The New South Wales eleven were at the wickets all day, and when stumps were drawn Edgar Foster was ‘not out, one hundred and nine’! He was congratulated on all sides, and Captain Fife said, as he shook hands with him:
‘Your place in the team is assured. I shall cable to your father as soon as the selection is made. He will be mighty proud of his son.’
On the renewal of the match next day, Edgar added another fifty to his score, and was clean bowled, after making one hundred and fifty-nine, a magnificent innings.
The match ended in a win for the home colony by two hundred runs. In the second innings Edgar Foster placed fifty-six to his credit; he also bowled well during the match, and came out with a very good average.
Consequently, it was no surprise when he found his name amongst the favoured thirteen cricketers picked to make up the Australian team. He received a cablegram from his father congratulating him, and this gave him more pleasure than anything else.
As usual, there was some grumbling about the composition of the team, but no one had anything to say about Edgar Foster’s inclusion.
‘We are to go home in the Cuzco,’ said Edgar to Will Brown; ‘so you had better book your passage.’
‘You bet!’ said Will; ‘and who do you think is going home for a trip with us?’
‘Don’t know,’ said Edgar. ‘I wish we could take Yacka. He would create a sensation there.’
‘Yacka is far happier camping out at Yanda,’ said Will. ‘Ben Brody is going home with us. He says he has never had a holiday since he was a lad, over forty years ago, and he thinks it is about time he took one now.’