Twelfth
Test-playing tour of England
by South Africa
(May - August 1998)
Having already won the limited-overs
Texaco series, South
Africa let slip their winning position after
going one-up in the Test series at Lord's. They just failed to close a
victory in the third Test at Old Trafford and then lost the next two. The
umpiring was erratic and nearly all of the marginal decisions favoured the
home side - which arguably cost the tourists the final Test at Headingley
when England
had the best of a number of close lbw decisions.
It later emerged at the King
Commission of Inquiry into match-fixing that, of 10 lbw decisions given at
Headingley, 9 were given by Javed Akhtar against the South African team and 7
were regarded as dubious.
However, the South Africans had
not helped themselves by scoring too slowly, Gary Kirsten’s double-century at
Old Trafford taking 525 balls. The team performance was also affected by
becoming very tired from participating in one of the last full-length tours
of England
that have now been consigned to history.
Rhodes and Donald were the
stars of the team, and particular strengths also lay in the support bowling
of Pollock and the batting of Cronje and Kallis. Nevertheless it was very
disappointing to lose 1-2 after being poised to take a 2-0 lead in the third
Test and to fail to reach the final of the one-day triangular.
Peter Pollock (national selection convenor), Gerald Majola, Morice Garda, Rushdie Magiet, Mike Proctor, Clive Rice, Kepler Wessels.
Selection
Unavailable:Dave Richardson and Fanie de Villiers had
announced their retirements in March 1998.
Tour Party Announced : 24 April 1998.
Not selected :H D Ackerman, D Benkenstein, S J Elworthy, H H Gibbs, A
Hudson,D Crookes, B Schultz
Brian Macmillan was surprisingly recalled.This was South Africa’s largest tour party
since re-admission (17 members).
Time between selection and departure from South Africa
15 days
(24 April to 9 May)
Travel
The team left South Africa
on 11 May, flying from Johannesburg,
and arrived on 12 May. They were based at the Waldorf Hotel in London.
Symcox joined the team in Worcester
on Wednesday as he was in Durban
hosting his benefit banquet.
Time spent in England
101 days
(11 May - 20 August)
On-tour selection panel
Bob Woolmer (coach),Hansie Cronje (captain),Gary
Kirsten(vice-captain)
Reinforcements
S Elworthy
No
23
RFM
ODI
M J R
Rindel
No
35
LHB(LM)
ODI
Steve Elworthyreplaced Roger Telemachus who returned home on 20 June with a shoulder
injury.
Left-handed opener Mike Rindel was brought in for the
one-day series because when Adam Bacher and Klusener had to return home early.
Bacher flew back to Johannesburg
on 28 July.
Allan Donald, who was to have left for South Africa before the one-day triangular
to undergo treatment on his ankle, stayed with the squad when the Test series
was lost.
.
No - Northerns (formerly Northern
Transvaal)
Fixtures/Results
Worcester
Worcestershire
Won 89 r
† Arundel
Duke of Norfolk's XI (50 overs)
Won 61 r
Canterbury
Kent
Won 98 r
§ Kennington Oval
England(1st ODI)
Won 3 w
§ Old Trafford
England(2nd ODI)
Won 32 r
§ Headingley
England(3rd ODI)
Lost 7 w
† Stone
Minor Counties
Won 94 r
Bristol
Gloucestershire
Won 167 r
EDGBASTON
ENGLANDFirst Test
DRAWN
Trent Bridge
Nottinghamshire
Won 22 r
Arundel
Sussex
Drawn
LORD'S
ENGLANDSecond Test
WON 10 w
Cambridge
British Universities
Drawn
† Northampton
Northamptonshire
Won 98 r
OLD TRAFFORD
ENGLANDThird Test
DRAWN
† Amstelveen
Netherlands(50
overs)
Won 83 r
† Downpatrick
Ireland(50 overs)
No result
† Dublin
Ireland(50
overs)
Won 63 r
Chester-le-Street
Durham
Drawn
Derby
Derbyshire
Drawn
TRENT BRIDGE
ENGLANDFourth Test
LOST 8 w
† Chelmsford
Essex(50 overs)
Won 177 r
Chelmsford
Essex
Drawn
HEADINGLEY
ENGLANDFifth Test
LOST 23 r
† Headingley
Counties Select XI (45 overs)
Lost 5 r
§ Trent Bridge
Sri Lanka(1st ODI)
Lost 57 r
§ Edgbaston
England(2nd ODI)
Won 14 r
† not first-class
§one-day international
Time
spent in England
before First Test:24
days
(11 May - 4 June)
ODITexaco Trophy and
Emirates Triangular Tournament