from the team. He returned to Queensland and scored 163 and 24 not out, and 33 and 54 not out in two matches against South Australia to earn a recall for the Fifth Test in Sydney. With the series tied at 1–1, Australia played conservatively for a draw and retention of the Ashes. Burge made 103 and 52 not out, to ensure a draw and a series victory. He headed the Australian Test averages with 245 runs at 61.25. Despite ending the Shield season with four consecutive scores of no more than 10, Burge finished the season with 787 runs at 52.46. In 1963–64 he began the season with more than 500 runs in his first three innings. He started his campaign with 283 run out in a high-scoring draw against New South Wales, setting a new Queensland record. He then made 205 not out before Queensland declared in another drawn match, against Western Australia. A fortnight later, he hit 129 against the touring South Africans, helping to set up an innings win. By the time he was out, he had scored 617 runs for the season before being dismissed by a bowler. This, along with the retirement of Australia's vice-captain and most prolific batsmen since the Second World War, Neil Harvey, secured Burge's place in all five Tests against South Africa, despite an injury during the season that required an operation on his left foot after the Tests. After being run out for 13 in front of his home crowd in the First Test in Brisbane, Burge had a lean month-long run against the tourists. He made only 3 and 10 in a tour match for the Tasmania Combined XI, before scoring 23, 26 not out, 36 and 13 in the next two Tests. Australia won the Second Test before the next game was drawn. Unlike in previous season, Burge was not dropped, and he made 91 in the Fourth Test at the Adelaide Oval, which Australia lost by ten wickets, before scoring 56 and 39 in the last Test, which was drawn. He had a steady if unspectacular series with 317 runs at 39.63 with two half centuries. After the Tests started, Burge found himself struggling to convert his starts into substantial scores. In the last 11 innings of the season, he reached double figures each time, and ended with eight scores ranging from 20 to 60. Burge