131-472: Errol Reginald Thorold Holmes (21 August 1905 – 16 August 1960) was an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Oxford University , Surrey and England between 1924 and 1955. A dashing right-handed batsman, Holmes believed that cricket was to be enjoyed and was an important figure in restoring the reputation of English cricket after the Bodyline controversy of the early 1930s. He succeeded
262-414: A field , at the centre of which is a 22-yard (20-metre; 66-foot) pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails (small sticks) balanced on three stumps . Two players from the batting team, the striker and nonstriker, stand in front of either wicket holding bats , while one player from the fielding team, the bowler, bowls the ball toward the striker's wicket from the opposite end of
393-456: A public school education who had then gone to one of Cambridge or Oxford University . Society insisted that such people were "officers and gentlemen" whose destiny was to provide leadership. In a purely financial sense, the cricketing amateur would theoretically claim expenses for playing while his professional counterpart played under contract and was paid a wage or match fee; in practice, many amateurs claimed more than actual expenditure, and
524-616: A 5-match official Test series. The touring English team was a second-string team, with only Colin Blythe , Schofield Haigh and JN Crawford being those who could be considered regulars of the England team. Nevertheless, South Africa was still not favouriting going into the series. However, in a shocking result at Johannesburg , the inspired South Africans, led by Sherwell and their googly quartet, defeated England by 1 wicket, thereby recording her first Test win. Schwarz, Vogler, and Faulkner led
655-680: A Test match record for a third wicket partnership of 319. The following year Nourse, 38-year-old captain of Natal , was appointed Captain for the 1948 MCC Test matches in South Africa. They continued to play regularly against England , Australia and New Zealand until 1970. The membership rules of the Imperial Cricket Conference (ICC) meant that when South Africa left the Commonwealth in May 1961, they also left
786-703: A Test nation in 1991, and the team played its first sanctioned international match since 1970 (and its first-ever One-Day International) against India in Calcutta on 10 November 1991 losing by 3 wickets. South Africa's first Test match after re-admission was played against the West Indies in April 1992. The match was played in Bridgetown, Barbados and South Africa lost by 52 runs. Since South Africa has been reinstated they have achieved mixed success and hosted
917-719: A batsman was in a class by himself". The series cemented Taylor's position as a leading batsman in the world. With Faulkner retiring in 1924, the South Africans, who had only two quality players in Taylor and Cattrell, underwent somewhat of a barren period in the 1920s. However, the emergence of a new generation of South African cricketers, more so in their batting than in their bowling, in the 1930s such as Bruce Mitchell , Xen Balaskas , Ken Viljoen , Dudley Nourse , Eric Rowan , Alan Melville , Pieter van der Bijl , and Ronnie Grieveson once again ensured that South Africa became
1048-565: A collared shirt with short or long sleeves; long trousers; woolen pullover (if needed); cricket cap (for fielding) or a safety helmet; and spiked shoes or boots to increase traction. The kit is traditionally all white, and this remains the case in Test and first-class cricket, but in limited overs cricket, team colours are now worn instead. i) A used white ball. White balls are mainly used in limited overs cricket , especially in matches played at night, under floodlights (left). The essence of
1179-454: A fence, part of the stands, a rope, a painted line, or a combination of these; the boundary must if possible be marked along its entire length. In the approximate centre of the field is a rectangular pitch (see image, below) on which a wooden target called a wicket is sited at each end; the wickets are placed 22 yards (20 m) apart. The pitch is a flat surface 10 feet (3.0 m) wide, with very short grass that tends to be worn away as
1310-468: A full calendar year from 20 August 2012. Eight days later, on 28 August 2012, South Africa became the first team to top the rankings in all three formats of the game . In February 2014 South Africa took on Australia in a Test series, with the winner being ranked No. 1 team in the world. Australia won the series 2–1. South Africa later in the year would regain the No. 1 ranking. As of 4 May 2020, South Africa
1441-661: A full-strength team, losing all the tests by 288 runs, an innings and 197 runs, and by an innings and 32 runs respectively. The touring English team, arranged by Lord Hawke , included four of the best cricketers of the world at the time: Tom Hayward , C.B. Fry , George Lohmann and Sammy Woods . In the early 1900s, the first world-class South African cricket team emerged, comprising stars such Bonnor Middleton , Jimmy Sinclair , Charlie Llewellyn , Dave Nourse , Louis Tancred , Aubrey Faulkner , Reggie Schwarz , Percy Sherwell , Tip Snooke , Bert Vogler , and Gordon White , players who were capable of giving any international teams
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#17327902547061572-621: A highly popular format, putting the longer formats at risk. The new shorter format also introduced franchise cricket, with new tournaments like the Indian Premier League and the Australian Big Bash League . The ICC has selected the T20 format as cricket's growth format, and has introduced a T20 World Cup which is played every two years; T20 cricket has also been increasingly accepted into major events such as
1703-445: A little luck". With the series still level at 1–1, the fifth and final Test was made Timeless to ensure a winner of the series. England's C. A. G. Russell scored two centuries in the match and South Africa were set a target fourth innings target of 344. Taylor, at number four, batted for four and a half hours over an innings of 102 however he received little support from his teammates and South Africa lost by 109 runs. Taylor finished
1834-529: A maiden Test victory against Australia at the 3rd Test in Adelaide Oval . The tour was significant for the rise of Billy Zulch as a leading batsman of the South African cricket team; and after a resolute 150 in the 1st Test at Sydney Cricket Ground in a heavy innings defeat for South Africa, he scored South Africa's highest individual score of 105 in their maiden overseas Test win at Adelaide,
1965-518: A match also characterised by the all-round performances Charlie Llewellyn and the outstanding bowling of Reggie Schwarz . South Africa's next international cricketing involvement was a triangular tournament held in England, involving England, Australia, and South Africa, the only three Test-playing nations of the era. By this time, the googly duo of Schwarz and White were past their prime, while Vogler had already retired. Additionally, retirements of key players such as Sherwell ensured that South Africa
