English cricket team in South Africa in 1948–49

The England national cricket team toured South Africa in the 1948-49 season. The tour was organised by the Marylebone Cricket Club and the side played five Test matches as England and 16 other first-class matches as "MCC". Two of the first-class matches took place in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). There were also two non-first-class matches.

England won the first and last Test matches; the other three were drawn. Though the margin of victory in both the England wins was small, Wisden was in no doubt that the better team had won: "Much less than justice would have been done if England had not won the rubber," it said. "In all five Tests clearly they were the superior team".^[1]

England team

The MCC team was captained by George Mann, with Billy Griffith as vice-captain. The Worcestershire secretary Brigadier Michael Green was the tour manager.

The full team was:

George Mann; Billy Griffith (wicketkeeper); Alec Bedser; Denis Compton; Jack Crapp; Godfrey Evans (wicketkeeper); Cliff Gladwin; Len Hutton; Roly Jenkins; Charles Palmer; Reg Simpson; Maurice Tremlett; Cyril Washbrook; Allan Watkins; Doug Wright; Jack Young

Test series summary

First Test

16–20 December 1948 (4-day match) Scorecard

South Africa	v	England
161 (53.5 overs) AD Nourse 37 DW Begbie 37 AV Bedser 4/39 (13.5 overs)		253 (99.4 overs) L Hutton 83 NBF Mann 6/59 (37.4 overs)
219 (89.3 overs) WW Wade 63 DVP Wright 4/72 (26 overs)		128/8 (28 overs) DCS Compton 28 CN McCarthy 6/43 (12 overs)

England won by 2 wickets Kingsmead, Durban Umpires: RGA Ashman and GL Sickler

• South Africa won the toss and elected to bat.
• 19 December was taken as a rest day.
• OE Wynne, DW Begbie and CN McCarthy (all SA), and RT Simpson, FG Mann and RO Jenkins (all ENG) made their Test debuts.

Second Test

27–30 December 1948 (4-day match) Scorecard

England	v	South Africa
608 (149.5 overs) C Washbrook 195 CN McCarthy 3/102 (26 overs)		315 (104.4 overs) B Mitchell 86 RO Jenkins 3/88 (21.4 overs)
		270/2 (f/o) (91 overs) EAB Rowan 156* DVP Wright 1/35 (14 overs)

Match drawn Ellis Park, Johannesburg Umpires: JV Hart-Davis and GL Sickler

• England won the toss and elected to bat.

Third Test

1–5 January 1949 (4-day match) Scorecard

England	v	South Africa
308 (91.2 overs) C Washbrook 74 AMB Rowan 5/80 (31.2 overs)		356 (119.2 overs) B Mitchell 120 DCS Compton 5/70 (25.2 overs)
276/3d (96 overs) L Hutton 87 CN McCarthy 2/75 (20 overs)		142/4 (31 overs) OE Wynne 46 RO Jenkins 4/48 (9 overs)

Match drawn Newlands, Cape Town Umpires: RGA Ashman and JV Hart-Davis

• England won the toss and elected to bat.
• 2 January was taken as a rest day.
• MA Hanley (SA) made his Test debut.

Fourth Test

12–16 February 1949 (4-day match) Scorecard

England	v	South Africa
379 (105.7 overs) AJ Watkins 111 CN McCarthy 5/114 (35.7 overs)		257/9d (85 overs) AD Nourse 129* C Gladwin 2/43 (24 overs)
253/7d (78.2 overs) L Hutton 123 AMB Rowan 4/69 (34 overs)		194/4 (65 overs) EAB Rowan 86* AJ Watkins 2/16 (3 overs)

Match drawn Ellis Park, Johannesburg Umpires: RGA Ashman and JV Hart-Davis

• England won the toss and elected to bat.
• 13 February was taken as a rest day.
• LA Markham (SA) made his Test debut.

Fifth Test

5–9 March 1949 (4-day match) Scorecard

South Africa	v	England
379 (143.5 overs) WW Wade 125 AV Bedser 4/61 (38 overs)		395 (141.4 overs) FG Mann 136* AMB Rowan 5/167 (60 overs)
187/3d (58 overs) B Mitchell 56 JA Young 2/34 (23 overs)		174/7 (23.7 overs) DCS Compton 42 NBF Mann 4/65 (9.7 overs)

England won by 3 wickets St George's Park, Port Elizabeth Umpires: RGA Ashman and DV Collins

• South Africa won the toss and elected to bat.
• 6 March was taken as a rest day.
• JE Cheetham (SA) made his Test debut.