New Zealand cricket team in South Africa in 1961–62
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The New Zealand national cricket team toured South Africa from October 1961 to February 1962 and played a five-match Test series against the
South Africa national cricket team The South Africa national cricket team, also known as the Proteas, represents South Africa in men's international cricket and is administered by Cricket South Africa (CSA). South Africa is a full member of the International Cricket Council ...
. The series was drawn 2–2, with New Zealand's victory in the third Test the team's first Test match win outside their home country. New Zealand captain John Reid scored a total of 1,915 runs during the tour, setting a record for the most runs scored in South Africa by a touring batsman.McLintock AH (1966) ''An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand''. (Available online a
Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Retrieved 2020-12-02.)
The tour was the second to South Africa by a team from New Zealand, the previous tour having taken place in 1953–54. After South Africa withdrew from the
British Commonwealth The Commonwealth of Nations, simply referred to as the Commonwealth, is a political association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire. The chief institutions of the organisation are the Co ...
in 1961, the tour was not deemed official as the country was no longer a member of the
Imperial Cricket Conference The International Cricket Council (ICC) is the world governing body of cricket. Headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, its members are 108 national associations, with 12 Full Members and 96 Associate Members. Founded in 1909 as the '' ...
(ICC). Despite this, the international matches on the tour have always been considered to have Test match status.South Africa withdraws from the Commonwealth
South African History Online. Retrieved 2020-12-02.

''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'', 1963. Retrieved 2020-12-02.
Due to the
sporting boycott of South Africa during the apartheid era South Africa under apartheid was subjected to a variety of international boycotts, including on sporting contacts. There was some debate about whether the aim of the boycott was to oppose segregation in sport or apartheid in general, with the la ...
, no official Test cricket was played by South Africa after 1970, with an effective moratorium on international tours to the country after a resolution passed by the ICC opposing the
apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...
system. As a result, New Zealand did not tour the country again until 1994–95, after the end of the apartheid regime and the reintegration of South Africa into international sport in 1991.


Tour party

The New Zealand side was captained by John Reid with
Murray Chapple Murray Ernest Chapple (25 July 1930 – 31 July 1985) was a New Zealand cricketer who played 14 Test matches over 13 years. However, he was largely unsuccessful, with only three fifties and a highest score of 76. Playing career In a first-clas ...
as the vice-captain. Reid was by far the most experienced member of the side with 34 Test caps; other than
Noel McGregor Spencer Noel McGregor (18 December 1931 – 21 November 2007) was a Test cricketer who played 25 Test matches for New Zealand between 1954–55 and 1964–65. He was the New Zealand Cricket Almanack Player of the Year in 1968. Domestic career N ...
with 15, no other member of the side had more than 10 caps to their name and eight players on the tour had not made their Test debut. Six of these went on to play in the Test matches on the tour, with only John Ward and
Bryan Yuile Bryan William Yuile (born 29 October 1941) is a retired cricketer who played 17 Test matches for New Zealand in the 1960s. He played first-class cricket from 1959 to 1972, until his religious objection to playing on Sundays led to the end of h ...
not playing in any of the Tests.Test Cricket Tours – New Zealand to South Africa 1961-62
Test Cricket Tours (archived June 2020). Retrieved 2020-12-03.
Neely D, Payne R (1986) ''Men in White: The History of New Zealand International Cricket, 1894–1985'', p. 303. Auckland: Moa. New Zealand's outstanding post-war batsman,
Bert Sutcliffe Bert Sutcliffe (17 November 1923 – 20 April 2001) was a New Zealand Test cricketer. Sutcliffe was a successful left-hand batsman. His batting achievements on tour in England in 1949, which included four fifties and a century in the Tests, e ...
,Bert Sutcliffe
Obituary, ''
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack ''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'', or simply ''Wisden'', colloquially the Bible of Cricket, is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom. The description "bible of cricket" was first used in the 1930s by Alec Waugh in a ...
'', 2002. Retrieved 2020-12-03.
had retired from Test cricket and was not available for the tour, although he came back into the side for the 1965 tour of India,
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
and
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
at the age of 41. Experienced players Bob Blair and
Alex Moir Alexander McKenzie Moir (17 July 1919 – 17 June 2000) was a New Zealand cricketer. He played 17 Test matches for New Zealand in the 1950s as a leg-spinner and lower-order batsman. Early life Moir served in Europe with New Zealand forces in ...
were not selected for the tour. The manager of the team was
Gordon Leggat John Gordon Leggat (27 May 1926 – 9 March 1973) was a New Zealand cricketer who played nine Test matches for New Zealand in the 1950s as an opening batsman. He was later a leading cricket administrator. His cousin Ian Leggat also played Test ...
. Leggat played in one of the non-first-class matches on the tour. A protest against the South African
apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...
regime took place during the squad selection meeting in
Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...
. The team was the last from New Zealand to visit apartheid-era South Africa; the next New Zealand team to tour the country did so in 1994/95, after the end of the
sporting boycott of South Africa South Africa under apartheid was subjected to a variety of international boycotts, including on sporting contacts. There was some debate about whether the aim of the boycott was to oppose segregation in sport or apartheid in general, with the la ...
.The New Zealanders in South Africa, 1994-95
''
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack ''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'', or simply ''Wisden'', colloquially the Bible of Cricket, is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom. The description "bible of cricket" was first used in the 1930s by Alec Waugh in a ...
'', 1996. Retrieved 2018-06-18.


