Lives in Cricket No 42 - Frank and George Mann

92 MCC in South Africa 1948/49 two minutes before 6 pm with England needing eight runs to win with two wickets in hand. Either side could win, a tie was possible, or it could all end in a draw. The detailed sequence of the final eight-ball over is worth recording: First ball A leg bye off Bedser’s pad Second ball Gladwin swings and the ball goes to the boundary Third ball Gladwin mis-hits and they run a single Fourth ball Bedser plays and misses Fifth ball Bedser drives to mid on but no run Sixth ball Bedser pushes to cover for a single. Match now tied Seventh ball Gladwin misses Last ball During Tuckett’s run-up to bowl all the fieldsmen sprint towards the wicket to prevent a single to win the match. Bedser starts to run as Tuckett bowls. 48 The ball hits Gladwin on the thigh and he sets off for the other end. Both batsmen reach safety and England have won the Test. The tourists took a short break to catch their breath after the dramas of the First Test and moved on to Ladysmith for a two-day game with the Natal Country Districts. Then they headed to Johannesburg, where they could celebrate Christmas before the Second Test began on 27 December. George made only one change to his winning eleven and brought in Crapp for Simpson who had disappointed with scores of five and a duck in the First Test. George won the toss and Hutton and Washbrook concentrated at first on wearing down the South African attack and then increased their pace after tea. The partnership ended after putting on 359 runs in only 290 minutes and at the end of the day England were 487 for two. George was looking for a total big enough to give England a chance of making South Africa follow on, so he was delighted when Compton and Crapp added another 150 for the third wicket, but the tail failed to capitalise on the situation and the last seven wickets fell in 75 minutes. England were all out for 608 and both South African openers fell with only 17 runs on the board, leaving Mitchell and Nourse to play out time at 95 for two. George was prepared to buy his wickets and with South Africa 234 for seven, still 374 runs behind, it appeared that England had broken through. Stern resistance from the tail-enders raised the final total to 315 and George had no doubts about asking them to bat again. When the final day started, South Africa needed 265 runs to avoid an innings defeat with nine wickets in hand; but the pitch showed no signs of wear and although George kept switching his bowlers around no more wickets fell before lunch. After Mitchell went, George set an attacking field for Nourse without success and at tea they had reached 127 for two. Eric Rowan was playing a fantastic innings, apparently batting without gloves or box, and was unbeaten at 156, having been dropped by George when on 56, when play ended with South Africa 270 for two. Only 22 wickets had fallen in four days of uninterrupted play at an average cost of 54 runs apiece. 48 Tuckett had been told by his captain not to run out Bedser for backing up too far, although none of the various Bedser autobiographies refer to this.