Bernard Tancred

Who was Bernard Tancred?

Augustus Bernard Tancred was a leading 19th century South African Test cricketer.

Born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, Tancred attended St. Aidan's College, Grahamstown, where he first displayed his cricketing prowess. His contemporaries at school included Percy Fitzpatrick and Charles Coghlan. He attended the Cape University and although there are no records to indicate that he graduated he practised law throughout South Africa, including Kimberley, Pretoria and Johannesburg. He became a prominent member of the Uitlander community. Tancred continued to star in club cricket, gaining a reputation as the best batsman in South Africa, with a strong defence, as well as an outstanding point fielder.

Tancred was an obvious choice for the first South African cricket side, assembled to play the firs touring English cricket team during its two Test tour of South Africa in the 1888-89 South African cricket season. While the South African cricket team lost both Tests, Tancred's 87 runs made him the leading South African run-scorer in the series and he became the first batsman to carry his bat in a Test, when he scored an unbeaten 26 of 47 in the second Test at Newlands Cricket Ground. This innings is still the Test Match record for the lowest score made by a batsman carrying their bat through an innings.