South African cricket team in Australia in 1931-32

The South Africa national cricket team toured Australia in the 1931-32 season and played five Test matches against Australia. Australia won the series 5-0, all of their victories being by a substantial margin, three of them by an innings.

Test series summary

First Test

27, 28, 30 November, 1, 2, 3 December 1931 (Timeless Test) Scorecard

Australia	v	South Africa
450 (137.3 overs) DG Bradman 226 AJ Bell 4/120 (42 overs)		170 (138.1 overs) B Mitchell 58 H Ironmonger 5/42 (47 overs)
		117 (f/o) (60.1 overs) HW Taylor 47 TW Wall 5/14 (15.1 overs)

Australia won by an innings and 163 runs Brisbane Cricket Ground, Woolloongabba, Brisbane Umpires: GE Borwick and GA Hele

• Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
• 29 November was taken as a rest day.
• There was no play on the third and fourth days.
• HC Nitschke (AUS) made his Test debut.

Second Test

18, 19, 21 December 1931 (Timeless Test) Scorecard

South Africa	v	Australia
153 (73 overs) KG Viljoen 37 SJ McCabe 4/13 (12 overs)		469 (154.5 overs) KE Rigg 127 AJ Bell 5/140 (46.5 overs)
161 (73.3 overs) JAJ Christy 41 CV Grimmett 4/44 (20.3 overs)

Australia won by an innings and 155 runs Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney Umpires: GE Borwick and GA Hele

• South Africa won the toss and elected to bat.
• 20 December was taken as a rest day.
• LS Brown (SA) and PK Lee (AUS) made their Test debuts.

Third Test

31 December 1931, 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 January 1932 (Timeless Test) Scorecard

Australia	v	South Africa
198 (77.1 overs) KE Rigg 68 AJ Bell 5/69 (26.1 overs)		358 (188.3 overs) KG Viljoen 111 H Ironmonger 3/72 (49 overs)
554 (164.4 overs) DG Bradman 167 Q McMillan 4/150 (33 overs)		225 (115 overs) JAJ Christy 63 CV Grimmett 6/92 (46 overs)

Australia won by 169 runs Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Umpires: GE Borwick and GA Hele

• Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
• 3 January was taken as a rest day.

Fourth Test

29, 30 January, 1, 2 February 1932 (Timeless Test) Scorecard

South Africa	v	Australia
308 (140.4 overs) HW Taylor 78 CV Grimmett 7/116 (47 overs)		513 (138 overs) DG Bradman 299* AJ Bell 5/142 (40 overs)
274 (123.2 overs) B Mitchell 95 CV Grimmett 7/83 (49.2 overs)		73/0 (19.2 overs) WM Woodfull 37*

Australia won by 10 wickets Adelaide Oval, Adelaide Umpires: GE Borwick and GA Hele

• South Africa won the toss and elected to bat.
• 31 January was taken as a rest day.
• WA Hunt, WJ O'Reilly and HM Thurlow (all AUS) made their Test debuts.

Fifth Test

12, 13, 15 February 1932 (Timeless Test) Scorecard

South Africa	v	Australia
36 (23.2 overs) HB Cameron 11 H Ironmonger 5/6 (7.2 overs)		153 (54.3 overs) AF Kippax 42 NA Quinn 3/29 (19.3 overs) Q McMillan 3/29 (8 overs)
45 (31.3 overs) SH Curnow 16 H Ironmonger 6/18 (15.3 overs)

Australia won by an innings and 72 runs Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Umpires: GE Borwick and GA Hele

• South Africa won the toss and elected to bat.
• 14 February was taken as a rest day.
• There was no play on the second day.
• JHW Fingleton and LJ Nash (both AUS) made their Test debuts.

References

Annual reviews

• Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 1933

Further reading

• Bill Frindall, The Wisden Book of Test Cricket 1877-1978, Wisden, 1979
• Chris Harte, A History of Australian Cricket, Andre Deutsch, 1993
• Ray Robinson, On Top Down Under, Cassell, 1975

External links

• CricketArchive – tour summaries