The Troubled Tour: South Africa in England 1960

The South African tour of England in 1960 was far from ordinary. The Springboks, under captain Jackie McGlew, arrived full of confidence but that confidence was quickly shaken. The tour began a few weeks after the Sharpeville massacre and the no-balling of Geoff Griffin revealed the sometimes unfortunate intervention of administrators into umpiring decisions. England won easily, but this was the era of the great English bowlers Brian Statham and Fred Trueman. The Troubled Tour is the full story of that extraordinary tour.

Format: Hardback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 25 April 2022
Publisher: Pitch Publishing Ltd

The 1960 South African tour of England was far from ordinary. The Springboks, led by captain Jackie McGlew and featuring notable players such as Roy McLean, Hugh Tayfield, and Neil Adcock, arrived in England with a strong sense of confidence. However, their confidence was quickly shaken. The tour commenced a few weeks after the Sharpeville massacre of April that year, coinciding with the global awakening to the evils of apartheid. Additionally, the no-balling incident involving Geoff Griffin added an intriguing dimension to the proceedings, revealing the sometimes unfortunate intervention of administrators into umpiring decisions. While England emerged victorious in the series, it was noteworthy that this was the era of legendary English bowlers Brian Statham and Fred Trueman. The tour's events unfolded before the all-seeing eyes of the new medium of television, making it one of the pioneering tours to receive extensive coverage on BBC TV. The Troubled Tour painstakingly unravels the full story of this extraordinary tour, providing a comprehensive account of the events and controversies that shaped its course.

Dimension: 240 x 160 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781801502009