Greatest Cricket Moments

Maurice Tate Devastates South Africa at Edgbaston — 1924 Tour

1924-06-16England v South AfricaFirst Test, England v South Africa, Edgbaston, June 19242 min readSeverity: Mild

Summary

On a cloudy Edgbaston morning in June 1924, the new Sussex pair of Arthur Gilligan and Maurice Tate skittled South Africa for 30 — the lowest Test innings total ever made by a side that had won the toss. Tate took 4 for 12 and Gilligan 6 for 7, and the partnership with the new ball that would carry England through the mid-1920s was christened.

Background

South Africa had been rebuilt around Taylor and the all-rounder Aubrey Faulkner; the touring party arrived under-prepared after a wet Atlantic crossing and immediately ran into a Sussex new-ball pair already in mid-season form. Gilligan was the captain; Tate, formerly an off-spinner, had reinvented himself.

What Happened

Herbie Taylor's South Africans had toured England with reasonable expectations after their competitive 1922-23 series at home. They won the toss at Edgbaston on a green-tinged early-summer pitch and chose to bat. Within 75 minutes they were all out for 30 — Gilligan's outswing and Tate's late-swinging fast-medium proved utterly unplayable. Gilligan finished with 6 for 7 in 6.3 overs; Tate took 4 for 12 in 6.

England replied with 438, Sutcliffe 64, Hobbs 76 and Hendren 74; their only century-maker was Frank Woolley with 134 not out at number five. South Africa fought back in their second innings, Bob Catterall making 120 and Jock Cameron 51, but the deficit was too great. England won by an innings and 18 runs.

Tate's emergence as a Test bowler was the more important narrative of the summer. He had moved from gentle off-spin to brisk fast-medium in 1922 on the advice of his Sussex captain Gilligan; by 1924 he was the most accurate swing bowler in England. The series gave him 27 wickets in five Tests at 15.7. Across the next four years he would be the principal English Test bowler, finishing the 1924-25 Ashes with 38 wickets.

Key Moments

1

South Africa win toss, choose to bat at Edgbaston

2

Gilligan and Tate share all 10 wickets; SA all out 30 in 75 minutes

3

England reply with 438; Woolley 134*

4

Second innings: Catterall 120 for SA, but England win by an innings and 18

5

Tate finishes summer with 27 wickets at 15.7

Timeline

14 Jun 1924

South Africa bowled out for 30 at Edgbaston

16 Jun 1924

England complete innings win

Aug 1924

Series ends 3-0 to England; Tate 27 wickets

Notable Quotes

“I cannot recall the ball moving more in my time at the wicket than it did from Tate at Edgbaston.”

— Herbie Taylor, South African captain, quoted in 'The Cricket Captains of England' (1985)

Aftermath

England won the series 3-0 with two drawn. Tate's reputation was made and he was the first name in the squad for the 1924-25 Ashes. Gilligan injured a chest muscle later in the summer and was never the same bowler — he captained the 1924-25 Ashes side but did not bowl as he had at Edgbaston.

⚖️ The Verdict

Edgbaston 1924 produced the lowest first-innings Test total of the post-war era and the formal arrival of Maurice Tate as a Test bowler — events that recalibrated English Test cricket from a batting-only enterprise back into one with a serious new-ball threat.

Legacy & Impact

South Africa's 30 all out remained their lowest Test total until 1949 (and was the lowest at Edgbaston until Australia's 36 a few weeks later). Tate's 1923-1928 Test career — 38 wickets in the 1924-25 Ashes alone — established the template of the English fast-medium swing bowler that runs through to Botham, Pringle, Hoggard and Anderson.

Frequently Asked Questions

Was 30 all out the lowest Test total ever?▾
It was at the time the lowest Test total made by a side that had won the toss; New Zealand's 26 v England in 1955 remains the all-time low.
Did Gilligan continue as a great fast bowler?▾
No. He suffered a chest injury later in the 1924 summer and never bowled with the same speed again, although he kept the England captaincy through the 1924-25 Ashes.

Tags

#maurice-tate#south-africa#england#1924#edgbaston#test-cricket#tate-gilligan#fast-medium#history

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