Greatest Cricket Moments

Barnes Takes 17 for 159 at Johannesburg — Test Match Record, December 1913

1913-12-26South Africa vs EnglandSecond Test, Johannesburg, 26-30 Dec 19132 min readSeverity: Mild

Summary

Sydney Barnes took 8 for 56 and 9 for 103 — match figures of 17 for 159 — at the Old Wanderers in Johannesburg in the second Test of the 1913-14 series. The figures were the best in any Test match for the next 42 years, only surpassed by Jim Laker's 19 for 90 at Old Trafford in 1956.

Background

South Africa had toured England in 1912 with the Triangular Tournament — a disaster for them. By 1913-14 they were trying to rebuild around batsmen like Aubrey Faulkner and Herbie Taylor.

Build-Up

South Africa won the toss and batted on the matting. Barnes opened the bowling for Douglas's England.

What Happened

Bowling on the matting strips that South Africa used at home, Barnes was on a different plane to the rest of the bowlers. South Africa, batting first, were dismissed for 160 with Barnes taking 8 for 56 in 26.3 overs. England replied with 403, Hobbs scoring 41 and J.W.H.T. Douglas a hundred. Second time round, Barnes took 9 for 103 in 38.4 overs as South Africa subsided for 231. England won by an innings and 12 runs. The match figures of 17 for 159 broke the previous Test record of 15 for 28 by Sussex's George Lohmann at Port Elizabeth in 1896, also against South Africa. Barnes' Johannesburg analysis was the standard for the next four decades. It is a measure of his performance on the tour that this single match was just one of several spectacular efforts in his series total of 49 wickets.

Key Moments

1

Day 1: SA 160 all out, Barnes 8/56

2

Day 2-3: England 403, Douglas 119

3

Day 4-5: SA 231 all out, Barnes 9/103

4

End of Match: England win by an innings and 12 runs

Timeline

Day 1

Barnes 8/56; SA 160 all out

Day 3

Douglas 119; England 403

Day 5

Barnes 9/103; England win by innings and 12 runs

Notable Quotes

“Barnes bowled with a kind of cold fury that day. The South Africans were beaten before they walked in.”

— Plum Warner, recalling the match

Aftermath

Barnes' Johannesburg figures stood as the Test record until Laker's 19 for 90 in 1956. They remain the best bowling figures in a Test match outside England.

⚖️ The Verdict

The best match bowling in Test cricket from 1913 to 1956 — Barnes at the height of his powers.

Legacy & Impact

The 17/159 is the single most-quoted set of figures in any Barnes biography. With Hobbs's 197 first-class centuries and Bradman's 99.94, it is one of the imperishable statistics of pre-modern cricket.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long did the 17/159 record stand?▾
Forty-two years, until Laker's 19/90 at Old Trafford in 1956.
What surface was used?▾
Matting laid over hard South African soil — the standard pre-modern South African Test surface.

Tags

#sf-barnes#south-africa#1913#johannesburg#match-figures-record#england#matting-wicket

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