Lives in Cricket No 36 - WE Astill

120 The Test Player that, worthy as he was, Astill had now lost his chance of representing his country against Australia, had added, ‘But if Billy was ever disappointed at being overlooked, he’d never let you hear it, nor would he ever show it. No one ever saw Astill down in the dumps.’ 227 From his confession to C.P.Snow, however, we are well aware that he was ambitious in this regard. Now, though he was never to face Australia and never indeed to play a Test on home soil, he had the thrill of knowing that he had played Test cricket and that his unregarded county could boast that for the first time it had contributed two players to an England team. The Second Test was played at Cape Town astride the New Year’s Day celebrations. For the first time in its history South Africa put England in after winning the toss, a successful move since the visitors were all out for just 133. Astill came in after five wickets had fallen and initially ‘was content merely to hold up his end’, but at Hammond’s fall he ‘cast caution to the winds, and hit out with some success, getting the ball away for singles and twos with encouraging regularity’ until he misjudged a delivery from C.L.Vincent 228 that trapped him in front of his stumps. His 25 was the third highest score for England, for whom eight batsmen failed to reach double figures. His first Test wicket was revenge for his dismissal by Vincent, who now lost his off stump to his erstwhile victim, and, far more important, broke a dangerous stand with Deane which was threatening to give the hosts a considerably larger lead than the 117 that they did obtain. England fared much better in their second innings, but were still in a precarious position when Astill joined Wyatt in a crucial stand of ‘almost irritating imperturbability’ ( Leicester Mercury ) as they weathered a rampant Vincent ‘breaking the ball both ways’ with ‘the wind behind him’ ( The Times ). Wyatt made an extremely fortunate 91, ultimately going boldly for his shots; Astill made but nine, playing perhaps the slowest innings of his life and at one period going for 25 minutes without scoring until a single roused an ironic cheer from the crowd. Left with 312 to win in 275 minutes, South Africa stood a fair chance of success since their nemesis Geary could not bowl because of an injury to his elbow, which kept him out of the rest of the series. They made a splendid beginning with an opening partnership of 115, but then Astill clung onto a catch in the gully off Commaille, Taylor was run out and Cameron succumbed to Hammond. At 147 for three South Africa changed their goal to salvation. ‘Tich’ Freeman bowled his leg breaks and googlies, Astill largely leg breaks: both took three wickets, Freeman for 66 in 22 overs, Astill more economically for 48 in 29 overs. The most important wicket was that of Catterall, lbw to Astill when after a period of stone-walling he tried to pull. At tea South Africa still had six wickets in hand, but Astill had No.5 Morkel caught in the deep, Hammond took three catches off Freeman and Astill bowled Nupen. They then left it to Peebles to take his only wicket of the match to conclude a victory by 87 runs with half an hour to spare. While Astill’s contributions were not numerically eye-catching, without them 227 Book of Cricket and Cricketers , p 121. 228 Contemporary reports and scorecards in Wisden spell his name Vintcent. Could this have been through confusion with C.H.Vintcent, who played three Tests for South Africa against England in 1899 and 1892/93?