2096-410: A new colossus in the world game, scoring a phenomenal 508 runs at an average of 50.80 against a terrific Sydney Barnes at his prime, who had claimed a record 49 wickets during the series at just 10.93. The cricket historian H.S. Altham wrote: "The English cricketers were unanimous that finer batting than his against Barnes at his best they never hoped to see." Neville Cardus noted it was "perhaps
2227-405: A plane crash , and Pollock also retiring from international cricket, the team once again changed shape. Graeme Smith was made captain, although following injuries to Smith and Jacques Kallis , Ashwell Prince deputised as Test captain on 12 July 2006. At the age of 29, he became the first non-white man to captain the once all-white South African cricket team. Although that racial quota policy,
2358-550: A revised target of 298 to New Zealand, thanks to an amazing batting performance by Faf du Plessis , David Miller and captain AB de Villiers . Chasing a mammoth target of 298 New Zealand got off to a flier inspired by their captain Brendon McCullum . But the real hero of the match was Grant Elliott , who scored 84* including a second-last ball six off the then world's best bowler Dale Steyn . This saw South Africa crash out of
2489-451: A run for their money. In addition to possessing batsmen such as Sinclair (the batsman with the highest strike rate in Test history), Nourse, Tancred, all-rounder Faulkner, Sherwell, Snooker, and White, the South Africans developed the world's first (and arguably greatest) spin attack which specialised in googly . Greatest among the South African googly quartet was Schwarz, who, inspired by English googly bowler Bernard Bosanquet , regarded as
2620-431: A solitary draw from their first eleven tests, and it was not until 1904 that they began to emerge as a quality international team. They recorded their first Test win against England in 1906, which took them 17 years. The low point of this barren early period for the South African team was an English tour of 1895–96 , where South Africa was humiliated 3–0 in 3 Tests by an English side for the first time remotely comparable to
2751-663: A team captained by the Hon. L. H. Tennyson that played three first-class matches against Jamaica . After Oxford, Holmes left first-class cricket to work on the Stock Exchange . He worked for several companies in London, and also spent six months in 1930 at the New York Stock Exchange . He played only a few first-class matches in 1928 and 1929, and none from then until 1934, when H. D. G. Leveson Gower , who
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#17327902547062882-434: A thrilling tie with Middlesex , who finished among the top four in that year's County Championship , due to some magic weaved by Schwarz through his googlies. He repeated his heroics against an all-England XI, whom South Africa recorded an upset victory against by 189 runs. Unfortunately, the match was not accorded official Test status. In 1906, England made a reciprocal tour to South Africa, which this time consisted of
3013-409: A top-quality international team. The team's leading batsmen during this era were Mitchell, Nourse, Rowan, Melville, and van der Bijl. Nourse, in particular, became famous for his hand-eye coordination and his excellent fielding, one of many to be produced by South Africa in the coming decades; natural skills which were according to legend inspired and developed by his father Dave's refusal to coach him as
3144-420: A true sportsman and a lovable fellow", "a fine attacking batsman" who "set a fine personal example in the field" and "would not tolerate anything shady or underhanded". Cricketer First-class cricket One Day International Limited overs (domestic) Twenty20 International Twenty20 (domestic) Other forms Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on
3275-416: A winner or tie.) The wicket-keeper (a specialised fielder behind the batter) and the batters wear protective gear because of the hardness of the ball, which can be delivered at speeds of more than 145 kilometres per hour (90 mph) and presents a major health and safety concern. Protective clothing includes pads (designed to protect the knees and shins), batting gloves or wicket-keeper's gloves for
3406-614: A youngster, demanding that he learned the rudiments of the game on his own, as he himself had. This South African team was also distinct from past South African teams in one respect: whereas the previous teams had been composed entirely of British-origin players, this team had Afrikaners like van der Bijl and Greeks such as Balaskas, regarded by wide consensus to be the greatest Greek cricketer ever. The South African cricket team toured England in 1947. At Trent Bridge , Captain Alan Melville and vice-captain , Dudley Nourse achieved
3537-480: Is South Africa's seventh by a fringe of hundred or more runs in World Cups. In the 2023 Cricket World Cup South Africa reached the semi-final but lost its match against Australia who went on to win the final. In the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup , South Africa reached the final unbeaten, with a resounding 9 wicket win over Afghanistan in a one-sided demolition. This was the first appearance in an ICC final for
3668-484: Is administered by Cricket South Africa (CSA). South Africa is a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC). Its nickname derives from South Africa's national flower , Protea cynaroides , commonly known as the "King Protea". South Africa entered first-class and international cricket at the same time when they hosted an England cricket team in the 1888–89 season. Initially,
3799-539: Is aimed at a mark (the wicket) and driven away from it". It is generally believed that cricket originated as a children's game in the south-eastern counties of England, sometime during the medieval period . Although there are claims for prior dates, the earliest definite reference to cricket being played comes from evidence given at a court case in Guildford in January 1597 ( Old Style , equating to January 1598 in
3930-771: Is also one of the most successful teams in ODI cricket, winning more than 61 per cent of their matches. However, the 1998 Champions Trophy is its sole success in ICC-organised tournaments. South Africa won the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in 1998 . As of June 2024, the team is currently ranked 3rd in ODIs, 5th in T20Is and 4th in Tests. European colonisation of southern Africa began on Tuesday, 6 April 1652 when
4061-453: Is certain that cricket was being played c. 1550 by boys in Surrey . The view that it was originally a children's game is reinforced by Randle Cotgrave 's 1611 English- French dictionary in which he defined the noun " crosse " as "the crooked staff wherewith boys play at cricket", and the verb form " crosser " as "to play at cricket". One possible source for the sport's name
Errol Holmes - Misplaced Pages Continue
4192-423: Is drawn four feet in front of the bowling crease and parallel to it; although it is drawn as a 12 ft (3.7 m) line (six feet on either side of the wicket), it is, in fact, unlimited in length. The return creases are drawn at right angles to the popping crease so that they intersect the ends of the bowling crease; each return crease is drawn as an 8 ft (2.4 m) line, so that it extends four feet behind
