[4] The match was controversially drawn after the South Africa captain Wade appealed to the umpires against the bad light causing danger to his players, the first time that a fielding captain had successfully appealed against the light; Australia won the other four matches, and the series 4–0.

[5] In his prime as a player, Nourse lost six years of international cricket during the Second World War, during which time he served in the Middle East.

South Africa resumed Test cricket in 1947, and Nourse joined the tour to England as vice-captain under Alan Melville.

Nourse topped the South African batting averages, and he and Melville were Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1948.

It was as captain in the 1951 series that he played what Cricinfo describes as "his most renowned innings",[7] against England in the First Test at Trent Bridge in 1951.

England won three of the remaining matches, with the Fourth Test at Headingley drawn, and South Africa lost the series 3–1.

At the time of his retirement, he held the highest Test batting average of any South African batsman (currently surpassed only by Barry Richards, Graeme Pollock and Jacques Kallis).

He served as a selector for South Africa, and managed the side that toured England in 1960, captained by Jackie McGlew.