Lives in Cricket No 32 - Eric Rowan

59 Johnson’s six for 22. With the retirement of Alan Melville, Dudley Nourse was appointed captain, a decision Eric believed was not the best choice. While he respected Nourse as a batsman he seems to have had little time for his leadership. No doubt he felt that he would have been a much tougher proposition, but given Eric’s character it was unlikely the administrators would have handed him the task. The most sensational decision was not to select veteran Bruce Mitchell after 42 consecutive Tests. Eric thought it a poor one. ‘Mitchell should have played. Some selectors get ideas, especially if they’ve never played the ruddy game. Better to put someone in who was proven, but there was a worry about Mitchell against the quickies.’ It was felt that at the age of 40 he was not equipped to deal with Lindwall, Miller and company, but Eric and Dudley Nourse were of a similar age and both were chosen. In fact the pair were the only ones to have played more than ten Tests. In his autobiography Flying Stumps , Ray Lindwall stated that the Australians were only too relieved that Mitchell was dropped. The other big news for the locals was that Athol Rowan’s injury would prevent him from playing again during the season and a young off spinner named Hugh Tayfield had been brought in to take his place. Australian Challenge The 1949/50 South African team Back row (l to r): H.J.Tayfield, R.G.Draper, P.L.Winslow, G.A.Upton (manager), C.N.McCarthy, M.G.Mele, J.D.Nel. Front row: G.M.Fullerton, E.A.B.Rowan, A.D.Nourse (captain), N.B.F.Mann, D.W.Begbie. Insets: W.W.Wade, J.C.Watkins, O.E.Wynne, V.I.Smith and J.E.Cheetham. [Bassano Collection]