketer and lawyer who became a judge.

The Ceylon cricket team toured Pakistan in March and April 1950. Ceylon did not then have Test status, but two four-day unofficial Tests were played, Pakistan winning both by large margins. The tour also included three other first-class matches and a minor match.

William Dick Duff MC was a South African soldier and cricketer.

McGregor Edward Billing was a South African cricketer who played first-class cricket from 1920 to 1926.

Campbell Munro was a South African cricketer who played first-class cricket from 1922 to 1929.

References

  1. 1 2 "Hon. L. H. Tennyson's Team in South Africa". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack . Part II (1926 ed.). Wisden. pp. 627–649.
  2. ↑ "South Africa v S. B. Joel's XI 1924-25 (first match)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 2 January 2018. (Subscription required (help)).
  3. ↑ "South Africa v S. B. Joel's XI 1924-25 (second match)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 2 January 2018. (Subscription required (help)).
  4. ↑ "South Africa v S. B. Joel's XI 1924-25 (third match)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 2 January 2018. (Subscription required (help)).
  5. ↑ "South Africa v S. B. Joel's XI 1924-25 (fourth match)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 2 January 2018. (Subscription required (help)).
  6. ↑ "South Africa v S. B. Joel's XI 1924-25 (fifth match)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 2 January 2018. (Subscription required (help)).
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.