Empire Cricket Booklet

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THE ROLE OF THE PRESS

sessions!) of Test cricket. Major Warton thought it bewildering that men who had scored half-centuries against the tourists in earlier matches should suddenly find Briggs impossible to encounter. 71

When the Transvaal selection committee cast their net far and wide to placate smaller centres, they had found the controversial newspaperman living in distant Klerksdorp. He was delighted to be asked to play, but Smith was far from happy and demonstrated his displeasure by batting Finlason at number eleven and not bowling him until the game appeared to be running away from the Transvaal. 76 On 9 April, at the inaugural congress of delegates at Glover's Athletic Bar in Kimberley, Cadwallader produced his 'rough draft' of the rules and objectives which were, with minor amendments, accepted unanimously. The South African Cricket Association was formed and, in theory, instituted cricket's unification some twenty years before political union. 77 It served 'to foster and develop cricket throughout South Africa', yet any assertion of a 'national' unity ignored the fact that those who attended the meeting were restricted to white clubs and that the majority were resident in Kimberley. 78 The nine delegates were William Hopley (Western Province Cricket Club), 'Bertie' Rose-Innes, (Port Elizabeth), Irvine Grimmer, Arthur Seccull and Arthur Bennitte (Kimberley), F. T. Clarkson (Natal), John Piton (Pretoria), Finlason (Klerksdorp) and Cadwallader. They elected Hopley as chairman and Cadwallader as honorary secretary and treasurer. The dynamics behind the introduction of the former were not explained, although it is likely that he appeared at Milton's behest. Hopley, who represented the Western Province Cricket Club, whilst serving as crown prosecutor in Kimberley, was a close friend of Rhodes and well-known to Milton. He would for the time being safeguard the Cape's interests in the new administration. The attraction of sport as a vehicle for nation building was not lost on Milton, who was moving towards a position of influence in South African politics. It was made known at the time that Cadwallader had been transferred to Cape Town and that Finlason had resurfaced at the Daily Independent. Not long after taking up his new position, Cadwallader attempted to stamp his authority on cricket's administration, but his actions did no more than lead to weaknesses being exposed in the structure of the South African

The Formation of a National Association

The Second Test humiliation was a tremendous blow for South Africa's white cricketers, but the tour was regarded as a success. Charles Alcock commented in Lillywhite's Cricketers Annual 1889, that clubs 'derived material benefit from the increment to their funds by the large attendances, and improvements have been thus effected on the grounds, which will be of permanent use'. The politicians remarked on the impact that cricket had made. Sir Thomas Fuller, a parliamentarian and former editor of the Cape Argus, told a gathering after the Second Test that 'the English team has taught many lessons and the names of many of its members are now known in every household'. 72 In a farewell dinner for the touring side, a Member of the Legislative Assembly, the Hon. Frederick Schermbrucker, spoke of the importance of the tour in uniting the South African states. 73 Cadwallader, who had succeeded Finlason at the Daily Independent, recognised the urgent need for a national body to capitalise on the interest engendered. He had earlier made it known that he was 'not unacquainted with the workings of institutions of the kind in England and other of the colonies'. 74 It was not easy to arrange a meeting in a country of vast distances and poor communications but he was keen for action as there were 'English and Australian teams willing if not anxious to call at the Cape ... If nothing is done, there is a real danger of a fiasco developing similar to that which took place in 1887/88 when two English touring sides toured Australia.' 75 An opportunity to hold a meeting occurred when the first Currie Cup Challenge between Kimberley and Transvaal was staged in April 1890. Finlason returned to Kimberley with the Transvaal team and, in a bizarre twist of fate, found himself playing under Aubrey Smith who had settled in Johannesburg.