Bruce Mitchell (cricketer)
Encyclopedia
Bruce Mitchell was a South Africa
n cricket
er who played in 42 Tests
from 1929 to 1949. He was a right-handed opening batsman and played in every Test South Africa played in that period.
By the end of his career he had 3471 Test runs to his name which at the time was a national record. With his eight centuries he finished just behind Dudley Nourse
who made 9.
and finished the game with 88 and 61 not out. The rest of the series was disappointing and he ended the Test tour with 251 runs at 31.37.
In 1930-31 the he was to meet England of his own shores and in the 1st Test he made a second innings 72 in a low scoring encounter which South Africa went on to win. He was back as opener in the 2nd Test at Newlands and he scored a national record opening stand of 260 with Jack Siedle
for which Mitchell contributed 123. He scored a further three half centuries in the remaining three Test to finish with 455 runs at 50.55.
In the summer of 1931-32 he toured Australia and New Zealand but was ill for most of the tour, finishing with 1048 runs at 34.93. His best performances were 75 and 95 at Adelaide and 58 at Brisbane.
His form was better in New Zealand, after a century against Auckland he scored 113 in the 1st Test, at Christchurch.
The South Africans tourned the UK in 1935 and Mitchell finished second in the averages with 1451 runs at 45.34 despite missing 8 matches at the start of the tour. In addition he also took 35 wickets at 19.02 which allowed him to top the bowling averages. In the Tests he scored 488 runs at 69.71 which included centuries at Lord's and The Oval. His innings of 164 not out at Lord's was made in the second innings and helped his side to their first ever win against England in England. Another highlight of the tour was his highest ever first class score of 195 which he made against Surrey at the Oval. This included and opening stand of 330 with Eric Rowan
which was the highest ever partnership by a South African pair in England.
The Australians visited South Africa in 1935-36 and in his 7 matches he only once passed 50. He bowling however was more successful, in the 2nd Test he took 4 for 5, 3 of those wickets in the same over. In the 5th Test at Kingsmead he took 5 for 87 which by the end of his Test career was his only 5 wicket haul.
Before the war interrupted his career he played a series against England where he finished with 466 at 58.25, including a century in a losing cause at Kingsmead.
He went on to serve with the Transvaal Scottish Regiment in East Africa and on return in 1945-46 he scored 426 runs at 47.33 in the domestic season. Against Griqualand West he and Alan Melville
made a new South African seventh-wicket record of 299.
Mitchell returned to the UK in 1947 and went one better than his last tour there by topping the first-class average with 2014 runs at 61.03. His effort included 8 centuries. He finished second in the Test averages with 597 runs at 66.33. The aggregate however was the highest by a South African on tour. In the final Test, at the Oval, he wrote his name in the record books by becoming the second South African to score two centuries in a Test. He batted over 13 hours for his innings of 120 and 189 not out, the latter finished as his highest Test score.
It was then England's turn to tour South Africa and with an innings of 120 at Newlands in the 3rd Test he equaled Herbie Taylor
's record of 7 Test centuries against England. In the final Test he made 99 and 56 at Port Elizabeth. This turned out to be his last Test match for South Africa as he finished his Test career the way he started it with a pair of 50's.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er who played in 42 Tests
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
from 1929 to 1949. He was a right-handed opening batsman and played in every Test South Africa played in that period.
By the end of his career he had 3471 Test runs to his name which at the time was a national record. With his eight centuries he finished just behind Dudley Nourse
Dudley Nourse
Arthur Dudley Nourse was a South African Test cricketer and batsmanThe son of batsman Arthur Nourse, Nourse played 34 Test matches in a long career of sixteen years...
who made 9.