4323-596: Is known, through numerous references found in the records of ecclesiastical court cases, to have been proscribed at times by the Puritans before and during the Commonwealth . The problem was nearly always the issue of Sunday play, as the Puritans considered cricket to be "profane" if played on the Sabbath , especially if large crowds or gambling were involved. According to the social historian Derek Birley , there
4454-538: Is ranked 6th in Test Cricket. During this time of dominance in the Test arena, the ODI and T20I performances were far less consistent, as South Africa search for a winning formula ahead of the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 and the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup . A notable ODI series loss to New Zealand at home in January 2013, and a further loss in Sri Lanka highlighted South Africa's recent difficulties. Exits from
4585-570: Is the Old English word " cryce " (or " cricc " ) meaning a crutch or staff. In Samuel Johnson 's Dictionary , he derived cricket from " cryce , Saxon, a stick". In Old French , the word " criquet " seems to have meant a kind of club or stick. Given the strong medieval trade connections between south-east England and the County of Flanders when the latter belonged to the Duchy of Burgundy ,
4716-464: Is the earliest mention of adult participation in cricket and it was around the same time that the earliest known organised inter-parish or village match was played, at Chevening, Kent . In 1624, a player called Jasper Vinall died after he was accidentally struck on the head during a match between two parish teams in Sussex. Cricket remained a low-key local pursuit for much of the 17th century. It
4847-529: Is the fourth-largest margin of victory for any team in World Cups and the largest for South Africa in World Cups. It is also the second-largest margin of victory for South Africa in ODIs on 3 March 2011. The 87-run stand between JP Duminy and Colin Ingram is the highest for the sixth wicket for South Africa in World Cups. The highest sixth-wicket stand for South Africa in ODIs is the 137 between Hansie Cronje and Shaun Pollock against Zimbabwe in 1997. The triumph
4978-402: Is thought, a " wicket gate " through which sheep were herded), that the batter must defend. The cricket historian Harry Altham identified three "groups" of "club ball" games: the "hockey group", in which the ball is driven to and from between two targets (the goals); the "golf group", in which the ball is driven towards an undefended target (the hole); and the "cricket group", in which "the ball
5109-499: Is widely recognised as the one which heralded the arrival of South Africa as a major force on the international cricket scene. The MCC duly complied by inviting the South African team to tour England in 1907 for the first time to play-official Tests. Though the series finished 1–0 to England with two draws, the quartet of Schwarz, Faulkner, Vogler, and White were praised for their exceptional quality of googly bowling, and Schwarz and Vogler came to be recognised as Wisden Cricketers of
5240-592: The 1936–37 tour to Australia under Gubby Allen , and he retired from the Surrey captaincy to resume his business career after the 1938 season. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1936. During World War II , Holmes was an officer in the Royal Artillery , achieving the rank of Major. He was described as a " flak expert". He flew as British flak liaison officer with the first American bomber mission against
5371-458: The 2012 ICC World Twenty20 and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy only served to improve South Africa's reputation as 'chokers' in major tournaments. In the latter years of Smith's career, South Africa split the captaincy in the shorter forms of the game, with the ODI side being led by AB de Villiers and the T20I side by Faf du Plessis . After Smith's retirement, Hashim Amla was appointed captain of
Errol Holmes - Misplaced Pages Continue
5502-579: The Asian Games . The resultant growth has seen cricket's fanbase cross one billion people, with 90% of them in South Asia. T20's success has also spawned even shorter formats , such as 10-over cricket (T10) and 100-ball cricket , though not without controversy. Outside factors have also taken their toll on cricket. For example, the 2008 Mumbai attacks led India and Pakistan to suspend their bilateral series indefinitely. The 2009 attack on
5633-702: The British Empire had been instrumental in spreading the game overseas, and by the middle of the 19th century it had become well established in Australia , the Caribbean , British India (which includes present-day Pakistan and Bangladesh ), New Zealand , North America and South Africa . In 1862, an English team made the first tour of Australia. The first Australian team to travel overseas consisted of Aboriginal stockmen who toured England in 1868 . In 1876–77, an England team took part in what
5764-465: The Dukes of Richmond , exerted their honour code of noblesse oblige to claim rights of leadership in any sporting contests they took part in, especially as it was necessary for them to play alongside their "social inferiors" if they were to win their bets. In time, a perception took hold that the typical amateur who played in first-class cricket, until 1962 when amateurism was abolished, was someone with
5895-719: The Dutch East India Company established a settlement called the Cape Colony on Table Bay , near present-day Cape Town , and continued to expand into the hinterland through the 17th and 18th centuries. It was founded as a victualling station for the Dutch East Indies trade route but soon acquired an importance of its own due to its good farmland and mineral wealth. There was virtually no British interest in South Africa until 1795 when troops under General Sir James Henry Craig seized Cape Colony during
6026-657: The French Revolutionary War , the Netherlands having been occupied by French forces the same year. After the British seized Cape Colony a second time in 1806 to counteract French interests in the region in the course of the Napoleonic Wars , Cape Colony was turned into a permanent British settlement. As in most other parts of the world, British colonisation brought in its wake the introduction of
6157-589: The International Cricket Council Cricket World Cup in 2003. However, it is widely believed the sides containing the likes of Allan Donald , Shaun Pollock , Gary Kirsten , Jacques Kallis and Hansie Cronje grossly underachieved, gaining a reputation as " chokers ", due to them reaching the semi-finals of the Cricket World Cup four times, but failing to progress into the finals. In the second part of
6288-413: The West Indies . Women's cricket , which is organised and played separately, has also achieved international standard. The most successful side playing international cricket is Australia , which has won eight One Day International trophies, including six World Cups , more than any other country, and has been the top-rated Test side more than any other country. Cricket is one of many games in
6419-401: The "club ball" sphere that involve hitting a ball with a hand-held implement. Others include baseball (which shares many similarities with cricket, both belonging in the more specific bat-and-ball games category ), golf , hockey , tennis , squash , badminton and table tennis . In cricket's case, a key difference is the existence of a solid target structure, the wicket (originally, it
