Lives in Cricket No 30 - MJK Smith

84 Triumphant in South Africa his life, making 153, they added 278, enabling a declaration at 447 for seven with Boycott undefeated on 193. This had been a typical MJK innings, in which The Times reported that he ‘showed the full range of his leg-side repertoire, much of which is highly irregular and distinctive. He was chipping the ball away to square leg from outside the off stump as if there was nothing to it.’ Peter Pollock had gone without a wicket, and a bad day for the family continued when Titmus’ third ball to brother Graeme found its way between bat and pad. There were five wickets in each innings for Titmus, as Eastern Province were bowled out for 133 and 164. In the second innings the younger Pollock, recent scourge of the Australian bowlers, fell cheaply again, this time bowled by Allen, and for the second time Barlow was dismissed in the thirties by Titmus. Already Mike was beginning to win over those who had doubted his ability to lead an England side on such a demanding tour. ‘MILD MIKE HERE TO STAY’ was the Daily Express headline above the column in which Crawford White predicted that his takeover of the England captaincy from Dexter ‘looks like being for keeps.’ White admitted that he had expected that the presence of his dynamic predecessor in his side would be ‘a constant embarrassment for the professor-like Smith.’ But there had been none. Dexter had been comfortably absorbed into the team as its vice-captain, while ‘Smith has made the most of the talents at his command and welded them into a thoroughly efficient machine.’ Mike rested from the match against Western Province, when there were further hundreds for Boycott and Barrington, though a lack of urgency in the field brought MCC a frustrating draw as they ended still striving for the last two wickets. Nevertheless, six first- class matches had brought four wins, while the two drawn games had come when their captain was not conducting affairs on the field. It was a heartening overture to the Test series that was about to begin at Durban. Returning to the Kingsmead ground and looking at the pitch on the first morning, Mike was amazed by what he saw. For the provincial match there had been a well-grassed surface. Now he found ‘two lads on a hand mower knocking the daylights out of this pitch, taking the thick grass off and making it into a turner.’ Mike may have been puzzled, but he was not dismayed. ‘This suited us down to the ground because our spin attack was in a different league from South Africa’s. In addition, Tom Cartwright wasn’t fit.’ The home team cause seemed further disadvantaged