Empire Cricket Booklet

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BERNARD TANCRED HALL

feature of his batting is a peculiar crouch ... (which is) ... anything but graceful' and 'as a bowler he did not meet with great success and was only an average field'. In 1907, the poor health which seems to have dogged his days was already making the news. Grocott's Penny Mail reported that due to a severe illness in February he was unable to take part in the Currie Cup tournament and, without the opportunity to get into form for the fourth tour to England, had handed in his refusal. Yet, after a month's rest in Durban, and in response to pressure from the cricketing world, he agreed to tour, 'and plucked up sufficient courage to face the music of the strain involved in such a trip,

though at the time prudence no doubt must have whispered in his ears to say no'. 49 It was a gamble that barely paid off - a shadow of his former self, he averaged just 23.05 runs. In the somewhat disastrous triangular tournament of 1912, the fifth South African team in England fared badly. In granting Louis leave of absence, the club for which he worked reduced his pay by £120, making it impossible for him to proceed to England unless supported. As a way round the problem 'Sinclair proposed (to the South African Cricket Association) a bonus of £120 be voted to Mr L. J. Tancred in order to enable him to proceed to England as an amateur'. The proposal was carried 7-3. 50 Louis averaged

Louis Tancred demonstrates the stance which team mate Maitland Hathorn described as a 'peculiar crouch'