South African cricket team in Australia in 1931–32

The South Africa national cricket team toured Australia in the 1931–32 season and played five Test matches against Australia. Australia won the series 5–0, all of their victories being by a substantial margin, three of them by an innings.

Test series summary

First Test

27, 28, 30 November, 1, 2, 3 December 1931 (Timeless Test) Scorecard

Australia	v	South Africa
450 (137.3 overs) DG Bradman 226 AJ Bell 4/120 (42 overs)		170 (138.1 overs) B Mitchell 58 H Ironmonger 5/42 (47 overs)
		117 (f/o) (60.1 overs) HW Taylor 47 TW Wall 5/14 (15.1 overs)

Australia won by an innings and 163 runs Brisbane Cricket Ground, Woolloongabba, Brisbane Umpires: GE Borwick and GA Hele

• Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
• 29 November was taken as a rest day.
• There was no play on the third and fourth days.
• HC Nitschke (AUS) made his Test debut.

Second Test

18, 19, 21 December 1931 (Timeless Test) Scorecard

South Africa	v	Australia
153 (73 overs) KG Viljoen 37 SJ McCabe 4/13 (12 overs)		469 (154.5 overs) KE Rigg 127 AJ Bell 5/140 (46.5 overs)
161 (73.3 overs) JAJ Christy 41 CV Grimmett 4/44 (20.3 overs)

Australia won by an innings and 155 runs Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney Umpires: GE Borwick and GA Hele

• South Africa won the toss and elected to bat.
• 20 December was taken as a rest day.
• LS Brown (SA) and PK Lee (AUS) made their Test debuts.

Third Test

31 December 1931, 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 January 1932 (Timeless Test) Scorecard

Australia	v	South Africa
198 (77.1 overs) KE Rigg 68 AJ Bell 5/69 (26.1 overs)		358 (188.3 overs) KG Viljoen 111 H Ironmonger 3/72 (49 overs)
554 (164.4 overs) DG Bradman 167 Q McMillan 4/150 (33 overs)		225 (115 overs) JAJ Christy 63 CV Grimmett 6/92 (46 overs)

Australia won by 169 runs Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Umpires: GE Borwick and GA Hele

• Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
• 3 January was taken as a rest day.

Fourth Test

29, 30 January, 1, 2 February 1932 (Timeless Test) Scorecard

South Africa	v	Australia
308 (140.4 overs) HW Taylor 78 CV Grimmett 7/116 (47 overs)		513 (138 overs) DG Bradman 299* AJ Bell 5/142 (40 overs)
274 (123.2 overs) B Mitchell 95 CV Grimmett 7/83 (49.2 overs)		73/0 (19.2 overs) WM Woodfull 37*

Australia won by 10 wickets Adelaide Oval, Adelaide Umpires: GE Borwick and GA Hele

• South Africa won the toss and elected to bat.
• 31 January was taken as a rest day.
• WA Hunt, WJ O'Reilly and HM Thurlow (all AUS) made their Test debuts.

Fifth Test

12, 13, 15 February 1932 (Timeless Test) Scorecard

South Africa	v	Australia
36 (23.2 overs) HB Cameron 11 H Ironmonger 5/6 (7.2 overs)		153 (54.3 overs) AF Kippax 42 NA Quinn 3/29 (19.3 overs) Q McMillan 3/29 (8 overs)
45 (31.3 overs) SH Curnow 16 H Ironmonger 6/18 (15.3 overs)

Australia won by an innings and 72 runs Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Umpires: GE Borwick and GA Hele

• South Africa won the toss and elected to bat.
• 14 February was taken as a rest day.
• There was no play on the second day.
• JHW Fingleton and LJ Nash (both AUS) made their Test debuts.
• Clarrie Grimmett, who had taken 33 wickets in the first four Test matches, did not bowl a single ball in the match.
• The match aggregate of 234 runs is the lowest in Test match history.
• The total playing time of 5 hours and 53 minutes is still the shortest for a completed Test match.
• Donald Bradman twisted his ankle in the Australian dressing room when going out to field for the 1st South African innings and took no part in the match.