In his first innings of the season, Simpson made his highest first-class score of 359, against Queensland, scoring more than half of his team's 661 in an innings win. Playing for a Western Australia Combined XI against the touring South Africans at Perth, Simpson and Benaud combined for a 237-run partnership in the second innings, with Simpson making 246, having scored only four in the first innings. In the next match for New South Wales against Western Australia, Simpson hit an unbeaten 247 as Benaud's men amassed 1/425 declared. Up to this point he had scored 856 runs at 285.33 for the season in four innings. In the second innings, he was dropped down the order to allow other players an opportunity, and he was not required to bat as New South Wales reached their target of 262 with nine wickets in hand. However, Simpson's form peaked ahead of the Tests. He made 41 in his next four innings in tour matches against the South Africans ahead of the Tests, including three scores of no more than one.