Lives in Cricket No 32 - Eric Rowan

17 it with another off the students at Oxford. In the match against Glamorgan at Cardiff he made 153 being part of a second-wicket partnership of 256 with his captain Wade who scored 139. Such form guaranteed Eric a Test debut at Old Trafford. The young batsmen had played well in the strange conditions with Nourse in spectacular form, hitting three successive centuries. There were certainly some new experiences awaiting the tourists, including snow in the match against Oxford University when play finished early on the second day. The benefit for the South Africans was that they had a long lead- up prior to the First Test. The itinerary of 15 matches gave all the players plenty of opportunities to press their claims for Test selection, although injuries to their most experienced batsman, Bruce Mitchell, and opening bowler ‘Sandy’ Bell were causes for concern in a party of only fifteen. The former recovered in time for the Test, but the latter did not. Leg-spinner Xenophon Balaskas would also miss the game through injury. The South Africans had been undefeated prior to the First Test, but the Old Trafford match did not go according to the tourists’ plans. England captain Bob Wyatt won the toss, opened the batting and made 149 in his team’s total of 384 for seven declared. Wyatt closed his side’s innings so that South Africa commenced their England 1935 Herby Wade leads the South African team on to the field in their initial first-class match of the tour at Worcester. Eric, not feeling the cold, is on the left. (l to r): E.A.B.Rowan, X.C.Balaskas, B.Mitchell, A.D.Nourse, A.J.Bell (partly obscured), H.F.Wade, C.L.Vincent, partly obscured player is either E.L.Dalton or R.J.Crisp and I.J.Siedle. [Bassano Collection]