South African Team in Australia.

NZ Truth, Issue 282, 19 November 1910, Page 3

South African Team m Australia.

The eyes of the cricket worM are at present centred! on tha South African toan and their doings m Australia. When the tour was first arranged the opinion was pretty freely expressed that, being unaccustomed to playing on turf wickets, they would take some little --time to get- into their stride. The result of the match against South Australia, holders of the Shaft-eld Shield and a particularly strong side that had just walloped Victoria with ease, immediately jumped the visiting team into the arena as a possible rival for Australia's best, and, given a. fair share of Dame Fortune's favors, a team with a big ohance m the test matches." Their performance m Adelaide speaks for itself. Facing a deficit of- 50 runs on the first innings, they went for the South Australian bowling baldheaded, with the result that a score of 507 was on the board before the last -wicket fell. Nourse's . 201 not out is described as a .tremendously .fine effort, and seoond only to him was Strieker, with 146. With 458 runs to get, nobody ever suggested that South Australia Wiere going to win. but scarcely anyone expected to see the 'team crumple up for the (moderate total of 176. Without wishing to detract m any way from the fine showinlg of the visitors, it is almost impossible to believe that the scores represent . South Australia's true .form. The men would appear to have had a • rare slap at .the 'bowling m a sportsmanlike spirit, . and as they had no earthly chance of a win t>hefnselves they dM not 'begrudge the other chaps success m the first match on Australian soil. The visitors are unquestionably a high-class team of cricketers m every department of the game, and their forbunesi i|n 'Australia will be followed with . keen interest by the whole cricket- world.

" Regarding the big score made- by the visitors m this match, it may be pointed out that it is by no „ means uncommon for yery large scores to be put up against the South Australian team.. During the last ten years Now Soulih Wales has amassed tojtala of 918, 807, 713, 681, 624,' 573, 572, 55G and 545 against that State. O^ three occasions M. A. Noble lias crossed the 200 marJc m a single innings. Nevertheless, as it is probable that the South Australian side, as at present constituted, is a stronger all* round combination than any oft those against which New South Wales registered those colossal scores, . the brilliant performance of the South Africans. stamps theni immedliately as a team well up to international form, probably just as much so as any team that has yet visited Australia.

Faulkner is described by Australian criucs as being a magnificent bat, and a perfect master of all strokses, and now the enthusiasts of, the Commonwealth' are anxiously waiting to see the famous J. H. Sinclair m action. Anyone with a reputation of being as big a hitter as Australia's own George Bonnor of years gone by will be welcomed with open arms— if he lives up to 1 the reputation.