Rhodesian first-class cricket in 1978/79

Another rather weary season was played against the background of the debilitating bush war and political uncertainty, which undoubtedly had its effect on the players. The team which had begun the Seventies with such promise continued to decline and disintegrate -- Brian Davison (who emigrated to Australia), Jimmy Mitchell and Brian Barbour were in their final season for Rhodesia, while Jackie du Preez and Stuart Robertson (who missed most of the season through injury) were close to the end of their careers. There were not enough promising young players to replace them, although there was hope in the debuts this season of Rob Bentley and Dave Houghton.  

The season began at home with a rain-ruined match against Natal, followed by a draw against Transvaal, when a dogged century by Rhodesia's once flamboyant batsman Barbour enabled them to escape with another draw. The Currie Cup tour down south was, it might be said, less disastrous than had often been the case in recent years, with draws achieved against the three coastal provinces, all after being behind on first innings, and the only reverse being a defeat by Transvaal after two poor batting displays. Eastern Province, who had a poor season, were defeated at home after a fine innings by Davison, but the season finished with one of the country's most pathetic batting displays against Western Province, leading to a heavy defeat and calling into question the courage as well as the application of most of the Rhodesian batsmen in face of the pace bowling of Garth le Roux. For the first time, Rhodesia had three captains in a season. Stuart Robertson, suffering a knee injury, withdrew after the first match and Davison took over, but then Jack Heron was appointed for the Currie Cup tour and kept the position until the end of the season.  

The batting was the team's great weakness, as the bowling usually proved adequate. Only eight batting bonus points were obtained in eight matches. Davison had one of his better seasons for the country, scoring 488 runs at an average of 34.85. Heron was inconsistent again, but he did save the away match against Western Province with a superb century; overall he scored 405 runs (average 31.15). Barry Dudleston, such a success the previous two seasons, was perhaps suffering the effects of playing cricket all year round, and his 331 runs came at an average of only 22.06. Paddy Clift's 327 was one of his best batting returns for Rhodesia, helped by being moved up to the middle order, and he averaged 25.15. The only other batsman to pass 200 runs was Rob Bentley, who played some promising innings and also bowled usefully at medium-pace, but the selectors might have made better use of Jackie du Preez, who retained his fighting qualities as a batsman even if his bowling had declined. Mitchell and Barbour, in their final seasons, played one good innings each but did nothing else.

The bowlers, backed up by the usual fine fielding, did a much better job, and the highest total recorded against them was only 301 by Natal. This was mainly due to Paddy Clift, whose skill and accuracy brought him 33 wickets at an average of 21.81, although after playing for Leicestershire he was now bowling more defensively than in the past. Duncan Fletcher took 20 wickets at 28.60; John Traicos' 14 wickets were expensive, but Vince Hogg, returning to the team late in the season, took 11 wickets quite cheaply and was clearly improving. The pace bowling did lack real potency, though, but the part-time bowlers, such as Mitchell, Dudleston and Bentley, all contributed usefully.  

Dave Houghton took over the wicket-keeping gloves from Gerald Peckover, who had done little with the bat, but his long career began slowly with the bat and he finished the season at number nine.  

After winning the Datsun Shield the previous season, Rhodesia suffered the humiliation of being knocked out this time by Griqualand West, one of the weakest of the B Section teams. They lost on a technicality, but they should never have been in such a position as to make it necessary in the first place, despite having the worst of the conditions.  

The B side played four matches and had a very unsettled side. Eddie Parker, after missing eight first-class seasons, was recalled to captain the team, and only he and Peter Allan, who scored a century on his first-class debut against Eastern Province B, played in all four matches. The outstanding individual performance was a double century by Robin Brown against the weak Eastern Province B team, which included a fourth-wicket partnership of exactly 300 with Allan. This brought an innings victory in the first match, but the following three all ended in defeat.  

CURRIE CUP TABLE, 1978/79
               Bonus Points
                           P      W     L     D     Bat    Bowl   Points
                                (10)
Transvaal                  8      5     -     3      28     37     115
Western Province           8      3     3     2      19     28      77
Natal                      8      2     2     4      14     30      69
RHODESIA                   8      1     2     5       8     34      52
Eastern Province           8      1     5     2      13     23      46

At Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo; 4, 5, 6 November. NATAL 255 (F B Hill 35, D Bestall 88; P B Clift 4/69, A J Traicos 3/55). RHODESIA 181 (J H du Preez 75*; V A P van der Bijl 5/44, K R Cooper 3/62). Match drawn.  

