THE SOUTH AFRICAN CRICKETERS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLV, Issue 58, 9 March 1911, Page 4

THE SOUTH AFRICAN CRICKETERS.

There will be great rejoicings in Australia, over the result of the fifth test match, for it establishes beyond

any reasonable doubt the fact that, strong as was the South African team it was far from being strong enough seriously to challenge Australian supremacy in the fine old British, game of cricket. One match only out of the five did the visitors win—that played at Adelaide—and it was a narrow victory, won by a margin of but thirty-eight runs. The much-discussed "googlie" is evidently not such a trump card to play as had been imagined would be the case, not only in South Africa but in England, where quite a number of leading cricketing > experts hold the view—^-prompted to some extent, very probably, by the hope— ,that "these 'cocky' Australians" would this time go down." But all hope or the "blow" for which, outside Australia, Australians enjoy a just or unju&t notoriety being effectually counteracted was dissipated as the- tour proceeded. The fourth test match, at Melbourne, resulted in a complete debacle for the men from Table Bay, for the home team won by no fewer than 530 runs. It was indeed "a glorious victory," to ■anote'that-friend of our youthful days, "Little Peterkin." The fifth and concluding game was an equally convincing proof of Australian superiority. The reasons for this superiority are, many and various. One most important factor appears to have been, the superior fielding of, the Australians. In each match the South Africans were guilty of some very deplorable "lets-off". Good fielding, as all good cricketers know, is almost as important as good batting, and without .its aid good bowling counts for little. As to the much-discussed "googlie" &»tyle of howling, .it proved successful in the two first matches, but as the tour proceeded the Australians came to understand better this particular device of their opponents, and the "googlie" became less dangerous. The South Africans appear, by all accounts, to have shown a most sportsmanlike spirit throughout the tour, being genial, good-tempered players who never indulged in anything approaching sharp practice. The tour cannot fail to have done much to create a good fraternal spirit between the two great outlying States,of the Empire which were represented, and it is very much, to be regretted that the South Africans should not have been able to come on to New Zealand. W© might not have been able to place a team in the.field capable of defeating them; but wo might at least have hoped^to get together a Dominion eleven which would have made a decent stand, and New Zealanders one and all would have been only too happy to have ah opportunity of showing a generous hospitality to their oversea brethren. Now that one South African team has visited Australia, others will no doubt follow in years to come, and a new bond of international amity will be permanently established. By the time the next South African team journeys to Australia, with the natural and laudable ambition of wiping out the record of the first team, we trust that New Zealand cricket will have been so strengthened as to warrant the visitors crossing' the Tasman Sea and trying conclusions on the green sward with a Dominion national eleven.