Tour itinerary

The tour took place between October 1961 and March 1962. The New Zealanders travelled to and from South Africa via Australia. They played a first-class match against
Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
on the outward leg of their journey and matches against
South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
and
New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...
on the return journey, the only matches played in March.New Zealand in Australia and South Africa 1961/62
CricketArchive. Retrieved 2020-12-03.
A total of 21 matches were played in South Africa during the tour, including the five Test matches, as well as three played in Rhodesia. Eleven matches, seven of which were first-class, were played during the period between October and December, before the first Test match. These included three matches, two of which were first-class, in Rhodesia. Another eight matches, six of which were first-class, were played between the Test matches, including five in January 1962 between the third and fourth Tests.


Test series

All of the Test matches during the tour were four-day matches. Each side won two of the five matches with one drawn Test, leaving the series drawn.


First Test

The first Test match of the tour was held at
Kingsmead Cricket Ground Kingsmead is a cricket ground in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Its stated capacity is 25,000, although grass terracing makes up part of the viewing area. The 'end names' are the Umgeni End (north) and the Old Fort Road End (south). It is t ...
in
Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...
, beginning on 8 December 1961. Seven of the South African team and five New Zealanders made their Test debuts in the match. The South African team was captained by Jackie McGlew in his final series. South Africa won the toss and chose to bat, scoring 292 runs in their first innings, and innings anchored by McGlew who
carried his bat In cricket, the term carry the bat (or carry one's bat) refers to an opening batsman (no. 1 and 2) who is not dismissed ("not out") when the team innings is closed. The term is mainly used when the innings closes after all 10 wickets have fall ...
with a score of 127. Only
Roy McLean Roy Alastair McLean (9 July 1930 – 26 August 2007) was a South African cricketer who played in 40 Test matches between 1951 and 1964. A stroke-playing middle-order batsman, he scored over 2,000 Test runs, but made 11 ducks in 73 Test innings. ...
, who scored 63, made a score of more than 25 runs and ''
Wisden ''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'', or simply ''Wisden'', colloquially the Bible of Cricket, is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom. The description "bible of cricket" was first used in the 1930s by Alec Waugh in a ...
'' commented that the batting of the new South African players, other than
Colin Bland Kenneth Colin Bland (5 April 1938 – 14 April 2018) was a Rhodesian cricketer who played in 21 Test matches for South Africa in the 1960s. He is regarded as one of the greatest fielders in the history of Test cricket. Cricket career Colin ...
, was "disappointing" throughout the match. In reply New Zealand scored 245 runs, with Paul Barton and Zin Harris both making half-centuries, leaving South Africa with a lead of 47 runs after the first innings.First Test Match
South Africa v New Zealand, ''
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack ''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'', or simply ''Wisden'', colloquially the Bible of Cricket, is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom. The description "bible of cricket" was first used in the 1930s by Alec Waugh in a ...
'', 1963. Retrieved 2020-12-03.
After a rest day on Sunday 10 December,Scorecard
1st Test, Durban, Dec 8-12 1961, New Zealand tour of South Africa , CricInfo. Retrieved 2020-12-03.
South Africa resumed their second innings. When Bland was fourth man out with the score on 110 they appeared well placed to build a big lead, but collapsed in less than an hour to be all out for 149, leaving New Zealand to score 197 runs with more than a days play remaining. They failed to reach their target and were all out for 166 after what ''Wisden'' called "rank bad batting", with South Africa winning the match by just 30 runs.
Peter Pollock Peter Maclean Pollock (born 30 June 1941) is a retired South African cricketer. He has played a continuing role in the South Africa cricket team as a player and selector. He was voted a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1966. He was primarily a f ...
, on his Test debut aged 20, took a five-wicket haul with six wickets for a cost of 38 runs in the innings and nine wickets in the match.


