This was the second Test series hosted by England since the end of World War II in 1945.
South Africa's previous visit to England was their successful 1935 tour.
[2] The country was still recovering from the war with austerity and rationing a fact of daily life, but sporting events were eagerly awaited and drew large attendances.
Squad details below state the player's age at the beginning of the tour, his batting hand, his type of bowling, and his provincial Currie Cup team at the time: England chose a total of 21 players to represent them in the series.
Five players took part in all five Test matches: captain Norman Yardley; batsmen Len Hutton, Cyril Washbrook and Denis Compton; and wicket-keeper Godfrey Evans.