6550-408: The 1990s, South Africa had the highest winning percentage in ODIs of any team, but they were knocked out of the 1996 World Cup in the quarter-finals , and then were eliminated on countback after tying their semi-final against Australia in 1999. Their most noted international win was their win in the inaugural Champions Trophy in 1998. The team also won Commonwealth Games Gold medal in 1998 . In
6681-625: The 19th century. The game's governing body is the International Cricket Council (ICC), which has over 100 members, twelve of which are full members who play Test matches. The game's rules, the Laws of Cricket , are maintained by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in London . The sport is followed primarily in South Asia , Australia , New Zealand , the United Kingdom , Southern Africa , and
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#17327902547066812-417: The 2003 World Cup, South Africa was one of the favourites but was eliminated by only one run in the group stages after they had mistakenly counted the number of runs they needed. They have also had bad press for failing in vital matches in global tournaments including the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy and the 2007 ICC World Twenty20 . With Donald retiring, Cronje banned for match-fixing and later killed in
6943-670: The 2015 World Cup despite playing some fantastic cricket throughout the entire tournament. After a good world cup, South Africa went on to dominate ODI cricket in bilateral series which saw the Proteas rise to No. 1 in the ICC ODI Championship . At the 2019 Cricket World Cup South Africa lost the opening match of the tournament to England and followed this up with losses to Bangladesh and India. Rained out against West Indies, they defeated Afghanistan but then lost to New Zealand and Pakistan, to end their chances of qualifying for
7074-571: The 3-match Test series 2–0, they avoided defeat for the first time by drawing the first game at Johannesburg, even forcing the touring side to follow on thanks to some outstanding all-round performances from Llewellyn. In 1904, South Africa was invited by the Marylebone Cricket Club for a tour of England to play a series of first-class matches, the team not being regarded as sufficiently high standard to play-official Tests. The side won ten out of their twenty-two matches, including
7205-440: The 50 over the limit, which also included a famous victory over hosts India. In the quarter-final, they were beaten by New Zealand after suffering a dramatic collapse and losing eight wickets for 64 runs. Even after many setbacks, their biggest heartbreak was awaiting them in the 2015 World cup semi-final where they lost to the tournament runners-up New Zealand in a rain-affected tie. Batting first South Africa posted 281–5 and set
7336-683: The Bodyline captain Douglas Jardine as captain of Surrey in 1934 and resolutely refused to use short-pitched bowling in county matches. He also captained the "goodwill" Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) non- Test tour to Australia and New Zealand in 1935–36. Holmes attended Park View School in South Godstone , Surrey, and St Andrew's School, Eastbourne , before going to Malvern College in Worcestershire in 1919, where he
7467-459: The Final as Australia finished higher than South Africa in the group. South Africa hosted the 2003 Cricket World Cup but failed to progress beyond the group stage due to a misunderstanding of how many runs they needed to score in a rain-affected run chase. As a result of this, Shaun Pollock resigned as captain and was replaced by young batsman Graeme Smith , although Pollock continued to play for
7598-521: The First World War. Overall, the series was extremely poor for a South African side in transition, who failed to replicate the achievements of the South African sides 1905–06 and 1909–10, losing the 5-match Test series 4–0 against an extremely strong English side playing under the banner of the MCC. However, the series became memorable for Herbie Taylor's exceptional batting, who heralded his arrival as
7729-575: The German naval base at Wilhelmshaven . When the waist gunner of his aircraft was injured, Holmes took his place, but did not have any opportunity to fire the weapon. He was awarded the US DFC in 1948 for his services during the war, having been the flak liaison officer with the 1st Bomb Wing/Division during all their operations over Europe. After the war, Holmes was persuaded back to Surrey as captain for two further seasons from 1947, and as late as 1955, at
7860-710: The ICC to impose a moratorium on tours in 1970. This decision excluded players such as Graeme Pollock , Barry Richards and Mike Procter from international Test cricket for most of their careers. It would also cause the emigration of future stars such as Allan Lamb and Robin Smith , who both played for England, and Kepler Wessels , who initially played for Australia before returning to South Africa. World class cricketers of their day such as Clive Rice and Vintcent van der Bijl also never played Test Cricket despite their strong first class records. The ICC reinstated South Africa as
7991-419: The ICC. Despite the rules being changed in 1964 to allow other nations to be "Associate" members, South Africa did not reapply. Due to South African apartheid laws , which introduced legal racial segregation to the country in 1948, no non-white (defined under the legislation as either "black", "coloured" or "Indian") player was eligible to play Test cricket for South Africa. The anti-apartheid movement led
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#17327902547068122-485: The Kimberley Cup) that became the trophy, first won by Transvaal in 1889–90, for a national championship of the provincial teams in South Africa. In 1889, South Africa became the third test-playing nation when it played against England at Port Elizabeth captained by Owen Robert Dunell . Soon after, a 2nd test was played at Cape Town. However, these two matches, as was the case with all early matches involving
8253-584: The Middle Dutch phrase for hockey, " met de (krik ket)sen " ("with the stick chase"). Gillmeister has suggested that not only the name but also the sport itself may be of Flemish origin. Although the main object of the game has always been to score the most runs , the early form of cricket differed from the modern game in certain key technical aspects; the North American variant of cricket known as wicket retained many of these aspects. The ball
8384-630: The Oxford cricket team. He scored a century in the match against Cambridge , but Oxford lost. In the match against Free Foresters a few weeks earlier he had scored 236, including four sixes off four balls, and declared at the end of the first day when Oxford had made 520 for 8. During the General Strike of 1926 he served as a postman, delivering mail in his Darracq to the villages around Oxford. He toured Jamaica in February and March 1927 in
8515-425: The Proteas. Ultimately, they lost to India in the final by 7 runs. † For World Cups from 1975 to 1987 inclusive, South Africa was not an ICC member, and therefore ineligible to compete in the tournament. South Africa's kits are manufactured by Lotto , who replaced the previous manufacturer Castore in 2023. When playing Test cricket, South Africa's cricket whites feature the king protea badge (the emblem of