Second Test

The second Test match began on Boxing Day at Wanderers in
Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Dem ...
. McGlew again won the toss and chose to bat,
John Waite John Charles Waite (born 4 July 1952) is an English musician. As a solo artist, he has released ten studio albums and is best known for the 1984 hit single " Missing You", which reached No. 1 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and the top ten on ...
scoring a century in South Africa's first innings score of 322 runs.
Frank Cameron Francis James Cameron (1 June 1932 – 2 January 2023) was a New Zealand cricketer who played 19 Tests for New Zealand as a fast bowler. Cameron took three five-wicket-hauls in an innings during his Test career for New Zealand, two of them ...
took five wickets in the innings. Rain had restricted play to only 80 minutes on the first day, and New Zealand did not begin their reply until the final session of the second day. They scored 223 in their innings, with Godfrey Lawrence taking eight wickets for 53 runs, the best bowling figures in Test matches by a South African fast bowler. Debutant
Graham Dowling Graham Thorne Dowling (born 4 March 1937) is a former New Zealand cricketer who played 39 Test matches and captained New Zealand in 19 of them. He led New Zealand to its first victory in a Test series, against Pakistan in November 1969. He wa ...
top scored for New Zealand with 74.Second Test Match
South Africa v New Zealand, ''
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack ''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'', or simply ''Wisden'', colloquially the Bible of Cricket, is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom. The description "bible of cricket" was first used in the 1930s by Alec Waugh in a ...
'', 1963. Retrieved 2020-12-03.
2nd Test, Johannesburg, Dec 26-29 1961, New Zealand tour of South Africa
CricInfo. Retrieved 2020-12-03.
McGlew declared South Africa's second innings at 178/6, leaving New Zealand with a target of 278 runs in around four hours play. They reached 165 runs for the loss of four wickets and the match was drawn, with ''Wisden'' lamenting the loss of time to rain on the first day. Dowling scored a second half century, with John Reid top scoring with 75
not out In cricket, a batter is not out if they come out to bat in an innings and have not been dismissed by the end of an innings. The batter is also ''not out'' while their innings is still in progress. Occurrence At least one batter is not out at t ...
.


