England v South Africa 1909-10

Played at Capetown, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, March 7, 8, 9.- Successful by four wickets in a match of modest scores, the South Africans won the rubber with one match still to be played. For the first time in the Test series Blythe was included in the eleven, but he only took two wickets. As in the second match the struggle was a very close one in the first innings, the South Africans leading by four runs. In one respect the Englishmen could regard themselves as unlucky, their most trusted run getters- Hobbs, Rhodes and Denton- failing dismally. They only made sixteen runs between them. Three wickets were down for two runs in the first innings, and for seventeen in the second. Moreover a strained thigh kept Buckenham off the field after lunch on the last day, just when his fast bowling was most needed. Woolley and Bird played finely in the first innings, and in the second Woolley and Fane put on 100 for the fourth wicket, the Kent batsman hitting six 4's, and scoring 64 in less than eighty minutes. The South Africans had only 175 to get, but the task involved a good deal of anxiety. Indeed, when half the wickets were down for 91, the chances were in favour of England. However, Faulkner and Sinclair added 71 runs together and settled the matter. Faulkner played an invaluable innings, but he was missed when he had made ten and again when sixteen.