8646-566: The South African Sports Commission) with the South African flag above it on the left breast of the shirt. South African fielders may wear a green cap or a white sun hat with the king protea badge in the middle. Helmets are also coloured green. Before 1996, the cap insignia was the United Cricket Board of South Africa old badge, which was a circle with a ball superimposed over a wicket in the centre and
8777-575: The Sri Lankan team during their tour of Pakistan led to Pakistan being unable to host matches until 2019. In 2017, Afghanistan and Ireland became the 11th and 12th Test nations. In cricket, the rules of the game are codified in The Laws of Cricket (hereinafter called "the Laws"), which has a global remit. There are 42 Laws (always written with a capital "L"). The earliest known version of
8908-515: The West Indies, Ireland , Netherlands and Scotland , and a narrow win over Sri Lanka , but devastating losses to Australia, New Zealand and Bangladesh that cost them the No. 1 ranking. Then they bowed out in the semi-finals with their lowest ever score in a World Cup as Australia bowled them out for 149 and won by 7 wickets. In the 2011 World Cup , South Africa topped Group B with the distinction of bowling out every side they played within
9039-470: The Year the following year – the first South Africans to win the prestigious award . England's next tour of South Africa came about in 1909–10. Once again, South Africa was dominant, winning the 5-match Test series 3–2, with victories in the first Test at Johannesburg by 19 runs, second Test at Durban by 95 runs, and by 4 wickets in the 4th Test at Cape Town. South Africa's captain was Tip Snooke . The South African cricket team toured Australia for
9170-495: The age of 49, he came back to captain Surrey in one match against Oxford University, batting at number nine and scoring 49 runs. In retirement, he sat on MCC and Surrey committees. He published his autobiography, Flannelled Foolishness: A Cricketing Chronicle , in 1957. He died in hospital in August 1960 after a heart attack. Sir Jack Hobbs , who played alongside him and served with him on the Surrey committee, wrote that Holmes "was
9301-454: The ball hits the striker's wicket and dislodges the bails, and by the fielding side either catching the ball after it is hit by the bat but before it hits the ground, or hitting a wicket with the ball before a batter can cross the crease line in front of the wicket. When ten batters have been dismissed, the innings (playing phase) ends and the teams swap roles. Forms of cricket range from traditional Test matches played over five days to
9432-474: The ball, which is a hard, solid spheroid made of compressed leather with a slightly raised sewn seam enclosing a cork core layered with tightly wound string. The earliest known definite reference to cricket is to it being played in South East England in the mid-16th century. It spread globally with the expansion of the British Empire , with the first international matches in the second half of
9563-440: The ban was imposed, South Africa had developed to a point where its team was arguably the best in the world, and even out-played Australia. The ban remained in place until 1991, after which South Africa played against India , Pakistan , Sri Lanka and the West Indies for the first time. The team has been strong since its reinstatement, and has at several times held the number-one positions in international rankings. South Africa
9694-449: The batting team are on the field at any given time. The order of batters is usually announced just before the match, but it can be varied. The main objective of each team is to score more runs than their opponents, but in some forms of cricket, it is also necessary to dismiss all but one of the opposition batters (making their team 'all out') in their final innings in order to win the match, which would otherwise be drawn (not ending with
9825-421: The bowling crease, but is also, in fact, unlimited in length. Before a match begins, the team captains (who are also players) toss a coin to decide which team will bat first and so take the first innings . "Innings" is the term used for each phase of play in the match. In each innings, one team bats, attempting to score runs , while the other team bowls and fields the ball , attempting to restrict
9956-414: The code was drafted in 1744, and since 1788, it has been owned and maintained by its custodian, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in London . Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played on a cricket field (see image of cricket pitch and creases) between two teams of eleven players each. The field is usually circular or oval in shape, and the edge of the playing area is marked by a boundary , which may be
10087-519: The decline of Schwarz and Vogler, briefly caused him to hold the mantle of the lead bowler of the South African bowling attack before as well as to emerge as South Africa's leading bowler and a resounding success in the Triangular tournament, before commitments elsewhere in the form of the appointment as a colonial district commissioner in Nyasaland forced him to drift out of cricket – meaning that
10218-403: The delay, they were left in the situation of requiring 22 runs from one ball to progress. In 1996 they were eliminated in the quarter-finals despite being one of the fancied teams and having qualified first in their group. In 1999 South Africa lost in the semi-final to eventual champions Australia. The match ended in a tie with both South Africa and Australia managing 213 but Australia advanced to
10349-561: The derisive term "shamateur" was coined to describe the practice. The game underwent major development in the 18th century to become England's national sport . Its success was underwritten by the twin necessities of patronage and betting. Cricket was prominent in London as early as 1707 and, in the middle years of the century, large crowds flocked to matches on the Artillery Ground in Finsbury . The single wicket form of
10480-405: The earliest known contest that is generally considered a First Class match. The patrons and other players from the gentry began to classify themselves as " amateurs " to establish a clear distinction from the professionals, who were invariably members of the working class , even to the point of having separate changing and dining facilities. The gentry, including such high-ranking nobles as
10611-487: The early 2000s had retired, the number one place in the ICC Test Championship was a wide-open race, with India and England having short stints as the number one side. South Africa toured England in 2012 for a three-Test series with the winner assured of being the world No. 1. South Africa went on to take the series comfortably 2–0 and claim the top spot in the rankings, a position they retained for over
10742-412: The enormous potential that he showed in that Triangular, as well as the expectations that he could be a mainstay in the South African bowling in the coming years, were not quite fulfilled. Prodigious batsman Herbie Taylor was named captain of the South African team to face off against the visiting English team in 1913–14, in what would prove South Africa's last international cricketing involvement before
