only 2 for 70 in the second.
It was during this second innings that Barnes is alleged to have lost his cool. On the matting wickets of South Africa, Herbie Taylor was supreme. He had exquisite footwork and in Natal’s second innings he was playing Barnes with ease. Taylor would recount in later years that Barnes was so exasperated that he threw down the ball and refused to bowl. “It’s Taylor, Taylor, Taylor, all the time” he is reputed to have said.
Barnes later refuted these claims but, whether it was true or not, it usefully illustrates the perfectionism of the man. He could not tolerate second best in anyone, including himself. South Africa went into the Fourth Test in a positive mood. They hadrun England close in the previous Test. Natal had just beaten the tourists and their champion batsman had just had the better of England’s premier bowler.
Barnes now proved his greatness and responded with 7 for 56 to bowl South Africa out for 170. When it was England’s turn to bat, only Jack Hobbs coped with the home side’s attack and for the first time in the series, South Africa had a first innings lead. Taylor scored 93 in the second innings, winning another round with Barnes but England’s leading bowler had the last laugh by taking 7 for 88 to give him 14 wickets in the match. Hobbs fell just short of a century as England hung on for a draw at 154 for 5.
Barnes now had 49 wickets in the series. He already had the most number of wickets ever taken in a Test series and there was still one game to go. Having averaged over 10 wickets in each Test so far, it was reasonable to expect him to go on and set a record that would never be beaten. Immortality was within his grasp.
What Sydney Barnes did now was typical of the man and showed that he had not yet mellowed with the years. The England team arrived in Bloemfontein for the last Test. Barnes believed that the South Africans had promised him some money as a special payment for his performances. When it was not forthcoming, he was so upset that he refused to play in the Test match or again on tour.
One can imagine Johnnie Douglas, the captain, desperately trying to persuade him to play and all his entreaties falling on deaf ears. True to form, Barnes would not budge from his position. He was using the same single minded, rigorous approach to his affairs off the field that he applied to his bowling. Perhaps you can not have one without the other? It’s just a shame that Barnes could not have seen his way through to make it out onto the pitch for that last Test and who knows how many wickets he would have finished up with in the series!
One hundred years on and 49 wickets is still the record for the number of wickets in a Test series. Only four other bowlers have taken more that 40 wickets in a series. Jim Laker with 46 wickets and Charlie Grimmett with 44 have come closest but both did it in five Tests. Terry Alderman (twice) and Rodney Hogg also got more than 40 wickets in a series but each took six Tests to achieve it.
A ‘Barnesless’ England went on to win the last Test and S.F. Barnes had played his last Test match. He did in fact have another opportunity to play Test cricket. Incredibly, he was invited to go on the tour of Australia in 1920/21 at the age of forty-seven but, as ever, laid down his own terms. He wanted to take his wife and child with him, paid for of course by the MCC. He reckoned that he would be happier if they were with him on tour and therefore he would bowl better. Needless to say, the authorities did not acquiesce to this request, even for the great S.F. Barnes, and so the last opportunity to add to his 189 Test wickets was gone.
Although he didn’t play any more Test cricket after 1914, Barnes carried on playing league and Minor Counties cricket for another quarter of a century. Luckily for him, the best bowler in the world was deemed too old to be called up and sent to the trenches. He left Porthill Park somewhat acrimoniously
It was during this second innings that Barnes is alleged to have lost his cool. On the matting wickets of South Africa, Herbie Taylor was supreme. He had exquisite footwork and in Natal’s second innings he was playing Barnes with ease. Taylor would recount in later years that Barnes was so exasperated that he threw down the ball and refused to bowl. “It’s Taylor, Taylor, Taylor, all the time” he is reputed to have said.
Barnes later refuted these claims but, whether it was true or not, it usefully illustrates the perfectionism of the man. He could not tolerate second best in anyone, including himself. South Africa went into the Fourth Test in a positive mood. They hadrun England close in the previous Test. Natal had just beaten the tourists and their champion batsman had just had the better of England’s premier bowler.
Barnes now proved his greatness and responded with 7 for 56 to bowl South Africa out for 170. When it was England’s turn to bat, only Jack Hobbs coped with the home side’s attack and for the first time in the series, South Africa had a first innings lead. Taylor scored 93 in the second innings, winning another round with Barnes but England’s leading bowler had the last laugh by taking 7 for 88 to give him 14 wickets in the match. Hobbs fell just short of a century as England hung on for a draw at 154 for 5.
Barnes now had 49 wickets in the series. He already had the most number of wickets ever taken in a Test series and there was still one game to go. Having averaged over 10 wickets in each Test so far, it was reasonable to expect him to go on and set a record that would never be beaten. Immortality was within his grasp.
What Sydney Barnes did now was typical of the man and showed that he had not yet mellowed with the years. The England team arrived in Bloemfontein for the last Test. Barnes believed that the South Africans had promised him some money as a special payment for his performances. When it was not forthcoming, he was so upset that he refused to play in the Test match or again on tour.
One can imagine Johnnie Douglas, the captain, desperately trying to persuade him to play and all his entreaties falling on deaf ears. True to form, Barnes would not budge from his position. He was using the same single minded, rigorous approach to his affairs off the field that he applied to his bowling. Perhaps you can not have one without the other? It’s just a shame that Barnes could not have seen his way through to make it out onto the pitch for that last Test and who knows how many wickets he would have finished up with in the series!
One hundred years on and 49 wickets is still the record for the number of wickets in a Test series. Only four other bowlers have taken more that 40 wickets in a series. Jim Laker with 46 wickets and Charlie Grimmett with 44 have come closest but both did it in five Tests. Terry Alderman (twice) and Rodney Hogg also got more than 40 wickets in a series but each took six Tests to achieve it.
A ‘Barnesless’ England went on to win the last Test and S.F. Barnes had played his last Test match. He did in fact have another opportunity to play Test cricket. Incredibly, he was invited to go on the tour of Australia in 1920/21 at the age of forty-seven but, as ever, laid down his own terms. He wanted to take his wife and child with him, paid for of course by the MCC. He reckoned that he would be happier if they were with him on tour and therefore he would bowl better. Needless to say, the authorities did not acquiesce to this request, even for the great S.F. Barnes, and so the last opportunity to add to his 189 Test wickets was gone.
Although he didn’t play any more Test cricket after 1914, Barnes carried on playing league and Minor Counties cricket for another quarter of a century. Luckily for him, the best bowler in the world was deemed too old to be called up and sent to the trenches. He left Porthill Park somewhat acrimoniously
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