ENGLAND v SOUTH AFRICA 1955

South Africa's was a remarkable triumph, for on winning the toss half their wickets fell for 38 and seven were down for 98. England appeared to have gained a tremendous advantage when they batted on an easy-paced pitch and Adcock, after sending down only four overs, retired with a broken bone in the left foot. It was at that stage when victory for England seemed almost a foregone conclusion that South Africa proceeded to make their glorious recovery.

Admirable bowling by Heine, Goddard and Tayfield, of which more will be written later, was splendidly supported in the field and throughout McGlew, the deputy captain, excelled in field placing as well as in the splendid example he set his men by his enthusiastic run-saving and determined batting. Not only was this the first victory by South Africa at Headingley but never before had they won two matches in the same series in England. Fuller, the twelfth man, fielded splendidly.

Whereas injury in the Lord's Test still deprived South Africa of their captain, Cheetham, England could not call on Cowdrey, Evans, Tyson or Appleyard and Watson, the Yorkshire left-hander, preferred as opener to Kenyon, withdrew through injury, being replaced by Lowson. As Titmus had not fulfilled expectations in the two previous Tests, England played the two left-arm slow bowlers, Wardle and Lock, and went into the match without a right-handed spinner which proved a big handicap judged by Tayfield's nine wickets for South Africa.

As at Old Trafford, grand weather favoured the match. The sun shone powerfully all five days and, with increased accommodation, the total attendance of 113,500 and receipts £31,032 were both records for any match between the two countries. On the fourth day, Monday, the gates were closed at midday with 36,000 present.

This was the only time South Africa won the toss in this series and they retained their winning team of the previous Test at Manchester. Dews, of Worcestershire, was twelfth man for England. May used his fast bowlers, Statham, Loader and Bailey in short spells and it was when Loader crossed to Statham's Kirkstall end with 26 runs scored in an hour that he struck the early blows for England. For seventy-five minutes the South African first pair remained together before Loader, who varied his pace and angle of attack skilfully, disposed of McGlew, Keith and Goddard and Bailey accounted for Mansell who played on. At lunch South Africa were 37 for four and immediately afterwards the left-handed Wardle, running from cover, ran out Waite, making 38 for five.

By clean hitting McLean improved the position until splendidly caught low to the left by May at cover; but Endean, sent in late owing to his previous lack of success, played well for an hour and fifty minutes until Statham yorked his middle stump. South Africa were all out in four hours forty minutes, a most disappointing performance, the honours going to the three seam bowlers Loader, Statham and Bailey. Compared with Manchester, England's fielding showed much improvement, McIntyre making a worthy deputy for Evans.

England, left with seventy minutes at the crease at the end of the first day, lost their opening pair for 23. The decision of the selectors to use Bailey as a number one batsman not only proved a failure but it left the side without any stiffening in the middle of the order.

Next day an X-ray revealed the extent of Adcock's foot injury and with only three recognised bowlers at his disposal McGlew set his field deep giving England the task of fighting for runs. Lock had joined May overnight and altogether he lasted 50 minutes. May and Compton put on 64, both batting attractively before May, trying to drive Tayfield, was bowled by an offbreak. Compton drove and hooked well, but when at 152 he was caught at slip, England even found difficulty in gaining the lead. Wardle alone attacked the bowling; he helped himself to 24 from six strokes against Tayfield, including two drives for 6 into the top balcony of the football stand. Insole, back to Test cricket after five years, stayed an hour being last out, but he never looked comfortable.

Although in the field from 11.30 a.m. till 3.55 p.m. South Africa made only two bowling changes. Heine, fast and hostile, bowled till 12.20 when he was relieved at 60 by Tayfield who proceeded to bowl his off-breaks from the pavilion end till the innings closed. Goddard, attacking the leg stump, began with a spell of one hour fifty minutes, after which Heine from 1.20 p.m. shared the attack with Tayfield. Considering that at lunch England needed only 43 for the lead with six wickets left, South Africa accomplished a fine performance in restricting their advantage to 20. As many as six of the England team were lbw, an indication of their faulty methods in preferring pads to bat.

