The Troubled Tour

The South African tour of 1960 was far from ordinary. The world was waking up to the evils of apartheid after the Sharpeville massacre, and there was cricketing controversy in the 'no-balling' of Geoff Griffin, a young and talented Springbok fast bowler. All this took place before the all-seeing eyes of the new medium of television.

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The South African tour of England in 1960 was far from ordinary. The Springboks, under captain Jackie McGlew - and with fine players like Roy McLean, Hugh Tayfield and Neil Adcock - arrived full of confidence, but that confidence was quickly shaken. The tour began a few weeks after the Sharpeville massacre of April that year, and the cricket took place just as the world was waking up to the evils of apartheid. Then there was the 'no-balling' of Geoff Griffin, a controversy that had a great deal more to it than met the eye, revealing the sometimes unfortunate intervention of administrators into umpiring decisions. It may also have decided the series, for England won rather easily, but this of course was the era of the great English bowlers Brian Statham and Fred Trueman. All this took place before the all-seeing eyes of the new medium of television, and it was one of the first tours to be featured in detail on BBC TV. The Troubled Tour leaves no stone unturned to bring you the full story of that extraordinary tour.