| Ground: | Raeburn Place, Edinburgh |
| Scorecard: | Scotland v South Africans |
| Event: | South Africa in British Isles 1904 |
Day 1:
The South Africans, who came north with a great reputation, had a big advantage at the close of play, for after getting rid of the Scotsmen for the moderate total of 128, they piled on the huge total of 257 for the loss of but one wicket.
There was no further change in the Scottish eleven, and the South Africans were well represented, though they lacked the services of their captain, F. Mitchell, the old Yorkshire player.
The attractive fixture and the fine weather brought out a capital crowd, and during the day there would be between 3000 and 4000 spectators present, and if unfortunately they saw a poor display by the Scotsmen, they got plenty of good cricket when the visitors went in to bat.
There was nothing particularly noteworthy about the Scottish innings, and with the exception of Sharp, the "tail" did better than the leaders, the first six wickets being down for 61. But the feature of the day's play was undoubtedly the grand innings of Tancred, who was at the wickets during the whole of the South Africans' innings, which, so far, has lasted three hours and thirty five minutes. He is a most effective player with a peculiar style, bringing his body well over his bat in meeting the ball; in fact, his chin is in very close proximity to the handle of the bat while the ball is being sent up.
Occasionally he let out and had a bang, but for the most part he played a safe, though never a slow game. His innings, however, was not a faultless one, but the two possible chances which he gave were very hard ones, and, notwithstanding the little luck he had, his display was a treat to look at, for no matter what changes were made in the attack, he was always completely at ease.
He has played but two innings in Edinburgh, and twice he has got well over the century, as he got 165 when the South Africans visited Edinburgh in 1901. He has exceeded the century twice previously during the tour, once in Ireland (148), where the matches do not count as first-class. His innings yesterday is the highest he has made during the tour.
When first in Edinburgh, in 1894, the South Africans won by nine wickets, and in 1901 they beat an East of Scotland eleven by an innings and 162 runs. And if they continue their innings today as they begun yesterday, and do not make a declaration soon, there is every probability that they will repeat the latter performance.
It was the fast bowling of Kotze which seemed to terrify the Scotsmen when they were at the wickets yesterday, and it was really dangerous at times how he made the ball bump, good though the wicket was which Tom Sellars had prepared.
Mr Cairns won the toss and decided to take the first of the good wicket, sending in Joe Anderson and W.R. Sharp to face the bowling of J.J. Kotze and J.H. Sinclair. From the start matters went badly with the Scottish side, for after Anderson had put Kotze's first delivery away for a couple, and had survived a confident appeal for a catch at the wicket off his second, he got a nasty rap on the fingers from the third, an injury which seemed to upset him a bit.
Eleven runs were collected off Sinclair's first over, and then the first of the Scottish reverses came, as at 16 Anderson was well beaten by Kotze. C.T. Mannes began with a single to mid off from Kotze, and then cut Sinclair deep into slips for a four. It was all he did, however, for in the same over he was out lbw, two for 21.
Sharp was playing confidently, his cutting being very crisp, and with W.G. Cobb as partner, he took the score to 48 before Cobb touched a rising ball from Kotze and was taken by Shalders in the slips. The half century went up in three-quarters of an hour, but one run later G.W. Jupp got in front of a straight one from Sinclair and had to retire without having opened his account.
A single and a cut to the boundary by Sharp were added to the score, and then the Scottish captain A.S. Cairns, was taken in slips by White off Kotze, also before he had scored. So far it had been a dismal procession, but when Henson, the Dunfermline professional, off drove Kotze for 4, the first to take that liberty, he was greeted with a round of cheers.
After defying the attack for sixty five minutes, Sharp had his off stump levelled by Kotze, the batsman being too late for the ball. In his 32 Sharp had four 4's, two 3's, and a couple of 2's, mainly got by clever cutting.
M. R. Dickson began well by putting Sinclair away to leg for 4, then he had an escape through slipping in playing forward, but managed to keep his foot within the crease, and next he survived an appeal for lbw. Sixteen runs were added for the seventh wicket, Henson being held at point by Tancred, when the score was 87. Lunch was then taken.
On resuming after the interval, Dickson was joined by Pepall, and between them they put up the century after the innings had lasted eighty five minutes. At 106 Dickson, off a bad stroke, was taken by Tancred running in from point, while without addition T. Gowans put up a soft catch to Halliwell at cover point.
