Empire Cricket Booklet

BERNARD HALL, RICHARD PARRY AND JONTY WINCH

secretary, responsible for producing much of the legislation that the Rhodes government enacted, and ultimately became administrator of Rhodesia. His English counterpart as skipper in the Second Test, Montague Bowden, would subsequently shine for the Transvaal before serving Rhodes in the capacity of a 'celebrity' trooper in the march to open up the northern hinterland for the British South Africa Company. By contrast, John Tengo Jabavu, the African journalist, political agent, cricket enthusiast and supporter, and highly successful editor of the influential Imvo Zabantsundu who had endeavoured to arrange a black cricket tour to England, wrote critically of the 1888/89 venture. He would in time visit that country as a leading African political figure protesting against the increasing deterioration of

great rivalry between the centres, stemming to a large extent from the impact of the mineral discoveries, the boom-and-bust cycles of speculation and depression and notably the switch in focus from diamonds to gold. The 1888/89 tour illustrated the bitter competition between the territories, and the English captain, Aubrey Smith, claimed that wherever his side went, they were urged 'to thrash Kimberley'. 10 In turn, the Kimberley cricketer and journalist, Charles Finlason, in characteristic hyperbolic form, described Johannesburg as 'an abode of fleas, flies and favours' and poured scorn on their efforts to raise a cricket side.11 By the early 1890s, however, Johannesburg had eclipsed Kimberley, and the Transvaal began to demolish Kimberley's claims to

The Wanderers Pavilion in the mid 1890s - one of the best-known landmarks of a booming Johannesburg

African political rights. And the ubiquitous Pieter de Villiers, secretary to the Kimberley committee for the 1888/89 tour, became involved in cricket in the Transvaal and Western Province before opposing the British in the South African War and representing the Boer prisoners of war in the famous cricket match at Colombo. The Star stated 'we are all "Wanderers'" when refer ring to players of that time. 9 There was nevertheless

cricketing pre-eminence and to rival the Cape as the economic centre of South Africa. During the decade after 1889, some of England's most colourful cricketers played in South Africa. Some were contracted as professionals, others appeared with the military or in one of four English sides that toured during the period. There were, for example, the magnificent Surrey and English cricketer, George Lohmann, who had strong ties with