Lives in Cricket No 32 - Eric Rowan

38 little respect from someone like Eric. Mitchell and van der Bijl began the South African innings a second time in the day and once again they handled the bowling well. However, when the partnership reached 46, van der Bijl was deceived and bowled by Verity for thirteen. Eric joined Mitchell and the pair saw their side through to stumps. Resuming at 73 for one on the third day the South Africans were faced with a well-nigh impossible task to save the game. The pair began to play as if they believed it could be done. Mitchell, 53 overnight, continued to look for runs while Eric defended grimly. Mitchell reached a superb century and the pair went into lunch still together and with the total on 157. During the morning session Eric had made 26 in 105 minutes. With the addition of just eight runs after the break Mitchell’s innings came to an end at 109 when Farnes had him caught low down by Ames behind the stumps. The partnership had added 119 in 137 minutes for the second wicket. Eric continued on with Nourse, reaching his half-century after being becalmed on 45 for some time. Eventually he fell to the second over with the new ball, edging a delivery from Hammond to Ames. His 67 had taken 208 minutes and he had achieved the dubious honour of playing the then highest Test innings not to contain a boundary. The South Africans continued to fight it out, principally through Viljoen (61), back in the side after recovering from his injury. However, the effort was in vain as the last wicket fell just four minutes before stumps, leaving England victors with a day to spare. While the locals had fought well in the second innings, their collapse in the first had sealed their fate. Between the Third and Fourth Tests Eric played for a Combined Transvaal XI against the tourists. In a drawn game he made 24 opening the batting in the first innings and was undefeated on 67 in the second, adding 105 for the second wicket with Melville who made 107. Then it was back to Johannesburg for the Fourth Test and the task of trying to level the series. Hammond again won the toss, but this time the South African bowlers were equal to the task. Apart from 92 from Len Hutton the remainder of the batting struggled to a total of 215. ‘Chud’ Langton had recaptured some of his form from the 1935 England tour with five for 58, well supported by pace man Norman Gordon who had been the best South African Restoration