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Tour of South Africa 1905-06 Captain : Pelham
Warner
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(M.C.C. tour)
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England’s
eighteenth Test tour.
(November 1905 -
April 1906 )
Fifth Test-playing tour
of South Africa by an English side
(previous tour 1898-99)
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M.C.C., being entirely satisfied with P F Warner's leadership
in Australia in 1903-04, appointed him to captain its first tour of South
Africa. However, letters uncovered by Roger Mann show that the M.C.C.
Committee had, firstly, invited J R Mason on 3 July to lead the side
instead.
In 'Long Innings' Warner
wrote : "Our programme was a
heavy one. Between December 2 and April 2 we played twenty-six matches,
which meant sixty-six days' cricket and travelled 6348 miles by railway, in
addition to a sea voyage between Durban and East London. No fewer than
twenty-two nights were spent in the train."
For the first time in five visits South
Africa bettered an English side in the Test matches, winning by the
comfortable margin of 4-1, owing to the batsmen's inability to play the
spinning ball on matting pitches. The side was not representative of the
full strength of English cricket but such a margin pointed to the
improvement in standards that had taken place in South Africa. Afterwards
the 1907 tour of England by Sherwell's South
Africans became deservedly a full Test tour.
For England the first match was a long
battle to defend a target of 284 which South Africa reached with one wicket
in hand, giving their batsmen confidence for the next two Test matches. At
the same time a lack of form on the part of the touring batsmen gave a
fillip to South African and a pause to English cricket .
Only Blythe’s heroic bowling performance in Cape Town brought the
compensation of one victory
All the fixtures were played on matting
pitches and turf wickets did not become the norm in South Africa until 1926
England were,
as was then customary, weakened by unavailability. Moreover the tour was
beset by problems of illness: Board, Hayes and Wynyard all went down sick
and Lees's cricket was affected by his illness
from the previous autumn.
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All England tours
Previous Test tour
Australia 1903-04(M.C.C.)
Next Test tour
Australia 1907-08
Next tour of South Africa
1909-10
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Members of the
Test tour party (14)
Opening batsmen: Pelham Warner, Teddy Wynyard
Middle-order batsmen David Denton,
Francis Fane, Ted Hayes, Henry Leveson-Gower,
Leonard Moon
Wicket-keeper: Jack Board
All-rounder: Jack Crawford
Slow bowlers: Colin
Blythe, Jock Hartley, Albert Relf
Fast bowlers: Schofield Haigh, Walter Lees
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Blythe,
C added
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Kt
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26
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SLA
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Board, J H
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Gs
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38
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RHB WK
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Mr J N
Crawford
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Sy
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19
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RHB opener RM
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E G Dennett
w/d
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Gs
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26
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SLA
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Denton, D
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Yo
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31
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RHB
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Mr F L
Fane
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Ex
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30
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RHB vice-captain
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Haigh, S
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Yo
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34
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RFM
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Col J C Hartley
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(Sx)
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34
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LB
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Hayes, E G
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Sy
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29
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RHB (LB)
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Lees, W S
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Sy
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30
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RFM
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Mr H D
G Leveson-Gower
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Sy
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32
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RHB
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Mr L
J Moon
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Mx
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27
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RHB second WK
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Relf, A E
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Sx
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31
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RHB OB/ RM
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Mr P F
Warner
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Mx
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32
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RHB opener captain
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Major E G
Wynyard
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Ha
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44
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RHB opener
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County representation:
Ex - Essex (1)
Gs - Gloucestershire (1)
Ha - Hampshire (1)
Kt - Kent (1)
Mx - Middlesex (2)
Sy - Surrey (4)
Sx - Sussex (2)
Y - Yorkshire (2)
Hartley had not played for Sussex since 1898.
Average age of
team at time of first Test match
(11 December
1905)
31 years 6 months.
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Test Appearances
made before the tour
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Warner 7, Blythe 6, Haigh 4,
Board 2, Relf
2, Denton 1, Wynyard 1, Crawford 0, Fane 0,
Hartley 0, Hayes 0, Lees 0,
Leveson-Gower 0, Moon 0.
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Tour Officials
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Mr Ivor D Difford
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Manager
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Selectors
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Selection
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By mid-September arrangements for the tour were still not made.
Unavailable : Lord Hawke and Jack
Mason both declined to captain the side.
Sydney Barnes (Staffs); George Thompson (Northants);
Henry Martyn (Somerset WK) were
not available.
Withdrawal: George Dennett. Gloucestershire withdrew Dennett from the
team on 21 September as it was felt that the strain might impair his
performances in 1906. Colin Blythe
was asked to take his place in the tour party. Dennett was the second
highest wicket-taker in first-class cricket never to play in a Test match.
Tour party announced : on 1905.
Some
dissatisfaction about the strength of the team was expressed on the part of
the South African press. Bosanquet, Hayward and Quaife, for example, from the previous touring side to
Australia would have been welcome
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Time between selection and departure from England
days
(late-September - 11 November)
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Travel
Southampton T Cape Town
‘Kinfauns Castle’
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The team
assembled at Waterloo Station on 11 November and caught the 11.30 train
down to Southampton Docks, except EG Wynyard who had made his own way there
earlier. They sailed that day from Southampton on the 'Kinfauns Castle'.
After a
rough passage the ship arrived at Cape Town on 28 November and were taken
to the City Hall for a civic lunch
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Time spent in South Africa
127 days
(28 November - 4
April
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Reinforcements
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Sir Godfrey Lagden, the Commissioner for Native Affairs in South
Africa, was invited to play against The Army in his only first-class
appearance.