10873-470: The erstwhile 'South African XI' against all touring teams, did not receive the status of official 'Test' matches until South Africa formed the Imperial Cricket Conference with England and Australia in 1906. Neither did the touring English team organised by Major Warton even claim to be representing the English cricket team ; the matches were marketed as 'Major Warton's XI' v/s 'South African XI' instead. Even
11004-463: The existence of players like him who were nominally amateur but, in terms of their financial gain, de facto professional. Grace himself was said to have been paid more money for playing cricket than any professional. The last two decades before the First World War have been called the " Golden Age of cricket ". It is a nostalgic name prompted by the collective sense of loss resulting from
11135-516: The first great South African all-rounders in the international game, regarded by some as even the greatest all-rounder in the world in the pre-1st World War period. The Australian cricket team toured South Africa in 1902, with an extremely strong squad comprising many prominent members of 'The Golden Age of Australian Cricket' such as Victor Trumper , Joe Darling , Clem Hill , Syd Gregory , Monty Noble , Reggie Duff , Warwick Armstrong , Hugh Trumble , and Ernie Jones . Though South Africa lost
11266-597: The first limited overs Cricket World Cup in 1975 . Sri Lanka joined the ranks in 1982. Meanwhile, South Africa was banned by the ICC due to apartheid from 1970 until 1992. 1992 also brought about the introduction of the Zimbabwe team . The 21st century brought with it the Bangladesh Team , who made their Test debut in 2000. The game itself also grew, with a new format made up of 20-over innings being created. This format, called T20 cricket , quickly became
11397-407: The first time in 1910–11. The Australian team was then considered as the leading cricket team of the era, in what has been described as 'The Golden Age of Australian Cricket'. Led by the legendary Clem Hill and the batting exploits of Victor Trumper , Australia won the 5-match Test series comfortably 4–1, though South Africa made history by recording their first-ever overseas Test victory, as well as
11528-450: The game at county level led to the creation of the county clubs , starting with Sussex in 1839. In December 1889, the eight leading county clubs formed the official County Championship , which began in 1890. The most famous player of the 19th century was W. G. Grace , who started his long and influential career in 1865. It was especially during the career of Grace that the distinction between amateurs and professionals became blurred by
11659-549: The game of cricket , which began to develop rapidly. The first-ever recorded cricket match in South Africa took place in 1808, in Cape Town between two service teams for a prize of one thousand rix-dollars. The oldest cricket club in South Africa is the Port Elizabeth Cricket Club, founded in 1843. In 1862, an annual fixture "Mother Country v Colonial Born" was staged for the first time in Cape Town. By
11790-424: The game progresses (cricket can also be played on artificial surfaces, notably matting). Each wicket is made of three wooden stumps topped by two bails . As illustrated, the pitch is marked at each end with four white painted lines: a bowling crease , a popping crease and two return creases . The three stumps are aligned centrally on the bowling crease, which is eight feet eight inches long. The popping crease
11921-432: The game quickly grew from 500 tests in 84 years to 1000 within the next 23. Cricket entered a new era in 1963 when English counties introduced the limited overs variant. As it was sure to produce a result, limited overs cricket was lucrative, and the number of matches increased. The first Limited Overs International was played in 1971, and the governing International Cricket Council (ICC), seeing its potential, staged
12052-421: The greatest Test batter of all time. To curb his dominance, England employed bodyline tactics during the 1932–33 Ashes series . These involved bowling at the body of the batter and setting a field, resulting in batters having to choose between being hit or risk getting out. This series moved cricket from a game to a matter of national importance , with diplomatic cables being passed between the two countries over
12183-529: The hands, a safety helmet for the head, and a box for male players inside the trousers (to protect the crotch area). Some batters wear additional padding inside their shirts and trousers such as thigh pads, arm pads, rib protectors and shoulder pads. The only fielders allowed to wear protective gear are those in positions very close to the batter (i.e., if they are alongside or in front of him), but they cannot wear gloves or external leg guards. Subject to certain variations, on-field clothing generally includes
12314-528: The incident. During this time, the number of Test nations continued to grow, with the West Indies , New Zealand and India being admitted as full Test members within a four-year period from 1928 to 1932. An enforced break during the Second World War stopped Test Cricket for a time, although the Partition of India caused Pakistan to gain Test status in 1952. As teams began to travel more,
12445-404: The inscription which reads "UNITED CRICKET BOARD OF SOUTH AFRICA" around the circle's border. Before 1991, the cap insignia was a springbok head under the inscription "S.A.C.B" in yellow letters (which changed to "S.A." with the years of the tour, for instance, "S.A. 1982–83"). In limited overs cricket , South Africa's ODI and Twenty20 shirts feature the king protea badge with the national flag on
12576-478: The inventor of the googly, developed into the most devastating googly bowler of his time. He taught diligently the secrets of the googly to allrounder Faulkner, medium-pacer Vogler, and specialist batsman White, and together the four formed a quartet which began to lead South Africa to unprecedented heights in Test cricket. Another important force during this period for South Africa was the all-around performances of Faulkner and Llewellyn. Faulkner came to be regarded as
12707-642: The late 1840s, the game had spread from its early roots in Cape Colony and permeated the Afrikaners in the territories of Orange Free State and Transvaal , who were descendants of the original Dutch settlers and were not considered naturally a cricket-playing people. In 1876, Port Elizabeth presented the "Champion Bat" for competition between South African towns. The first tournament was staged in Port Elizabeth . King William's Town Cricket Club won
12838-413: The modern calendar). The case concerned ownership of a certain plot of land, and the court heard the testimony of a 59-year-old coroner , John Derrick , who gave witness that: Being a scholler in the ffree schoole of Guldeford hee and diverse of his fellows did runne and play there at creckett and other plaies. Given Derrick's age, it was about half a century earlier when he was at school, and so it
