SOUTH AFRICA v AUSTRALIA 1957-58

At Port Elizabeth, February 28, March 1, 3, 4. Australia won by eight wickets with a day to spare and completed a great Test series on their part. South Africa, who have yet to win a Test in their own country against Australia, had everything in their favour. They won the toss, gained first use of a pitch which, always difficult, became more so as the game progressed, and Australia were handicapped late in the match by injuries.

Once again the South African batting failed and the game provided yet another triumph for Benaud and Davidson. Benaud took his 100th Test wicket and completed the double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets. He also achieved the rare feat of taking 100 wickets on a tour.

Goddard, restored to opening batsman, helped McGlew give South Africa a brisk start, but after a hold-up of seven minutes while the ball was changed, the batting broke down. Davidson, making most of a well-grassed pitch from which the ball went through at uneven heights, took four wickets cheaply in his first spell and South Africa were 105 for seven before resistance came. Then Carlstein, making his Test debut, showed promising form and with Tayfield put on 86. Tayfield, driving strongly, played the highest and best innings for South Africa, who were all out just on the close.

The Australian batsmen did not have matters all their own way at first. McDonald batted carefully for over four hours and Benaud gave his usual aggressive display, but at the end of the second day Australia were 208 for six. Mackay's patience once more played a valuable part. Helped considerably by Grout, he stayed to the end of the innings and Australia led by 77.

Because McGlew bruised his fingers, Endean opened the second innings with Goddard and they knocked off 55 of the arrears, restoring the balance of the game for South Africa, but by the end of the day four wickets were down for 68, three of them to Davidson. Not until the sixth wicket fell did South Africa clear their arrears and Australia had the light task of scoring 68 to win.

Adcock's first over to McDonald contained four successive bumpers. After the third such ball the umpires and van Ryneveld, South Africa's captain, agreed that the bumpers should stop, but a fourth, outside the off-stump next ball, led to McDonald being caught in the slips. Grout, deputising for the injured Burke as opening batsman, saw Australia safely to victory for the loss of one more wicket. Kline, also hurt, could not bowl in South Africa's second innings.