Basil d'Oliviera
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Basil d'Oliviera has died at the age of 80.
I remember him playing , a great batsman and a more than useful bowler. He will be perhaps better known for the great dignity he showed following the controversy over his non selection for England to play South Africa
RIP Dolly
I remember him playing , a great batsman and a more than useful bowler. He will be perhaps better known for the great dignity he showed following the controversy over his non selection for England to play South Africa
RIP Dolly
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I remember him scoring 150+ in the final Test at the Oval and then being initially left out of the touring squad to South Africa but having to be called up due to injuries elsewhere after the selectors had said he had only just missed out.
For those younger ones of the forum, it's well worth reading up on him
RIP
The word "great" is often used for sportsmen, but Basil D'Olivieria is one of the very, very few who genuinely deserves it.
A truly great human being.
R.I.P.
I forgot he was Wisden cricketer of the year in 1967
For those unaware of the impact he had on cricket both on and off the field , there's an excellent 'timeline' piece on Cricinfo
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http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/current/story/356092.html
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RIP and thanks for the memories
I heard that, fantastic tales from Pat Murphy who said Basil was in fact 83 and therefore 40 when the South African tour in 1968 was due to start. In his last season for Worcestershire he was applauded to and from the wicket at every venue he played at such was the affection the British public had for him
To start at age 37 and average 40 takes some doing (even if the strength of international cricket wasn't so high at the time).
The BBC missed a trick in not awarding him a lifetime achievement award at SPOTY.
I recall him playing in one of the one day finals in the mid 70s. He tore a hamstring whilst fielding but hit a superb 50 'on one leg'.
And, of course, he was mentioned in Fawlty Towers.
Major Gowan: "...... D'Oliveira got a century!"
Basil: "Did he...... good old Dolly."
The grass will lie lightly upon him.
The D'Oliveira name is living on at New Road into a 3rd generation with his grandson Brett making his one day debut a few months ago.
RIP.
Agreed.
I go to watch cricket at Central Lancashire League Club Middleton where Dolly played in the early 60's before Worcstershire gave him a chance.
It is a town ground which I think has loads of character, made more so because every time I drive in there I think of Dolly (not to mention Hedly Verity and Frank Tyson) playing there.
They all thought they'd made a mistake as Dolly struggled with the wickets and moving ball in the often damp Greater Manchester climate. But once acclimatised, he hit hundreds of runs and I think, broke League records at a time when some of the best cricketers in the world (especially the WI fast bowlers) were playing in the CLL.
His story is amazing and the above mentioned book describes how his team back in SA would prepare their dust wicket and then carry the mat that they roll out over the dust track so that their game could take place.
As a former club cricketer, it makes you realise how lucky you are to have the facilities and environment we have here to play. The phrase 'we don't know we're born', comes to mind.
He was a central part of my growing up - b/w images on BBC with Peter West describing the Test Matches at the Oval and Lord's and images in Playfair Cricket Monthly and the Playfair Cricket Annual.
I shall take a special moment to think of him again next time I drive through the gates at Middleon.
Condolensces to his family.
RIP Dolly
Thanks for the heads-up. I'll be getting that in the near future.
In an age when knighthoods are handed out like lollipops at an infants' sports day, it is a disgrace that the title of Sir was never conferred upon D'Oliveira - and equally disgraceful that he was never awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Sports Personality of Year ceremony.
However great men surmount the trifles of baubles and titles and despite his reluctance D'Oliveira wrote his own name not only in cricketing history but also in the fight against apartheid.
RIP.
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Looks like it concentrates on the aparteid issues but it should be worth a watch (or record for those of us that have to get up early)
Many thanks , I hadn't noticed it. Could do with a better time slot or even BBC 1 2"
I thought that all the politicians and the cricket administrators came across very poorly.
Much of it seemed to come down to that selection meeting about which Doug Insole was a crusty and cantankerous old fart really.
Mind you, we don't know what was and wasn't said with the minutes of the meeting having been lost (oh, how inconvenient).
All smacked of the way things used to be (the one change on the scorecard is at #7 where F.J. Titmus should read, Titmus F.J.).
Loved Wes Hall talking with incredulity about Dolly hitting him for 6 back over his head.
Other than Allan Donald, Hall is the most terrifying bowler I've ever seen.
Can't imagine what a quick eye and hands Dolly must have had to despatch the great bowler so.
Sadly I have been unable to watch it as it is unavailable on i Player for some reason ( copyright?) I do remember the 1968 series very well and in particular the last half hour of the game at the Oval. Dolly got a wicket and with no more tha half an hour remaining they switched to Underwood and he took the last few wickets with a minute or so to spare. England very rarely won in those days and even if they were in a position to do so the rain fell.
How many times I came back from school to listen to Radio 3 and find the dreaded music on which meant rain stopped play. They didn't have the chat on in those days , so you had no idea what was happening
Yes , Wes Hall was a fearsome bowler , a massive run up and a violent bouncer, and of course no helmets. I would say Malcolm Marshall was the best and quickest bowler I have ever seen , possibly because he came at a low angle and was difficult to judge whether it woud be in your face or not
A good watch . Didn't know that he scored a double ton in 65 mins or that he had been offered money by the SA government to make himself unavailable for the tour