South Africa v Australia 1935-36

Played at CAPETOWN, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, January 1, 2, 3, 4. Australia won by an innings and 78 runs. Making full use of changing conditions on the Newlands ground, Australia gained an easy victory by an innings and 78 runs. Rain prevented a ball being bowled on New Year's Day and the, weather remaining dull on Thursday, Brown and Fingleton found batting a simple matter on a slow, lifeless pitch. In the one important stand of the match the opening batsmen scored 233 together before a brilliant catch at short leg dismissed Fingleton. Balaskas, bowling into the wind, was very troublesome and, though Grimmett hit freely, eight men were out for 362 at the drawing of stumps. Torrential rain flooded the ground and, the pitch not having been covered adequately, Wade objected when Richardson declared. The umpires considered the turf fit for play at 3 o'clock and the Australian bowlers carried all before them, except when Nourse and Viljoen put on 57 of the 89 runs scored from the bat. After they were separated the last five wickets went down for 16 runs. In the follow-on, Wade and Siedle stayed together an hour and a half, but after the captain left at 87 a second collapse occurred. Grimmett in each innings bowled his slows with deadly effect. Altogether in the match he dismissed ten men at the small cost of 88 runs. In so doing he established a Test match record of 193 wickets. S. F. Barnes, hitherto the most successful bowler in international matches, claimed 189 wickets and his achievement, now ranks as second best. O'Reilly shared in the closing triumph. Australia showed to great advantage in the field.