The last wicket was soon in danger through the batsmen going in for snatching short runs, but they quickly settled down, and eventually brought on the first change in the bowling, Schwarz taking the ball from Sinclair at 127.
It was a profitable change, as after Pepall had got a single off the new bowler, Nicol was beaten with a fine ball, the innings closing at 128 after lasting just over two hours. It was a bigger total than at one time seemed likely.
Shalders and Tancred opened the South African innings at 3.35 against the bowling of Henson and Nicol. The batsmen at once began to get runs steadily, being especially severe on Nicol, Shalders twice cutting him hard to the boundary and getting him to leg for a 4, all run in one over.
The batsmen continuing to hit with freedom, Tancred driving one from Henson grandly over the ropes to the on. 50 runs were put on in half an hour, and 2 runs later the Scottish captain tried a change in the attack, Pepall going on for Nicol. The rate of scoring slowed down a little, and the total when the tea interval arrived was 77 without loss.
On resuming, the scoring continued slow, Pepall keeping a fine length, and most of the runs which were got came off Henson. Jupp made a grand attempt to take a catch in slips from Tancred, but though he stopped the ball he could not hold it, despite the fact that he made three desperate attempts to do so.
The first hour of the innings realised 91 runs, at which figure Jupp took the ball from Henson. The change was of no avail, however, as the batsmen continued to hold the upper hand, and the 100 went up in seventy minutes from the start. Another ten minutes sufficed to see the Scottish first innings total passed, and then Tancred gave Joe Anderson a very hard chance at mid-off when 64.
At 132 Shalders, in trying to put Jupp to leg was all at fault and beaten while Hathorn was missed by Anderson from a wretchedly skied stroke to mid-off before he had scored.
With the score 160 Henson went on at the farm end in place of Pepall, and Tancred signalised the change by completing his hundred with a drive to the ropes for 3, after being in for an hour and fifty minutes. Numerous changes were made in the attack thereafter, but though the rate of scoring slackened at times, the batsmen were never in trouble with the attack, and the scoring was never slow. In fact, it got very brisk towards the close.
The second hundred went up after two hours and five minutes play, and just before that Cairns had taken his first turn with the ball. But he was only on three overs, and among the other changes in the attack, Cobb was tried, but without effect, immediately before the drawing of stumps.
He only sent down one over, and, when the finish of the day's play arrived, Tancred and Hathorn were still in partnership, and the total was 257 for one wicket. Some good fielding had been seen on the Scottish side, and some indifferent, those who had done best being Mannes, Cobb, and Sharp. The Drumpellier representative was repeatedly cheered for the fine way he stopped hard cut balls.
Day 2:
Kotze as a bowler is undoubtedly a terror on a hard wicket, but the Scots had not the excuse yesterday in their second innings that they had to face him, for neither he nor Sinclair, who had done the havoc on the first day, was required to bowl, and good trundlers though White, Schwarz, and Snooke are, there is nothing terrifying about their styles or deliveries to account for the Scottish collapse yesterday.
It was, indeed a collapse, for if M.R. Dickson's contribution of 69 and the 18 extras are deducted from the total of 148, only 61 runs are left to be distributed among the other ten players, and 30 of these were made by W.R. Sharp and A.S. Cairns.
Dickson's plucky play, at a most critical stage in the game, was the only redeeming feature in the innings, and with 25 in the fist and 69 in the second innings, he was unquestionably the success of the game from a Scottish point of view, and his excellent play stood out all the more conspicuously because of the failure of his colleagues.
Most of the others lost their wickets very simply, but from the start of his innings Dickson played the bowling with resolution and confidence. His cricket was always sound, and was almost without fault, for the fielder never got near the ball on the single occasion that he gave a possible chance.
The Scotsmen, as a whole, it must once more be confessed, gave a poor account of themselves, and it is more pleasant to turn to the doing of the South Africans, who, if they came to Scotland with a great name, and as one of the best combinations of cricketers who have visited this country, certainly did not tarnish their reputation in the slightest degree.
They increased their total yesterday from 257 for one wicket to 464 for six, when, in order to get the game finished in two days, they applied the closure. That total has only been excelled once during the tour, namely against Dublin University eleven, and Tancred's 250 is by far the highest individual score that any of the party have made.
Neither the grand total nor Tancred's magnificent contribution, however, beat the record for Edinburgh, but very few finer batting displays have been given than that by the South Africans "crack" bat. He scored much more quickly yesterday than on Monday, getting his 93 in seventy minutes time.