At Police B Ground, Salisbury; 11, 12, 13 November. RHODESIA 143 (J G Heron 63; D R Neilson 4/26, R W Hanley 3/30, P D de Vaal 3/31) and 337/9 dec (B F Davison 48, A J Traicos 37, B D Barbour 104, P B Clift 46; R P Hanley 3/61, A J Kourie 4/75). TRANSVAAL 285 (H R Fotheringham 30, R G Pollock 67, A J Kourie 94*; P W L Geach 3/48, A J Traicos 4/43). Match drawn.  

At Port Elizabeth; 9, 11, 12 December. RHODESIA 173 (J G Heron 53, B F Davison 57; W K Watson 5/32, W Els 3/36) and 290/9 dec (J G Heron 47, B F Davison 129, R M Bentley 31*; W K Watson 4/43, R L S Armitage 3/51). EASTERN PROVINCE 253 (R J D Whyte 33, D J Brickett 49, A L Wilmot 62*, R A Seymour 38; D A G Fletcher 4/60, P B Clift 3/65) and 100/5 (S J Bezuidenhout 39; D A G Fletcher 3/33). Match drawn.  

At Pietermaritzburg; 15, 17, 18 December. NATAL 301 (A Barrow 47, C P Wilkins 91, B S Groves 77, A J S Smith 43; J C Mitchell 6/54) and 158 (D Bestall 85; C B Jonker 4/32). RHODESIA 248 (B Dudleston 59, B F Davison 45, P B Clift 34, R M Bentley 55*; V A P van der Bijl 5/59, K R Cooper 4/66) and 75/3 (B Dudleston 42). Match drawn.  

At Cape Town; 6, 8, 9 January. WESTERN PROVINCE 249 (P N Kirsten 35, A J Lamb 39, S D Bruce 109*; C B Jonker 3/43, P B Clift 3/48) and 254/7 dec (P N Kirsten 65, A J Lamb 107, A P Kuiper 30*). RHODESIA 241 (J C Mitchell 47*, D L Houghton 33; D L Hobson 4/93, P D Swart 3/27) and 215/7 (J G Heron 122*, P B Clift 33). Match drawn.  

At Johannesburg; 12, 13, 15 January. TRANSVAAL 190 (R G Pollock 30, A J Kourie 50; V R Hogg 3/49, P B Clift 5/63) and 195/6 dec (H R Fotheringham 34, R G Pollock 112; V R Hogg 3/44). RHODESIA 114 (P B Clift 49*; R W Hanley 3/31, G E McMillan 3/24) and 112 (B Dudleston 56, B F Davison 34; R W Hanley 3/13, D R Neilson 4/34). Transvaal won by 159 runs.  

At Police B Ground, Salisbury; 3, 4, 5 February. EASTERN PROVINCE 275 (G Cook 42, R L S Armitage 45, M R Searle 48; V R Hogg 3/62, P B Clift 3/71) and 185 (G Cook 35, K W Gradwell 31, R J D Whyte 58; D A G Fletcher 3/34, B Dudleston 3/43). RHODESIA 270/9 dec (D A G Fletcher 77, R M Bentley 50; W Els 4/66) and 191/5 (B Dudleston 33, B F Davison 92*; W K Watson 3/34). Rhodesia won by five wickets.  

At Police B Ground, Salisbury; 3, 4, 5 March. WESTERN PROVINCE 204 (P N Kirsten 52, H M Ackerman 44, S D Bruce 36; P B Clift 3/48, B Dudleston 3/14) and 169/5 dec (S D Bruce 51*; P B Clift 3/52). RHODESIA 115 (B Dudleston 35; G S le Roux 3/48, S A Jones 3/25) and 64 (G S le Roux 3/25, S A Jones 3/12). Western Province won by 194 runs.  

DATSUN SHIELD (60 overs)  

At Kimberley; 28, 29 October. GRIQUALAND WEST 164/8 (60 overs) (M J D Doherty 38; J A Carse 3/33, D H Streak 3/44). RHODESIA 164/8 (J C Mitchell 41). Scores tied; Griqualand West won on faster scoring rate over the first 20 overs.  

RHODESIA B MATCHES (first-class)

PRESIDENT'S COMPETITION TABLE, 1978/79
               Bonus Points
                           P      W     L     D     Bat    Bowl   Points
                                (10)
Transvaal B                4      2     2     -      19     19      58
Western Province B         4      2     -     2      16     16      52
Natal B                    4      2     -     2      10     16      46
RHODESIA B                 4      1     3     -       4     18      32
Eastern Province B         4      -     2     2      11     13      24