Quintin Mc Millan - Home Series Against England

Home Series Against England

Back home in South Africa, McMillan all but disappeared from first-class cricket outside Tests. There was a single appearance in the 1929-30 season and none at all in the 1930-31 season, apart from the five Test matches against England touring team, where he played in every match. The first game prived to be decisive in the series: South Africa won by 28 runs and all the other games in the series were drawn. McMillan's contribution to the victory came with bat rather than ball. With South Africa reduced to 81 for nine wickets, McMillan and last batsman Bob Newson put on 45 for the 10th wicket, and McMillan was left unbeaten on 45, his highest score of the series, when Newson was bowled by Maurice Tate. He scored 14 in the second innings but took only one English wicket. The second Test was a high-scoring draw, and McMillan took five wickets in the match at a cost of 35 runs apiece. The third match was ruined by rain, and McMillan contributed little with either bat or ball. In the fourth Test, there were a couple of wickets from him and some useful runs in the second innings when, after a competitive declaration by England, South Africa was fleetingly in danger of losing the match. With South Africa needing only to draw the final Test to secure the series victory, McMillan again chipped in with scores of 29 not out and 28, and a couple of wickets as a slow match drifted to a draw. In the series as a whole, McMillan had contributed 180 runs at an average of 30 and 10 wickets at an average of 40.90.