Lives in Cricket No 32 - Eric Rowan

49 Chapter Six The ‘V’ Sign The 1948/49 MCC side which arrived aboard the Durban Castle was surprisingly led by Middlesex amateur George Mann, whose father had captained a team to South Africa in 1922/23, and who had yet to play a Test. England had received a severe mauling by Don Bradman’s Australians and the South Africans must have thought they had a strong chance to take the series against a side down on confidence led by an untried skipper. Interest among the locals was intense as they prepared to witness their first home series for ten years. Once again the South African Cricket Association made the strange decision not to contest the Currie Cup due to the tour. The only match played that summer not involving the Englishmen was a game between Transvaal and Natal. Eric opened the innings for Transvaal and scored 97 in four hours at the crease. For Transvaal against the tourists he scored 38, adding 83 with Bruce Mitchell for the first wicket in a high-scoring draw. It was enough to see him selected for the First Test at Durban immediately afterwards. For the first time Eric and Athol Rowan would play together in a Test. The last Test played on the ground had been the Timeless Test of 1938/39, but this time the conditions were very different. This game was a classic encounter in front of a record crowd, with England getting the winning run off a leg bye from the last ball of the game to secure a tense two-wicket victory. Alan Melville was suffering from an injured wrist and was unable to play so Dudley Nourse led South Africa for the first time. He won the toss and decided to bat, but his side could muster just 161 as Alec Bedser (four for 39) and Cliff Gladwin (three for 21) made good use of the conditions. Len Hutton (83) and Cyril Washbrook (35) began with a partnership of 84, but only Compton (72) made any substantial contribution to the rest of the innings. Nevertheless, a total of 253 gave them a substantial lead. The South African spinners, ‘Tufty’ Mann (six for 59) and Athol Rowan (four for 108), captured all the wickets. The home side’s second innings of 219 set a target of just 128 to win. Eric’s 16 along with his first innings of seven completed a