Empire Cricket Booklet

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JONTYWINCH

... when it was proposed to bring him [Hendricks] the greatest pressure was put upon us by those in high authority in the Cape Colony to leave him out because it was feared that trouble might ensue.' 45 The former Australian captain, Billy Murdoch, who had toured South Africa with Read's team, was very disappointed with the South African performance. 'As to Hendricks,' he said, 'I think myself he would have been of immense value to you, and in any case would have been a very great draw. I feel sure he would have knocked some of us and our pegs about on hard wickets.' 46 Pre-tour indignation over the idea of Hendricks accompanyingthesidedidnotstoptheSouthAfricans

from playing against black cricketers overseas. They met the legendary K. S. Ranjitsinhji and rated him the finest batsman that they came across; he scored 53 and 146 not out for C.W. Wright's XI against the SouthAfricansatPortsmouth.GeorgeGlover,George Kempis and Dante Parkin commented admiringly on his play in a post-tour interview: 'A prettier bat all round the wickets it would be impossible to imagine.' 47

Colonial-born versus Home-born

A little more than two months after the tour con cluded, WPCU committee members were called upon to make another ruling with regard to Hendricks. He had played in the 'white' Cape Town First Cup

A Cricket Field impression of the 1894 tour