12969-421: The most skillful of all Test performances by a batsman." It also led Cardus to count Taylor as "one of the six greatest batsmen of the post-Grace period". The war brought in its wake the temporary suspension of international cricket. The Currie Cup , which had hitherto not been held during the years of The Boer War (1899–1902) and on the years when England had visited as a touring team, faced cancellation during
13100-552: The name may have been derived from the Middle Dutch (in use in Flanders at the time) " krick " ( -e ), meaning a stick (crook). Another possible source is the Middle Dutch word " krickstoel " , meaning a long low stool used for kneeling in church that resembled the long low wicket with two stumps used in early cricket. According to Heiner Gillmeister, a European language expert of Bonn University , "cricket" derives from
13231-441: The nascent, fledgling 'South African XI' was very weak, losing both tests comfortably to England, English spinner Johnny Briggs claiming 15–28 in the second Test at Cape Town. However, Albert Rose-Innes did make history by becoming the first South African bowler to take a five-wicket haul in Tests at Port Elizabeth. South Africa's early Test record remains the worst among all current Test-playing nations with ten defeats and just
13362-448: The newer Twenty20 format (also known as T20 ), in which each team bats for a single innings of 20 overs (each "over" being a set of 6 fair opportunities for the batting team to score) and the game generally lasts three to four hours. Traditionally, cricketers play in all-white kit , but in limited overs cricket , they wear club or team colours. In addition to the basic kit, some players wear protective gear to prevent injury caused by
13493-698: The next stage. They also hold the record of the highest successful run chase and made the highest total (the latter record has been surpassed) in One-Day Internationals (438–9 in 49.5 overs), in an iconic match against Australia on 12 March 2006. This game is considered by many to be the greatest One-Day International ever played. South Africa beat the Netherlands by 231 runs in Mohali in Group matches in ICC World Cup 2011 , The 231-run win
13624-445: The pitch. The striker's goal is to hit the bowled ball with the bat and then switch places with the nonstriker, with the batting team scoring one run for each of these exchanges. Runs are also scored when the ball reaches the boundary of the field or when the ball is bowled illegally . The fielding team tries to prevent runs from being scored by dismissing batters (so they are "out"). Means of dismissal include being bowled , when
13755-470: The players who participated did not know that they had played international cricket, and the side that played South Africa was regarded to be of weak county strength. The team was captained by C. Aubrey Smith , a decent medium pacer from Sussex , and for two of the Major Warton's XI, Basil Grieve and The Honourable Charles Coventry , the two Tests constituted their entire first-class career. Even so,
13886-412: The scoring and dismiss the batters. When the first innings ends, the teams change roles; there can be two to four innings depending upon the type of match. A match with four scheduled innings is played over three to five days; a match with two scheduled innings is usually completed in a single day. During an innings, all eleven members of the fielding team take the field, but usually only two members of
14017-413: The second innings scored a superb 176, the next highest score in the match was 50. Taylor's knock included 25 boundaries and was the largest by a South African against England. South Africa won the Test by 168 runs, it was Taylor's first victory as captain and as a Test player. He followed that in the second Test with scores of 9 and 68 as England narrowly won by one wicket. In the third Test at Durban he
14148-427: The series 1–0 with a 10-wicket win in the 3rd Test at Cape Town. Herbie Taylor, who captained the South Africans, finished with 200 runs at 33.33. Claude Carter was the South Africans' leading bowler, taking 15 wickets at 21.93. The following season, in 1922–23, an English cricket team toured . Just like nine years, previous Taylor was at his best. In the first Test at Johannesburg, he batted at number three and in
14279-422: The series with 582 runs at 64.66 and was the highest scorer on either side, his total was 278 more than the next South African. His series total was at the time a Test record for a captain, later surpassed by Don Bradman in 1936. His three centuries in the series set a South African Test record which was only bettered in 2003/04 by Jacques Kallis . The Wisden report of the series recorded that "H. W. Taylor as
14410-443: The sport attracted huge crowds and wagers to match, its popularity peaking in the 1748 season . Bowling underwent an evolution around 1760 when bowlers began to pitch (bounce) the ball instead of rolling or skimming it towards the batter. This caused a revolution in bat design because, to deal with the bouncing ball, it was necessary to introduce the modern straight bat in place of the old "hockey stick" shape. The Hambledon Club
14541-413: The sport is that a bowler delivers (i.e., bowls) the ball from their end of the pitch towards the batter who, armed with a bat , is "on strike" at the other end (see next sub-section: Basic gameplay ). The bat is made of wood, usually Salix alba (white willow), and has the shape of a blade topped by a cylindrical handle. The blade must not be more than 4.25 inches (10.8 cm) wide and
14672-477: The team was no match for Australia or England but, having gained experience and expertise, they were able to field a competitive team by the first decade of the 20th century. The team regularly played against Australia, England and New Zealand through to the 1960s, by which time there was considerable opposition to the country's apartheid policy. The ICC imposed an international ban on the team, commensurate with actions taken by other global sporting bodies. When
14803-458: The team. Under Smith's leadership, South Africa has achieved some success, although they have been hampered by the retirements of many star players, including fast bowler Allan Donald and one-day specialist Jonty Rhodes . As a result, they had a poor 2004, only winning against the Windies . In the 2007 Cricket World Cup they had a rollercoaster ride that included dominant wins over England ,
14934-579: The test side, leading his side to victory in his first test in charge, in Galle in Sri Lanka. South Africa has a record of failing to win world cups and is much-maligned because of this. The 1992 Cricket World Cup , for example, featured a rain-affected semi-final played before the introduction of the Duckworth-Lewis rain rule. South Africa needed 22 runs from 13 balls when rain intervened. After
15065-408: The total length of the bat not more than 38 inches (97 cm). There is no standard for the weight, which is usually between 2 lb 7 oz and 3 lb (1.1 and 1.4 kg). South African cricket team Test kit ODI kit T20I kit The South Africa men's national cricket team , also known as the Proteas , represents South Africa in men's international cricket and
