At this stage of his career, Burge was scoring consistently enough to command a regular Test place. On the 1957–58 tour of South Africa, he made 111 not out against a South African XI in a warm-up for the Tests, and then made 80 in the next match against Border. He was selected in the First Test in Johannesburg. After scoring a duck and 14 in a drawn match, it was Burge who was dropped when vice-captain Neil Harvey returned from injury as Australia took the five-Test series 3–0. Burge scored only one further fifty in the tour matches and ended with 441 runs at 49.00.