Barnes, Taylor & A Playboy
Archie Mac |Published: 2024
Pages: 193
Author: Rigby, Vic
Publisher: JW McKenzie Ltd
Rating: 4 stars
This is an account of the 1913/14, English tour of South Africa which was the last Test series played before the Great War. Another Test series would not take place until England toured Australia in 1920/21.
The title of the book features two of the main combatants in Sydney Barnes, arguably the greatest bowler of all time, and Herbie Taylor, a legend of South African cricket and at the peak of his powers as a batsman in the season of 1913/14. The author references the battle between these two titans and a riveting contest it was. Barnes was to take 49 wickets in just four Tests after famously refusing to play in the last match after a recompense dispute.
Despite his great success in Tests on the matting wickets provided on the Veld, we learn Barnes was frustrated by Taylor, and the perhaps apocryphal story has Barnes refusing to continue to bowl in one match after uttering the words, “It’s Taylor, Taylor, Taylor all the time!” – before he left the field without his captain’s permission.
Author Vic Rigby engages in an interesting investigation as to whether the above story is true. Rigby had access to a letter Taylor wrote to cricket dealer, publisher and collector J.W. McKenzie (Mr McKenzie is also a friend of Cricket Web). In the letter Taylor provides a different version, which Rigby demonstrates contains a number of errors. I found Rigby’s investigation of this incident to be cricket writing at its best.
The Playboy referred to in the title is Lionel Tennyson and some of his antics on the tour make for fascinating reading. It appears Tennyson was drunk on a regular basis, and despite curfews in place after martial law was enacted in South Africa, still managed to organise a tryst at a married woman’s house. High jinks ensued when her husband returned unexpectedly. On another occasion we find Tennyson showing up to the ground straight from a big night out. Tennyson informs he was only spared the wrath of his captain after scoring a rapid 170.
This is a romping cricketing adventure. The captain, J.W.H.T. Douglas, himself a former boxing Olympic gold medallist, had possibly the most boisterous team to manage. Apart from those mentioned, the tourists included the legendary opener Jack Hobbs, the incomparable all rounder Wilfred Rhodes, and surprisingly one of the most interesting tourists in wicket keeper Bert Strudwick.
The diminutive ‘keeper wrote in some amusing detail about the tour in his own autobiography 25 Years Behind the Stumps. Strudwick provides interesting insights into the social aspects of the tour, including some less than salubrious accommodation provided to the professionals. It’s fair to say that the modern day player would not tolerate the poor travelling conditions, inferior accommodation, and lack of players provided for the tour; 22 matches over four months with just 14 players. Even this is misleading, as originally only 13 players were selected until illness required an additional player to be seconded.
With all that happens on this tour, you’d be forgiven for thinking the author was adding details for dramatic effect. An almost fatal car crash, refused entry into one hotel, and civil unrest. I wondered while reading Barnes, Taylor & A Playboy, if the players had some foreboding that the Great War was coming and so decided to have one last rollicking cricketing trip. Don’t miss this one, it’s a great read.
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