Empire Cricket Booklet

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JONTYWINCH

was at that time loosely controlled - which invited political interference - but Cadwallader was an inno vative, brave and hard-working secretary. That he was also a journalist with a leading South African newspaper resulted at times in a conflict of interest that was not satisfactory, but it enabled him to facilitate administrative arrangements and to counter criticism of the way the game was run. In the chapter which follows, Cadwallader's attempt to select a 'national' cricket side to tour overseas - one that would include a player of colour - will be examined. It was an exercise that challenged political developments and flew in the face of Milton's efforts to maintain the racially exclusive white status of the South African team.

views through the context of the game and without being prejudiced by social and political diplomacy. It was relevant that the attempt to restrain Finlason should be cast aside as it strengthened the position of sport in offering opportunities to question the status quo. The success achieved in popularising cricket, coupled with international participation, resulted in the game becoming a high-profile arena. It encouraged the different race groups to signal their readiness for inclusion in matches, and the Malays were rewarded with the fixture at Newlands. In a wider sense, there was some cause for optimism that cricket might assume a position representative of the majority of the population. Its administration in South Africa