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.
Test series
1st Test
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.
2nd Test
3rd Test
4th Test
5th Test
Tour matches
- 8âÂÂ9 November (The Strand): Marylebone Cricket Club (589/8d) vs Western Province County District (140 & 107). MCC won by an innings and 342 runs.
- 12âÂÂ15 November (Newlands, Cape Town): Western Province (174 & 169) vs Marylebone Cricket Club (276 & 69/2). MCC won by 8 wickets.
- 19âÂÂ22 November (Athletic Club Ground, Kimberley): Marylebone Cricket Club (676) vs Griqualand West (114 & 273). MCC won by an innings and 289 runs.
- 26âÂÂ28 November (Ramblers Cricket Club Ground, Bloemfontein): Orange Free State (128 & 260) vs Marylebone Cricket Club (412/6d). MCC won by an innings and 24 runs.
- 3âÂÂ6 December (Kingsmead, Durban): Natal (307 & 30/0) vs Marylebone Cricket Club (458). Match drawn.
- 10âÂÂ13 December (Berea Park, Pretoria): North Eastern Transvaal (161 & 142) vs Marylebone Cricket Club (379/6d). MCC won by an innings and 76 runs.
- 16âÂÂ19 December (Old Wanderers, Johannesburg): Transvaal (428/8d & 174/2) vs Marylebone Cricket Club (268). Match drawn.
- 7âÂÂ9 January (St George's Oval, Port Elizabeth): Eastern Province (172 & 111) vs Marylebone Cricket Club (518/6d). MCC won by an innings and 235 runs.
- 13âÂÂ16 January (Jan Smuts Ground, East London): Border (121 & 275) vs Marylebone Cricket Club (320 & 79/1). MCC won by 9 wickets.
- 27âÂÂ30 January (Old Wanderers, Johannesburg): Combined Transvaal/Northern Transvaal XI (304 & 220/2) vs Marylebone Cricket Club (434). Match drawn.
- 4âÂÂ7 February (Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo): Marylebone Cricket Club (307/5d) vs Rhodesia (242). Match drawn.
- 10âÂÂ13 February (Salisbury Sports Club, Salisbury): Marylebone Cricket Club (180 & 174/2d) vs Rhodesia (96 & 95/6). Match drawn.
- 25âÂÂ28 February (City Oval, Pietermaritzburg): Natal (295 & 219) vs Marylebone Cricket Club (407 & 110/1). MCC won by 9 wickets.
References
External links
Further reading
- John Lazenby, Edging Towards Darkness: The Story of the Last Timeless Test, Bloomsbury, London, 2017