Manager Ivor Difford played in the minor match against South-west
Districts just before the run of Test matches.
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Fixtures/Results
Except in the
five matches indicated, MCC put out
eleven players
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a
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ϯ Cape Town
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'scratch game'
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unknown
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b
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Cape Town
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Western Provinces
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Won inns 127
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c
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ϯ Worcester
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Worcester & District (12 v 18)
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Won inns 52
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d
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Cape Town
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Western Province
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Won 10 w
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e
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ϯ Kimberley
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Griqualand West (12 v 15)
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Won 11 w
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f
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ϯ Kimberley
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Griqualand West (12 v 15)
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Won inns 12
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g
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Johannesburg
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Transvaal
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Lost 60 r
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h
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ϯ Potschefstroom
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Potschesfroom & Dist 18
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Won inns 110
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i
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JOHANNESBURG
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SOUTH
AFRICA First Test
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LOST 1 w
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j
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†Pretoria
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Pretoria
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Won inns 70
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k
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ϯ Middelburg
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Middleburg & District
18
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Won inns 119
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l
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Roberts Heights, Pretoria
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The Army
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Won inns 218
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m
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Durban
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Natal
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Won 4 w
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n
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Pietermaritzburg
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Natal
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Won 4 w
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†East London
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The Border 15
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Won inns 13
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p
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†Kingwilliamstown
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King Williams Town (12 v 15)
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Won inns 296
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q
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†Queenstown
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Queenstown (12 v 18)
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Won inns 176
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r
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†Cradock
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Midlands 22
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Drawn
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†Grahamstown
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Albany 18
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Drawn
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†Port Elizabeth
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Port Elizabeth 15
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Won inns 77
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u
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Port Elizabeth
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Eastern Province
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Won 10 w
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v
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†Oudtschoorn
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South-west Districts 22
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Drawn
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w
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JOHANNESBURG
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SOUTH
AFRICA Second Test
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LOST 9 w
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x
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JOHANNESBURG
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SOUTH
AFRICA Third Test
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LOST 243 r
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y
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†Bloemfontein
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Orange River Colony 15
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Drawn
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z
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CAPE TOWN
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SOUTH
AFRICA Fourth Test
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WON 4 w
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a’
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CAPE TOWN
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SOUTH
AFRICA Fifth Test
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LOST inns 16
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†not first-class
Time
spent in South Africa before First Test:
35
days
(28
November - 2 January)
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Test appearances
on tour
(v South Africa 1905-06)
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5 - Blythe, Crawford, Denton,
Fane, Haigh, Lees,
Relf,
Warner.
4 - Board, Moon.
3 - Hayes.
2 - Hartley, Wynyard.
0 - Leveson-Gower.
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Match
appearances
T Test match
x other match
∙
played for opposition
W won L lost D drawn
N no result A abandoned
u unknown result
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a
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b
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c
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d
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e
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f
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g
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h
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i
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j
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k
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l
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m
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n
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o
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p
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q
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r
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s
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t
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u
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v
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w
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x
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y
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z
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a‘
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Blythe
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x
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x
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x
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T
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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T
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T
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x
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T
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T
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Board
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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T
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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T
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T
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T
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Crawford
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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T
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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T
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T
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T
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T
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Denton
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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T
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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T
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T
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x
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T
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T
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Difford
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x
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Fane
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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T
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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T
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T
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x
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T
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T
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Haigh
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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T
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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T
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T
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x
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T
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T
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Hartley
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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T
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x
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T
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Hayes
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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T
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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T
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x
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T
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Lagden
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x
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Lees
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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T
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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T
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T
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x
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T
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T
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L-Gower
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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Moon
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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T
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T
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x
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T
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T
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Relf
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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T
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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T
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T
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x
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T
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T
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Warner
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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T
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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T
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T
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x
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T
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T
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Wynyard
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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T
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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T
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R E S U L T
S
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u
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W
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W
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W
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W
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W
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L
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W
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L
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W
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W
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W
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W
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W
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W
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W
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W
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D
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D
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W
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W
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D
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L
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L
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D
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W
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L
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Highlights
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• Walter Lees took five
cheap wickets dismissing South Africa for only 91 in the opening Test.
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Lees again took 6-78 in the third Test played at Johannesburg.
• Francis Fane scored
England’s only Test century (143) in the third match.
• Colin Blythe took 11
wickets for 118 runs in the fourth Test, the only Test match which England
won.
• Again Fane was the star
batsman, his 65 not out guiding England to a 4 wicket victory in the Cape
Town Test..
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Tour Summary
* excludes the scrtach game at the
start of the tour.
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P
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W
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L
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D
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Aban
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Test Matches
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5
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1
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4
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0
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-
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Other
first-class matches
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7
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6
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1
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0
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-
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†Minor matches
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14
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10
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0
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4
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-
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All Matches *
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26
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17
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5
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4
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-
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Return to
England
Cape
Town T Southampton
‘Norman’
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E.G.Wynyard, who was
unwell, returned home early.
Leveson-Gower and Moon remained in
South Africa at the end of the tour.
The team
sailed from Table Bay, Cape Town, on the 'Norman' on 4 April,
calling at Madeira on 17 April, and arriving at Southampton four days
later.
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Time away from England
161 days
(11 November -21
April)
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Finances
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After incurring
a loss on their first tour in 1903-04, M.C.C. obtained a guarantee against
loss from the South African Cricket Association
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Accounts of the
tour
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The M.C.C. in
South Africa" by P.F.Warner.
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Postscript
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The
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