"From nearly every point of view the ninth South African tour of England proved disappointing," Wisden's editor, Norman Preston, began his report.[1] First, it was a wet summer, and many matches were disrupted by rain. Second, the young fast bowler Geoff Griffin was no-balled for throwing on several occasions, effectively ending his career. Third, anti-apartheid demonstrations were held outside most venues. Fourth, none of the young players showed signs of developing into good Test players. Fifth, South Africa lost the first three Tests and drew the other two. Sixth, the tour showed a financial loss. Seventh, apart from Roy McLean the South Africans "found themselves short of enterprising batsmen".[2]
