Cricket World Record-only 10-day Test, rain halts play:

South Africa 530 and 481, England 316 and 654/8

By A.C. De Silva

Kingsmead, Durband (Kwazulu-Natal), South Africa, March 3rd 1939.

Cricket: Ten-Day first class cricket match? Yes there was one such game - South Africa vs England at Kingsmead, Durband, Kwazulu - Natal in South Africa and the match ended on Friday, March 3rd 1939.

This 'timeless' Test between South Africa and England finally came to an end after ten days, 43 hours, 16 minutes - the longest first-class ever played. It only ended because the English tourists had to leave to catch the boat home.

England were set a target of 696 to win and they were just 42 runs short of victory - 654 when rain forced the match to be abandoned.

There was also no play owing to rain on 11th march.

In this extraordinary Test, South Africa won the toss and they batted first and made 530 all out with two centuries _ Pieter

Vander Bijl (125 his highest Test score) and Dudley Nourse (103) and three other players hitting half centuries.

The England came to bat and were dismissed for 316 with wicketkeeper Les Ames top-scoring with 84.

South Africa had some champion bowlers - Reg Parks took 5 for 100 his best figures.

It was South Africa's second turn and they made 481 in their second innings with their captain Alan Mebille hitting 103 after openers Vander Bijl (97) and Bruce Mitchell put on 191 for the first wicket.

England were set a target of 696 to win and were just 42 short of victory when rain forced the match to be abandoned.

There was also no play owing to rain on 11th March. Paul Gibb made 120-his best Test score and captain Wally Hammond 140 but there was only double centurian (Bill Edrich who hit 219 in England's 2nd innings). The match saw 1,981 runs scored for the loss of 35 wickets - an average of just 57 runs per wicket.