Lives in Cricket No 8 - Ernest Hayes

Kimberley, but these were exceptional moments of happiness in what turned out to be a miserable trip, both on and off the field. The weather and travelling did not help. Parts of the country were hot and dusty, having had no rain for eight months. He comments: From Oudtshoorn to Johannesburg was now the order and what a journey it was. Three days and three nights in the train and the heat terrific. We all thanked goodness when we reached Jo’burg and could enjoy a bath and general clean up. After a couple of days we were due to play the 2nd Test Match. It was just my luck the day before the fixture while practising to put my finger out of joint and incapacitate myself. Jack Board hit one straight back at me and I tried to catch it. A rather gentler Jack Board story was related by Hayes in a later newspaper interview when reminiscing about his experiences on the tour: Jack Board was keeping wicket when our opponents started their second innings. Just before the first ball went down he Under New Management, Test Cricket, and a Purple Passage 53 The MCC side which toured South Africa in 1905/06. Back row (l to r): J.H.Board (wk), C.Blythe, E.G.Hayes, I.D.Difford (manager), E.G.Wynyard, J.Phillips (umpire). Middle row: A.E.Relf, J.N.Crawford, H.D.G.Leveson Gower, P.F.Warner (capt), F.L.Fane, J.C.Hartley. Front row: W.S.Lees, S.Haigh, L.J.Moon, D.Denton.