Early first-class career
Mitchell made his first-class debut for Transvaal, against Border, at the age of 17. He took 11 wickets with his legbreaks and googlies. It was only later in the following season that he started to develop his batting. In 1927–28 the MCC toured South Africa and Mitchell, batting at 3, struck 40 runs. He showcased his all-round abilities against Natal in the 1928–29 trial matches and later in a game against Griqualand West he showed his fighting spirit by rescuing his side after the top six batsmen scored no more than 11 runs between them. His maiden first-class century came in England, against the a successful Yorkshire side at Sheffield. For most of the games in the rest of the tour he opened the batting and it would be a position that he would stay in for most of his career.Test Cricket
His Test debut came against England on June 15 1929 at Edgbaston. In both innings he produced a hundred run opening stand with Robert CatterallRobert Catterall
Robert Hector Catterall was a South African cricketer who played in 24 Tests from 1922 to 1931....
and finished the game with 88 and 61 not out. The rest of the series was disappointing and he ended the Test tour with 251 runs at 31.37.
In 1930-31 the he was to meet England of his own shores and in the 1st Test he made a second innings 72 in a low scoring encounter which South Africa went on to win. He was back as opener in the 2nd Test at Newlands and he scored a national record opening stand of 260 with Jack Siedle
Jack Siedle
Ivan Julian 'Jack' Siedle was a South African cricketer who played in 18 Tests from 1928 to 1936....
for which Mitchell contributed 123. He scored a further three half centuries in the remaining three Test to finish with 455 runs at 50.55.
In the summer of 1931-32 he toured Australia and New Zealand but was ill for most of the tour, finishing with 1048 runs at 34.93. His best performances were 75 and 95 at Adelaide and 58 at Brisbane.
His form was better in New Zealand, after a century against Auckland he scored 113 in the 1st Test, at Christchurch.
The South Africans tourned the UK in 1935 and Mitchell finished second in the averages with 1451 runs at 45.34 despite missing 8 matches at the start of the tour. In addition he also took 35 wickets at 19.02 which allowed him to top the bowling averages. In the Tests he scored 488 runs at 69.71 which included centuries at Lord's and The Oval. His innings of 164 not out at Lord's was made in the second innings and helped his side to their first ever win against England in England. Another highlight of the tour was his highest ever first class score of 195 which he made against Surrey at the Oval. This included and opening stand of 330 with Eric Rowan
Eric Rowan
Eric Alfred Burchell Rowan, born on 20 July 1909 and died at Johannesburg on 30 April 1993, was a cricketer who played for Transvaal, Eastern Province and South Africa....
which was the highest ever partnership by a South African pair in England.
The Australians visited South Africa in 1935-36 and in his 7 matches he only once passed 50. He bowling however was more successful, in the 2nd Test he took 4 for 5, 3 of those wickets in the same over. In the 5th Test at Kingsmead he took 5 for 87 which by the end of his Test career was his only 5 wicket haul.
Before the war interrupted his career he played a series against England where he finished with 466 at 58.25, including a century in a losing cause at Kingsmead.
He went on to serve with the Transvaal Scottish Regiment in East Africa and on return in 1945-46 he scored 426 runs at 47.33 in the domestic season. Against Griqualand West he and Alan Melville
Alan Melville
Alan Melville was a South African cricketer who played in 11 Tests from 1938 to 1949. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year ....
made a new South African seventh-wicket record of 299.
Mitchell returned to the UK in 1947 and went one better than his last tour there by topping the first-class average with 2014 runs at 61.03. His effort included 8 centuries. He finished second in the Test averages with 597 runs at 66.33. The aggregate however was the highest by a South African on tour. In the final Test, at the Oval, he wrote his name in the record books by becoming the second South African to score two centuries in a Test. He batted over 13 hours for his innings of 120 and 189 not out, the latter finished as his highest Test score.
It was then England's turn to tour South Africa and with an innings of 120 at Newlands in the 3rd Test he equaled Herbie Taylor
Herbie Taylor
Herbert Wilfred Taylor MC was a South African cricketer who played 42 Tests for his country including 18 as captain of the side. Specifically a batsman, he was an expert on the matting pitches which were prevalent in South Africa at the time and scored six of his seven centuries at home...
's record of 7 Test centuries against England. In the final Test he made 99 and 56 at Port Elizabeth. This turned out to be his last Test match for South Africa as he finished his Test career the way he started it with a pair of 50's.