Lives in Cricket No 42 - Frank and George Mann

90 MCC in South Africa 1948/49 fielded poorly on the first day. On the second morning MCC lost Hutton, Washbrook and Compton for only 113 runs before the new, untried captain went to the wicket. Sending a message to his players, George gave a forceful, inspiring display of batting in which he reached his century with a six and made a timely declaration at 357 for five. He now needed a vast improvement in performance from his bowlers and, in particular, the fielding to support them. Spurred by the example of their captain, every man fielded brilliantly and Western Province lost four wickets for only 88 runs before their captain, Jack Cheetham, challenged the visitors to reach 118 from 12 eight-ball overs, a target easily reached for the loss of only Hutton. There were nine games to play before the First Test in Durban, six first- class of which MCC won four and drew two, and three two-day matches of which they won two and drew one. In addition to George’s 112 against Western Province, there had been a further 12 centuries scored on the easy-paced South African wickets, with four by Compton, including 300 in 181 minutes against North-East Transvaal, three by Hutton, two each from Washbrook and Simpson, and one from Crapp. There had been no need for further heroics from George and they went into the First Test full of confidence. It began on 16 December, a public holiday known as ‘Dingaans Day’ in celebration of the Voortrekkers’ victory over the Zulus in 1838. 46 Dudley Nourse, the captain of South Africa, won the toss and with a dry wicket looking perfect for batting took the decision to bat first. It was a decision that Nourse would regret when his batsmen found that the ball lifted unexpectedly from one end and kept low from the other. The South African innings crumbled and was all over before tea for a disappointing 161. Play was delayed for half an hour by bad light before the umpires 46 Since the end of apartheid, it has remained a public holiday, a Day of Reconciliation intended to promote national unity. The formal structures of apartheid were scarcely in place in 1948/49, the HNP/Afrikaner government having first been elected in May 1948. The day has remained a de facto start of a sixteen-day South African holiday period. George reached his century with this straight-driven six at the Newlands Ground, Cape Town, in the first match of MCC’s South African tour of 1948/49. Alex Reid keeping wicket.