Famous Cricketers No 78 - Bruce Mitchell

marvellous innings of 120 and 189 not out batting for thirteen hours and spending only eight minutes of the whole match off the field. He scored eight Test centuries for South Africa only exceeded at the time of his retirement by A.W.Nourse with nine. His 21 fifties are a record for the team. His 3,471 Test runs was also a record for South Africa and his 2,732 against England is the record by any batsman. For South African players who have played more than 30 Tests only A.D.Nourse has a better average and only the same player with 6347 runs has exceeded his 6128 runs on tour. His 42 appearances were equal to H.W.Taylor and only exceeded by A.W.Nourse (45) at the time, although these have since been exceeded by six players. He holds the record of 116 catches on tour and A.W.Nourse is second with 73. He is one of only sixteen players to have scored over 400 runs and taken 200 wickets in South African domestic cricket. Only Eddie Barlow and Graeme Pollock can equal his runs and wickets although both players with 237 catches each exceed his 228. He is fifth in total of all players taking more than 81 catches for Transvaal in domestic matches. 1925/26 Making his debut as merely a bowler he astounded the South African cricket world by taking 11/95 in his first match against Border at East London. Batting number ten he made 3 not out but with analyses of 10.5-2-23-5 and 26-7-72-6 he accomplished what is still the fourth best match analysis in all South African cricket and the third best in the Currie Cup on debut. The latter figures remain the best of his career. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 1. Transvaal v Border, East London, March 27, 28, 29 (Transvaal won by an innings and 50 runs) not out 3 293 10.5 2 23 5 L.E.Miles c and b 81 2 C.E.B.Shearman c H.B.Cameron C.M.McAlister b H.A.Francois c H.G.Deane O.N.Flemmer c and b 26 7 72 6 E.V.Miles c W.H.B.Foley 162 1 H.H.Fuller c A.W.Nourse L.E.Miles st H.B.Cameron C.E.B.Shearman c W.H.B.Foley C.M.McAlister b H.A.Francois c and b 2. Transvaal v Eastern Province, Port Elizabeth, April 2, 3 (Transvaal won by an innings and 138 runs) not out 10 384 5 1 25 0 103 14 2 48 1 J.Dold b 143 SEASON’S AVERAGES Batting and Fielding M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct Currie Cup 2 2 2 13 10* - - - 3 Bowling O M R W BB Ave 5i 10m Currie Cup 55.5 12 168 12 6/72 14.00 2 1 1926/27 Transvaal retained the Currie Cup which they had won in 1925/26 but Mitchell’s figures proved disappointing compared with his debut season. Although with the bat he made 161 runs at an average of 40.25 with three not outs his eleven wickets at 33 odd was a shade under what might have been expected. 4