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A. Melville

117

A. Melville 117 v EnglandBack to boards

Alan Melville scored his fourth Test century in a row to make the Lord’s Honours Boards is his only appearance at the Ground during South Africa’s 10-wicket defeat to England in 1947.

After Bill Edrich and Denis Compton had put on a third-wicket partnership of 370 and England had declared on 554/8d,  South Africa’s task of coming away from Lord’s with a victory seemed very slim indeed.

However, the visiting captain, Melville, showed why he was highly regarded at the time as one of the world’s best openers, when he hit his 117 in an innings that lasted 253 minutes and included 13 fours.

Despite Melville’s efforts with the bat – of which was his fourth consecutive Test hundred – England would still bowl out South Africa for 327 and 252, respectively before chasing down their target of 26 in 12 overs to win the Test by 10 wickets.