South Africa v Australia – statistical anomalies
- In his second innings of South Africa's first Test against Australia in 1902, Jimmy Sinclair hit a six off Warwick Armstrong at the old Wanderers Ground in Johannesburg which landed on a train bound for Cape Town and was only recovered two days later at that destination – 956 miles away.
- The 1932 Test between the two sides in Melbourne was completed in only 656 deliveries, which remains the shorted completed Test in history. South Africa elected to bat and were shot out for 36, to which Australia replied with 153. The visitors fared little better in their second innings, folding for just 45 to lose by an innings and 72 runs.
- On 28 May 1912, Australian leg-spinner Jimmy Matthews became the only bowler to take two hat-tricks in the same Test, and did so on the same day. Rolland Beaumont, Sid Pegler and Tommy Ward were his victims in the first innings and he followed up by dismissing Herbie Taylor, Reggie Schwarz and Ward again in the second innings, the hapless debutant Ward completing a king pair.
- Australia took lunch at 83/1 from 27 overs on the first day of the Johannesburg Test in November 1921, which gave no idea of the fireworks to follow. In the two-hour afternoon session they progressed their score to 323/2, scoring a record 240 runs from the 43 overs in the session, a Test record which still stands. Jack Gregory was the pace-setter, reaching tea 114 not out from just 78 balls, with Herbie Collins unbeaten on 133 at the other end.
- The Brisbane Test of 1931 was at the other end of the spectrum. Rain prevented any play on both the third and fourth days and the match finally resumed after tea on the fifth day. South Africa started at 126/3 and scored just 26 runs from 46 overs in the session, ending the day on 152/6. Bruce Mitchell scored only eight runs in the session, spending 90 minutes stuck on 45.
- When Australia toured South Africa in 1935-36 they had some very talented baseball players in their squad. Vic Richardson represented Australia at baseball and Ernie McCormick, Ben Barnett and Len Darling had all played baseball regularly. To raise funds for the Jock Cameron Memorial Fund, they faced the Transvaal baseball side on 7 March and won by a score of 12-5, with Barnett hitting a home run and Clarrie Grimmett making a memorable bare-handed catch in left field.
- At tea on the second day of the 1911 Sydney Test between the sides, South Africa were 87/5 replying to Australia's first innings of 364. They were subsequently dismissed for 160, with wicket-keeper Percy Sherwell the last man dismissed, at 5:22pm. Australia enforced the follow-on and with just nine overs left in the day Sherwell was promoted to open second time around. However, in just the fourth over he was dismissed again – for the second time in just 11 minutes of playing time, or 23 balls.
- Jimmy Sinclair was no stranger to cricketing highlights, and he performed another fantastic feat in the Cape Town Test of 1902. Australia posted 252 and South Africa were 11/0 at the end of the first day. In the seventh over of the second day, he was dismissed first ball by Bill Howell – one of three wickets in four balls for the bowler – as his side collapsed to 85 all out. However, he put things right in the second innings, reaching 100 from just 70 deliveries before stumps on the same day.
- Pud Thurlow was genuinely quick, and broke into the Australian Test side on sheer pace. However, his Test career ended after just one match, without a wicket or a catch, or even a run. With Australia 3-0 up in the series, he was handed a Test debut at Adelaide and walked in to bat at No.11 with the score 499/9 and Don Bradman not out on 286. Bradman soon advanced his score to 298 and on the last ball of the over he played a leg-side stroke off Cyril Vincent and scampered for the first run as Syd Curnow gave chase. He turned around for the second and realised that Thurlow was already on his way. He sent Thurlow back, but Curnow’s throw found Thurlow short of his ground, leaving Bradman stranded on 299 not out.
- Few players could have been as aptly named as Jackie McGlew. His slow scoring reached new levels in the 1958 Durban Test. Having crawled to his fifty in 313 minutes, he continued on, eventually reaching his century in 545 minutes, a record in first-class cricket at the time. McGlew also made his name as the only bowler to take a first-class hat-trick, despite never taking more than two wickets in an innings.