• Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

Cricket obituaries

stumpski

International Captain
I don't recall ever seeing one of these on here ... old (and some not so old) cricketers are slipping away all the time, and not all of them are headline stories on Cricinfo, so they can go unnoticed. There've been a few interesting ones this year though:

Neil McCorkell - the Hampshire batsman celebrated his 100th birthday last year and may be the last surviving pre-war county cricketer, unless someone knows better;

Sammy Guillen - the only man to have played Test cricket for West Indies and New Zealand, sounds like a bit of a character;

Peter van der Merwe - South African captain of the mid-60s and later a Test referee. Officiated in Zimbabwe's first Test and also the England - NZ series of 1999 when England, having fallen at the first hurdle in the World Cup, lost to the Kiwis and fell to the bottom of the Test rankings.

Brian Langford - Somerset off-spinner and captain. Returned unrepeatable figures of 8-8-0-0 in an early Sunday league game.

I will add more names if and when I remember.
 

stumpski

International Captain
Guy de Alwis, the Sri Lankan keeper of the mid-80s (and later selector) has gone well before his time at 53.

Also Haseeb Ahsan, Pakistan off-spinner of the early 60s whose career ended early amid doubts about his action; better remembered here as the outspoken manager of one of Pakistan's typically controversial England tours (1987, possibly).
 

stumpski

International Captain
Thought I'd bring this up to date with a couple of non-players who slipped under the radar:


Veteran journo Dicky Rutnagur - Telegraph is one who I can remember reading in the Telegraph in the 70s, he was interviewed in 'retro cricket magazine' Backspin only last month.

Meanwhile umpire K.T.Francis | Cricket Players and Officials | ESPN Cricinfo stood in Sri Lanka's first Test in 1982 and continued until 1999. He stood in the Test at Colombo when Sri Lanka hit a world-record 952-6 and 14 wickets fell in five days. Must have been hard to stay alert for that one.
 

stumpski

International Captain
Cyril Perkins is still with us.

Dare say he's the oldest living FC cricketer currently as he's even older than Norman Gordon, the SA test centurion.
Cyril Perkins died last week, that might well leave Norman as the oldest.

Incidentally no Test cricketer has died for seven months now, the last being Pakistan one-Test keeper Shahid Israr back in April - must be very unusual, to say the least.
 

fredfertang

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Cyril Perkins died last week, that might well leave Norman as the oldest.
Remarkable record in one way - a few matches for Northants in the 30s and then one list A game for Suffolk against Kent in 1966 at 54 - Colin Cowdrey was man of the match and scored a ton, but Cyril conceded just 31 from his 12 overs, so he must have bowled pretty well
 

BoyBrumby

Englishman
RIP Reg Simpson

From the BBC.

England's oldest surviving test player passes away at a creditable 93. Vale.

One imagines his wartime experiences gave him a healthy perspective on cricket's place in the grand scheme.

Incidentally no Test cricketer has died for seven months now, the last being Pakistan one-Test keeper Shahid Israr back in April - must be very unusual, to say the least.
Jinx duly applied I'd say...
 

fredfertang

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I've just learned that Cyril Perkins holds the record for having played the most First Class matches without ever being on the winning side - 51 of them
 

Zinzan

Request Your Custom Title Now!

Sean Matt

Cricket Spectator
Happy New Year everyone. Having spent last couple of years revamping 'Lists of Oldest Cricketers' on wiki, i'm now researching any player 95 or above still living. Behind Norman Gordon (102), the oldest living that appear genuine so far are John Manners and Harold Stapleton. Many more to research though.

Have located death for cricketer listed as alive (aged 100) on Cricinfo and CricketArchive. BUYSKES Duncan Marquard 1912-1994
BUYSKES, DUNCAN MARQUARD
died 31 October 1994, South Africa (aged 82).

Notice amended middle name. Thanks.

Cricinfo have now updated. If anyone could assist would be much appreciated.
 
Last edited:

mullarkey

School Boy/Girl Captain
I don't recall ever seeing one of these on here ... old (and some not so old) cricketers are slipping away all the time, and not all of them are headline stories on Cricinfo, so they can go unnoticed. There've been a few interesting ones this year though:

Neil McCorkell - the Hampshire batsman celebrated his 100th birthday last year and may be the last surviving pre-war county cricketer, unless someone knows better;

Sammy Guillen - the only man to have played Test cricket for West Indies and New Zealand, sounds like a bit of a character;

Peter van der Merwe - South African captain of the mid-60s and later a Test referee. Officiated in Zimbabwe's first Test and also the England - NZ series of 1999 when England, having fallen at the first hurdle in the World Cup, lost to the Kiwis and fell to the bottom of the Test rankings.

Brian Langford - Somerset off-spinner and captain. Returned unrepeatable figures of 8-8-0-0 in an early Sunday league game.

I will add more names if and when I remember.
Sad to read about the memories of these players being snubbed by CSA (Peter van der Merwe and Neil Adcock) for reasons of political correctness.
 

Top