Swallows and Hawke is a captivating account of 80 years of compelling cricket. From South Africa's stunning first ever Test win by one wicket in 1907 to Syd Barnes and Herby Taylor locked in iconic combat in 1914, to Cliff Gladwin's scrambled last-ball victory in 1949, all the standout moments are here. On the pitch, the cricketers faced extreme heat and dust, unplayable wickets and a wily and resilient opposition. Off the pitch they inspected mining compounds, were terrified by Zulu dancers and found themselves in jail or chased by rhinos. Over 15 tours the emissaries of Empire bestrode the pavilions of power with mine-owners and politicians, from Kruger to Verwoerd. They turned a blind eye to oppression and resistance and colluded with a new national mythology of white supremacy featuring ox-wagons and Blood River. The cricketing dramas take place within the perennial African struggles over land, labour and freedom as the cricketing relationship between the MCC and South Africa forges the bonds of Empire.

Dr Richard Parry writes on cricket and resistance to colonialism, was joint editor of Cricket and Society in South Africa (2018) and co-author of Too Black to Wear Whites: The Story of Krom Hendricks (2021). Prof. Andre Odendaal is a former first-class cricketer and writer in residence at the University of the Western Cape, and is currently project leader for a new four-volume revisionist history of SA cricket from 1795 to the present.