Third Test

The third Test was played at
Newlands Newlands may refer to: Places Australia * Newlands, Queensland, a locality in the Whitsunday Region New Zealand * Newlands, Wellington, a suburb of Wellington South Africa * Newlands, Cape Town, a suburb of Cape Town * Newlands, Johannesbur ...
in
Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...
, beginning on New Year's Day. Reid won the toss for the first time in the series and New Zealand chose to bat, scoring 385 runs in their first innings, attacking the South African bowling after losing early wickets. Reid scored a "pulsating" 92 runs before
Murray Chapple Murray Ernest Chapple (25 July 1930 – 31 July 1985) was a New Zealand cricketer who played 14 Test matches over 13 years. However, he was largely unsuccessful, with only three fifties and a highest score of 76. Playing career In a first-clas ...
and Zin Harris put on 148 runs for the fifth wicket, Harris scoring his maiden Test century before being
stumped Stumped is a method of dismissing a batsman in cricket, which involves the wicket-keeper putting down the wicket while the batsman is out of his ground. (The batsman leaves his ground when he has moved down the pitch beyond the popping creas ...
for 101. Sydney Burke, making his debut for South Africa, took six wickets, including four cheap ones on the second morning of the match.Third Test
South Africa v New Zealand, ''
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack ''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'', or simply ''Wisden'', colloquially the Bible of Cricket, is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom. The description "bible of cricket" was first used in the 1930s by Alec Waugh in a ...
'', 1963. Retrieved 2020-12-06.
Buster Farrer William Stephen "Buster" Farrer (born 8 December 1936) is a former South African cricketer who played in six Test matches between 1962 and 1964. He also played tennis and hockey at international level. Education and early cricket career Farrer ...
also made his debut for South Africa in the match.3rd Test, Cape Town, Jan 1-4 1962, New Zealand tour of South Africa
CricInfo. Retrieved 2020-12-06.
In reply South Africa were bowled out for 190 runs, Cameron taking a five-wicket haul. Reid did not enforce the
follow on In the game of cricket, a team who batted second and scored significantly fewer runs than the team who batted first may be forced to follow-on: to take their second innings immediately after their first. The follow-on can be enforced by the team ...
and New Zealand scored 212 runs before declaring with nine wickets down, Burke taking another five wickets for 11 on debut. South Africa required 407 runs to win the match. McGlew, who suffered a hand injury, made 63 runs and McLean a century in under three hours, but the South Africans were bowled out for 335, New Zealand winning by 72 runs. The victory, which ''Wisden'' described as a "thriller", was their second in Test matches and their first away from home.


Fourth Test

The fourth Test was played at the beginning of February, with Wanderers being used again to host the match. Burke was dropped, despite his bowling display in the previous Test, and Peter Heine returned to the South African team after an absence of three years. It was to be his last Test match. Tiger Lance made his Test debut for the South Africans, the side's tenth new cap of the series.Fourth Test
South Africa v New Zealand, ''
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack ''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'', or simply ''Wisden'', colloquially the Bible of Cricket, is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom. The description "bible of cricket" was first used in the 1930s by Alec Waugh in a ...
'', 1963. Retrieved 2020-12-06.
Reid won the toss again and opted to bat, but New Zealand were dismissed for 164 runs in their first innings, with Godfrey Lawrence taking another five-wicket haul at Wanderers. Only Reid, who played a "glorious innings" for 60, scored more than 22 runs. South Africa replied with a score of 464, with an opening partnership of 134 and another century from McGlew, the seventh and last of his Test match career.Scorecard
4th Test, Johannesburg, Feb 2-5 1962, New Zealand tour of South Africa, CricInfo. Retrieved 2020-12-06.
Facing a deficit of over 300, New Zealand lost both opening batsmen for ducks and were all out for 249. Reid again dominated the innings, scoring 142, but his side lost by an innings and 51 runs with a full day to play. The match saw South African wicket-keeper
John Waite John Charles Waite (born 4 July 1952) is an English musician. As a solo artist, he has released ten studio albums and is best known for the 1984 hit single " Missing You", which reached No. 1 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and the top ten on ...
take his 24th dismissal of the series, breaking the world record for dismissals in a five-match series by a wicket-keeper with a match remaining.