15196-459: The tournament in 1876 and the following year, in 1877, too. In 1888, Sir Donald Currie sponsored the first English team to tour South Africa. It was managed by Major R. G. Warton and captained by future Hollywood actor C. Aubrey Smith . The tour marked the advent, retrospectively, of both first-class and Test cricket in South Africa. Currie donated the Currie Cup (originally called
15327-535: The war, but the period did produce some great players and memorable matches, especially as organised competition at county and Test level developed. In 1844, the first-ever international match took place between what were essentially club teams, from the United States and Canada , in Toronto ; Canada won. In 1859, a team of English players went to North America on the first overseas tour . Meanwhile,
15458-414: The way for South Africa. Afterwards, South Africa defeated England by 9 wickets in the 2nd Test at Johannesburg, a 243-run win in the 3rd test at the same venue as well as an innings-and-16 runs victory at Cape Town in the 5th Test to secure a 4–1 domination of England. Schwarz picked up 18 in the series at 17.22, Faulkner 14 at 19.42. However, Vogler was not so successful with 9 wickets at 22.33. The series
15589-511: The wicket at 95 for 6 and seeing the score through to 258 all out. He had to take over the captaincy midway through the Fourth Test after the captain, Bob Wyatt , had his jaw broken by a fast ball from Manny Martindale . He also played one Test at Lord's in the 1935 series against South Africa , and was chosen to lead the non-Test tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1935–36. Business commitments led him to make himself unavailable for
15720-620: The years of war (1914–18). Cricketing activity in South Africa resumed to normal with the armistice in November 1918. Post World War I, South Africa first hosted in 1919–20 an Australian Imperial Forces side boasting cricketers of the calibre of Jack Gregory , Herbie Collins , Bert Oldfield , and Nip Pellew . The South African XI lost both of their matches against them. Australia became the first international team to make an official tour to South Africa in 1921–22. The first two tests at Durban and Johannesburg were drawn, with Australia sealing
15851-655: Was bowled underarm by the bowler and along the ground towards a batter armed with a bat that in shape resembled a hockey stick ; the batter defended a low, two-stump wicket ; and runs were called notches because the scorers recorded them by notching tally sticks. In 1611, the year Cotgrave 's dictionary was published, ecclesiastical court records at Sidlesham in Sussex state that two parishioners, Bartholomew Wyatt and Richard Latter, failed to attend church on Easter Sunday because they were playing cricket. They were fined 12 d each and ordered to do penance . This
15982-600: Was President of Surrey, accosted him in Throgmorton Street and in the course of conversation asked him to take over the county's captaincy. He was an instant success, making 1,000 runs in each of the next four seasons and being appointed vice-captain on the MCC tour of the West Indies in 1934–35 , where he played in all four Test matches . He made his highest Test score of 85 not out in the Second Test, going to
16113-544: Was a "great upsurge of sport after the Restoration " in 1660. Several members of the court of King Charles II took a strong interest in cricket during that era. Gambling on sport became a problem significant enough for Parliament to pass the 1664 Gambling Act, limiting stakes to £ 100, which was, in any case, a colossal sum exceeding the annual income of 99% of the population. Along with horse racing , as well as prizefighting and other types of blood sport , cricket
16244-611: Was coached at cricket by Charles Toppin . In a school match in 1922 he took 10 for 36 in an innings. He captained the First XI in 1923 and 1924. He first played for Surrey in 1924 before going up to Trinity College, Oxford . Holmes came to prominence as a hard-hitting batsman for Oxford University from 1925 to 1927, also playing a few matches for Surrey and for the Gentlemen against the Players . He also bowled fast-medium, though it
16375-592: Was founded in the 1760s and, for the next twenty years until the formation of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and the opening of Lord's Old Ground in 1787, Hambledon was both the game's greatest club and its focal point. MCC quickly became the sport's premier club and the custodian of the Laws of Cricket . New Laws introduced in the latter part of the 18th century include the three-stump wicket and leg before wicket (lbw). The 19th century saw underarm bowling superseded by first roundarm and then overarm bowling . Both developments were controversial. Organisation of
16506-413: Was moved back up to open the innings, he scored 91 and shared 110 with Bob Catterall . The third day's play was washed out leaving the draw inevitable in a four-day match. The fourth Test was also drawn, Taylor scored 11 at number four and then moved back as the opener in the second innings made 101. Wisden wrote: "Taylor, who hit out freely when fear of defeat had gone, played a masterly game, but he had
16637-430: Was nowhere near their best in the series. South Africa finished bottom with just one draw, but the series was notable for the debut of Herbie Taylor , regarded as one of the finest batsmen of the era. The tournament marked the international swansong for Schwarz and White. The tournament also marked the peak of the short, but moderately successful test career of medium-pacer Sid Pegler , whose rise, coinciding as it did with
16768-490: Was perceived to be a gambling sport. Rich patrons made matches for high stakes, forming teams in which they engaged the first professional players. By the end of the century, cricket had developed into a major sport that was spreading throughout England and was already being taken abroad by English mariners and colonisers—the earliest reference to cricket overseas is dated 1676. A 1697 newspaper report survives of "a great cricket match" played in Sussex "for fifty guineas apiece",
16899-423: Was reported that his run-up tended to be rather more fearsome than the bowling that resulted from it. He gained blues in football and cricket in his first year. At a time when, he said, it was "desirable but by no means essential" for an Oxbridge student to finish with a degree, he approached his studies light-heartedly and did not sit for his exams in his final year, preferring to concentrate on his captaincy of
17030-544: Was rescinded in 2007, a new rule passed in 2016 stated that the team had to have an average minimum of six Black players, of which two must be Black African, in matches over the season. With the addition of high-class players such as AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla, the South African Cricket team started rising in the ICC rankings. After many of the major players in the Australian side that had dominated
17161-481: Was retrospectively recognised as the first-ever Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against Australia . The rivalry between England and Australia gave birth to The Ashes in 1882, which remains Test cricket's most famous contest. Test cricket began to expand in 1888–89 when South Africa played England. The inter-war years were dominated by Australia 's Don Bradman , statistically
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