English cricket team in South Africa in 1938–39

The England cricket team toured South Africa from 8 November 1938 to 14 March 1939, playing five Test matches against the South Africa national team and (as the Marylebone Cricket Club) 13 tour matches against various provincial sides. England won the third Test by an innings and 13 runs, but the other four Tests finished as draws, including the final timeless Test, which was played over the course of 10 days (not including two rest days). The final Test was declared a draw as the England team had to leave to ensure they caught the boat home from Cape Town.[1]

England in South Africa in 1938–39
 
  England South Africa
Dates 8 November 1938 – 14 March 1939
Captains Wally Hammond Alan Melville
Test series
Result England won the 5-match series 1–0
Most runs Eddie Paynter (653) Bruce Mitchell (466)
Most wickets Hedley Verity (19) Norman Gordon (20)

Test series

1st Test
24–28 December 1938
Scorecard
v
422 (113.4 overs)
E Paynter 117
N Gordon 5/103 (33.4 overs)
390 (135.1 overs)
EL Dalton 102
H Verity 4/61 (44.1 overs)
291/5d (61.5 overs)
PA Gibb 106
EL Dalton 2/29 (6.5 overs)
108/1 (51 overs)
B Mitchell 48*
WR Hammond 1/13 (6 overs)
Match drawn
Old Wanderers, Johannesburg
Umpires: RGA Ashman (SA) and GL Sickler (SA)

The South African innings of 390 featured an unbalanced scorecard - there were five half-centuries, a single-figure score and five players failed to score.[2]

2nd Test
31 December 1938 – 4 January 1939
Scorecard
v
559/9d (130.7 overs)
WR Hammond 181
N Gordon 5/157 (40 overs)
286 (118.6 overs)
AD Nourse 120
H Verity 5/70 (36.6 overs)
201/2 (53 overs; f/o)
EAB Rowan 89*
K Farnes 1/23 (8 overs)
Match drawn
Newlands, Cape Town
Umpires: RGA Ashman (SA) and GL Sickler (SA)
  • England won the toss and elected to bat.
  • 1 January was taken as a rest day.

3rd Test
20–23 January 1939
Scorecard
v
469/4d (88.5 overs)
E Paynter 243
N Gordon 2/127 (29 overs)
103 (45.5 overs)
B Mitchell 30
K Farnes 4/29 (13 overs)
353 (114.2 overs)
B Mitchell 109
H Verity 3/71 (35 overs)
England won by an innings and 13 runs
Kingsmead, Durban
Umpires: RGA Ashman (SA) and GL Sickler (SA)
  • England won the toss and elected to bat.
  • 22 January was taken as a rest day

4th Test
18–22 February 1939
Scorecard
v
215 (64.2 overs)
L Hutton 92
ACB Langton 5/58 (19.2 overs)
349/8d (101.5 overs)
EAB Rowan 85
H Verity 3/127 (37.5 overs)
203/4 (60 overs)
WR Hammond 61*
N Gordon 3/58 (22 overs)
Match drawn
Old Wanderers, Johannesburg
Umpires: RGA Ashman (SA) and GL Sickler (SA)
  • England won the toss and elected to bat.
  • No play was possible on day 3.
  • RE Grieveson (SA) made his Test debut.
  • 19 February was taken as a rest day.

5th Test
3–14 March 1939
(Timeless Test)
Scorecard
v
530 (202.6 overs)
PGV van der Bijl 125
RTD Perks 5/100 (41 overs)
316 (117.6 overs)
LEG Ames 84
EL Dalton 4/59 (13 overs)
481 (142.1 overs)
A Melville 103
K Farnes 4/74 (22.1 overs)
654/5 (218.2 overs)
WJ Edrich 219
EL Dalton 2/100 (27 overs)
Match drawn (by agreement)
Kingsmead, Durban
Umpires: RGA Ashman (SA) and GL Sickler (SA)
  • South Africa won the toss and elected to bat.
  • No play was possible on day 8.
  • RTD Perks (Eng) made his Test debut.
  • 5 March and 12 March were taken as rest days.

Tour matches

References
  1. "Stalemate in the Timeless Test". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  2. Walmsley, Keith (2003). Mosts Without in Test Cricket. Reading, England: Keith Walmsley. p. 357. ISBN 0947540067.

Further reading
  • John Lazenby, Edging Towards Darkness: The Story of the Last Timeless Test, Bloomsbury, London, 2017
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