The weather yesterday was again fine, though hardly so warm as on the preceding day, and there was an attendance of about 2000 to see the play.
The pitch was still in fine order when at ten minutes past twelve the not-outs, Tancred (157) and Hathorn (34), resumed the South African innings, which overnight had realised 257 for the loss of but one wicket. At the start the bowling was in the hands of Pepall and Jupp.
Runs came apace, Hathorn cutting Jupp prettily to the ropes in the first over. Clever fielding by Mannes at point was recognised by the spectators, the Drumpellier player stopping several hot balls. At 296 Mr Cairns tried Henson for Jupp, but the change was of no avail, both batsmen playing dashing cricket.
Three hours and ten minutes from the start of the innings Tancred reached 200. Further changes were tried in the attack, Nicol going on for Pepall at 330, and Cobb for Henson at 366.
The latter change had the desired effect, as after a couple of singles had been scored off the Edinburgh University man's slows, Hathorn jumped at one and missed, and Maxwell flipped off the bails. The partnership had added no fewer than 236 runs to the score, Hathorn's contribution being a grandly put together 81. His principal hits were eight 4's, five 3's, and six 2's.
After this, Cobb's slows were severely punished, Horwood driving him grandly over the ropes into the members enclosure for 6. Twenty five minutes from the start yesterday the fourth hundred was sent up, and just after, when Tancred's score was 244, Cairns failed to hold a hard chance from him at mid-off.
Runs still coming quickly, Cairns went on for Nicol, but this notwithstanding, the fist hours play realised 163 runs. When the score was 427 Horwood drove one from Cobb to short of the boundary, but Henson misjudged the catch. The batsman did not, however, profit by his let-off, as the next delivery he failed to get hold of the ball, and was held by Mannes at point.
A couple of runs later Tancred's fine performance was brought to an end. Anderson at mid-on was given an easy chance off the Scottish captain's bowling, but he made a mess of it. Like Horwood, Tancred immediately after gave a second chance, and this time Anderson made sure of it. The retiring batsman's 250 was a grand performance, even though it was marred by at least three chances. In it he hit no fewer than thirty six 4's, twelve 3's, and thirteen 2's.
Sinclair had only scored a dozen when he gave Maxwell a chance of stumping him when he jumped out to a tempting one from Cobb and missed it, but this time the Carlton wicket keeper failed to gather the ball at the first attempt.
Before the lunch interval arrived Cairns got his second and third victims, shifting the stumps of White at 449 and of Sinclair when the score was 464. During the interval the South African captain declared his innings closed, and the Scottish eleven were left with 338 runs to save the innings defeat, a rather hopeless position.
Bad as was the start of the Scottish innings on the first day, it was even worse on the second, as before a run had been scored, Joe Anderson was beaten by White, who, with Schwarz had charge of the attack.
Mannes filled the vacancy, but after cutting White nicely for 3, and getting Schwarz with a like stroke to the boundary, he was beaten by the last named bowler. The display of the Scottish batsmen continued to be of the feeblest nature, Cobb being the next to go, with the score only 20.
Fifty was reached before further disaster befell the Scots, but a couple of runs later Sharp was beaten by Schwarz. Dickson by this time was beginning to hit with some freedom, but Jupp was never at home, and when he had added 3 to the score he was easily beaten by Schwarz.
A double change was now tried in the attack, Tancred for Schwarz and Shalders for White. Dickson was playing confidently, bringing on Snooke at 96, and after Cairns had taken a single off the new bowler, Dickson drove him grandly to the ropes twice in succession, putting up the hundred and his own fifty at the same time.
After the wicket had put on 59, the score being 119, White again took the ball, and off his second delivery he got rid of Cairns, who reached out, missed, and was stumped. Without addition, Henson skied a ball to short square leg, and was easily taken by the wicket keeper.
The first innings score was passed when Dickson put Snooke finely away to leg for 4, but 8 runs later the Grange amateur was snapped at the wicket by Wallach. His 69 was a really good performance, his hitting all round the wicket being of the freest order. In his score he hit twelve 4's, three 3's, and three 2's.
Maxwell was allowed to bat in place of Gowans, who was unable to play yesterday, and opened with a fine stroke to the boundary, but next over Nicol struck a ball into slips, and was taken by Tancred, the innings thus closing for 148, twenty runs more than the first innings had realised, and leaving the South Africans victors by an innings and 188 runs.
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