Fifth Test

The final Test match of the series was played at
St George's Oval St George's Park Cricket Ground (also known as St George's Park, Crusaders Ground or simply Crusaders) is a cricket ground in St George's Park,South Africa. It is the home of the Port Elizabeth Cricket Club, one of the oldest cricket clubs in So ...
in Port Elizabeth, beginning on 16 February. Reid won the toss for the third match in a row and chose to bat on what ''Wisden'' described as a "batsman's wicket".Fifth Test
South Africa v New Zealand, ''
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack ''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'', or simply ''Wisden'', colloquially the Bible of Cricket, is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom. The description "bible of cricket" was first used in the 1930s by Alec Waugh in a ...
'', 1963. Retrieved 2020-12-18.
The New Zealanders scored 275 runs, with Paul Barton top-scoring with 109, scoring his only Test century in an innings ''Wisden'' described as "composed, correct and polished". In reply South Africa scored 190, with opening batsman McGlew, playing in his final Test, suffering from an injured shoulder and not batting until ninth in the batting order as a result. New Zealand were then bowled out for 228 runs in their second innings, leaving South Africa requiring 314 to win the match.Scorecard
5th Test, Port Elizabeth, Feb 16 - Feb 20 1962, New Zealand tour of South Africa, CricInfo. Retrieved 2020-12-18.
The second South African innings was in trouble at 199 for the loss of eight wickets, until a ninth wicket stand of 60 runs brought them to within 60 runs of the target. They lost their final two wickets, the last falling with only 21 minutes of play remaining in the match. to leave New Zealand the winners by 40 runs, levelling the series at 2 wins apiece. Waite took two more dismissals to take his total for the Test matches to 26, at the time the most by a wicket-keeper in a five-match Test series. New Zealand's wicket-keeper
Artie Dick Arthur Edward Dick (born 10 October 1936) is a former cricketer who played 17 Test matches for New Zealand as a wicket-keeper between 1961 and 1965. Cricket career Dick made his first-class debut for Otago on Christmas Day 1956, playing as a ...
took five dismissals during the match, leaving him with a total of 23 for the series, equalling the previous record.


Other matches

The New Zealanders played 22 other matches during the tour. Three of these were played in Australia, one on the outward leg of the journey and two on the return. In total, 16 matches of these matches were considered first-class, including all three matches played in Australia. An additional match was played after the team returned to New Zealand against a touring side.


Outward journey

New Zealand arrived in Perth on 8 October 1961 and spent three days practicing before playing a first-class match against
Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
.


Early tour matches

After arriving in South Africa on 17 October, the New Zealand side travelled first to Southern Rhodesia to play three matches, two of which were first-class, against Rhodesian teams in October, narrowly avoiding defeat in the first match.Rhodesian first-class cricket in 1961/62
CricInfo. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
They then travelled back to South Africa and played eight matches before the first Test. Five of these matches were first-class. After returning from Rhodesia, the New Zealanders played eight matches before the first Test match in early December.


Mid tour matches

Between the first and second Tests, the New Zealanders played first-class matches in
Pretoria Pretoria () is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to South Africa. Pretoria straddles the Apies River and extends eastward into the foot ...
and Benoni. The second and third Tests were played over the Christmas and New Year period without any intervening fixtures, and were followed by five fixtures, three of which were first-class, before the fourth Test. A single first-class match was played in East London between the fourth and fifth Tests. The second Test started on 26 December and the third on 1 January after which the New Zealanders played five more matches before the fourth Test match. After the fourth Test match, which was scheduled to be played between 2–6 February, the New Zealanders played one first-class match against Border before the final Test match began on 16 February.


Return journey

After leaving South Africa after the final Test at the end of February, the New Zealanders played two first-class matches against Australian sides on the return journey. Immediately after arriving back in New Zealand, a further first-class match was played against a Commonwealth XI. The New Zealand side featured exclusively players from the touring side.


Notes


References


Further reading

* Whitington RS (1962) ''John Reid's Kiwis''. Christchurch: Whitcombe & Tombs.


External links


New Zealand in South Africa, 1961–62
''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack''

(archived June 2020) {{DEFAULTSORT:New Zealand cricket team in South Africa in 1961-62 1961 in New Zealand cricket 1961 in South African cricket 1962 in New Zealand cricket 1962 in South African cricket
1961 Events January * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba (Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015). ** Aero Flight 311 (K ...
South African cricket seasons from 1945–46 to 1969–70 International cricket competitions from 1960–61 to 1970