McGlew showed a keen sense in resting Goddard on the boundary after lunch for he needed him to open the innings. Having bowled themselves out of trouble the South Africans continued to show initiative. The diminutive McGlew and the tall left-handed Goddard sought runs. McGlew, quick on his feet, drove the pitched-up ball or cut or pulled the shorter one and Goddard, who was content with nine runs in an hour and fifty minutes in the first innings, now became more active. Statham beat both batsmen but nightfall found South Africa 107 for no wicket; McGlew 59; Goddard 46.

By exercising more caution and batting to the pattern now accepted by Test crowds South Africa extracted 234 runs in six hours from the England bowlers on the fourth day (Saturday) while losing five wickets. Loader could not repeat his deadly work of Thursday but he put in a good spell before lunch when his bouncer caused McGlew, then in the nineties, some concern. Statham, unable to use the Kirkstall end because of the deep foothold which brought about Adcock's injury and later prevented Heine from bowling, seemed to lack inspiration in the absence of Tyson.

England toiled for four and a quarter hours before Goddard, flicking outside the off stump when playing back, fell to the first ball after lunch. The stand of 176 was South Africa's best for the first wicket in England beating the 171 by R. H. Catterall and B. Mitchell at Birmingham in 1929. A feature of the partnership was the quick running; not a run was wasted and some were stolen cheekily.

McGlew reached his hundred in four and a half hours and two more hours passed before at 265 he pulled a simple catch to his rival captain at mid wicket. He hit thirteen 4's. Keith, like Goddard left-handed, stayed three hours twenty minutes, his boundaries numbering eleven, and at the end of the day South Africa were 341 for five wickets and two days remained.

Monday provided a triumph for Endean, who batting just over four hours, hit his first Test century against England. He received valuable help from Waite, who stayed one hundred minutes while 76 were added, and Tayfield, Heine and even Adcock, who came without a runner, all played their part in swelling the total to a round 500. Very watchful, Endean batted almost without fault and hit sixteen 4's. Altogether the innings lasted eleven hours fifty minutes.

England needed 481 in eight hours twenty minutes, an average of one a minute and this time Graveney opened with Lowson, Bailey batting at number six. At once disaster overtook England, Lowson falling to a ball that kept low, but generally the pitch did not favour the bowlers. It lasted remarkably well. Graveney shaped well only to fall to a fine catch at mid-off. McLean took the ball low and cleanly and Graveney set a splendid example for all Test cricketers by merely asking McLean whether it was a catch and then walking to the pavilion without waiting for an appeal to the umpires.

An unfinished stand of 56 by May and Insole left England with a fighting chance on the last day when with eight wickets in hand they wanted 366 in the last six hours. Thanks to the two Cambridge Blues, England held their own almost till lunch time. Insole stayed another seventy-five minutes, the stand realising 47, and Compton, having been held back for the final effort, shaped splendidly, but May fell to the fourth ball of the last over before the interval when playing back and his dismissal at that vital period proved to be the final turning-point. May batted four hours, hitting thirteen 4's.

Here tribute must be paid to the South African bowlers. Heine was entrusted with the first over of the day, but in his trial run from the Kirkstall end he found the foothold too awkward and dangerous and consequently he did not bowl at all on this last day. Instead, the tall left-handed Goddard bowled over the wicket without relief from 11.30 a.m. until the match was won at 4.12 p.m. A glance at the analysis for both innings reveals the wonderful part Goddard and Tayfield played. Mansell, too, contributed an important part for he bowled steadily from 11.30 until 1.50 p.m. keeping Tayfield fresh for the final effort and that was the only change when the total was 180 for three.

In the circumstances, South Africa did not claim the new ball and Tayfield and Goddard took the last six wickets in two hours after the interval for the addition of 52 runs. Bailey resisted for those two hours being last out to a smart low return catch by Tayfield. South Africa thoroughly merited their win and with the rubber level the issue depended on the final Test at The Oval.