SPORTING GREATS
Cricket: Basil D’Oliviera
Brad Morgan
29 August 2003
Basil D'Oliviera never played cricket for South Africa, yet he was nominated as one of the country's cricketers of the 20th century. And despite never representing the country of his birth, he is one of the most important figures in the history of South African cricket.
D’Olivieira was born in 1931, a child of mixed race in a country that looked upon people of colour as second-class citizens. Thus, he was never given the opportunities that many lesser-talented white children were given.
As a young man, he was never considered for selection to the Springbok teams of those times, but rather had to play his cricket in the South African Cricket Board of Control (Sacboc) organisation that catered to players of colour.
He learnt the game on matting wickets and quickly became a star of Sacboc cricket. Yet he could never test his talent against the best cricketers in the world, let alone in his own country, because of the political system in
place. He was able to watch other countries touring South Africa, but playing against them remained a dream.
South Africa's loss, England's gain
In 1956/57 and 1958/59 he had the opportunity of leading the South African Sacboc team against Kenya and East Africa. D'Oliviera excelled, scoring 447 runs at an average just shy of 56.
Then the famous English cricket commentator John Arlott offered him a contract in the Central Lancashire League with Middleton, where he would replace the West Indian fast bowling legend Wes Hall. A local businessman raised money for D'Oliviera's fare, and he was on his way to England and a new life as a professional cricketer.
After taking some time to adjust to the conditions, D'Oliviera thrived and forced his way into the Worcestershire county team - after he had lopped three years off his age because he might not have been given a chance had the county known his true age. When he played his first full
season in the county championship he was already 34, yet he performed brilliantly, even though most players would be considered over the hill by that stage of their careers.
In June 1966, having qualified to play for England, he was chosen to face the West Indians in the second Test at the age of 34. He made a solid if unspectacular debut, scoring 27 before being run out, and returning figures of 1 for 24 and 1 for 46 with the ball in 39 overs.
'Dolly' comes into his own
In the third Test, his second, D'Oliviera came into his own, scoring 76 and 54, while capturing 2 for 51 and 2 for 77 at Trent Bridge, even though the West Indies cantered to a 139-run victory.
He contributed a fighting 88 in the fourth Test at Headingley, although England once again came a sorry second, losing by an innings and 55 runs. D'Oliviera was quietly efficient in the final Test as England turned the tables on the West Indies, winning by an innings and 34
runs to finish the series as 3-1 losers.
"Dolly", as he was known, had nonetheless shown his abilities, quickly adapting to Test match cricket, and after a successful series he became a fixture in the England team for quite some time.
Against India next time out, he hit 109 in the first Test as England won by six wickets and went on to win the series three-nil. Facing Pakistan, he hit fifties in both innings of the first Test in a series that England won two-nil.
Next up was an away series against the West Indies, early in 1968. D'Oliviera didn’t turn in his best showing in the five matches, scoring only 137 runs at an average of 27.4. He did a lot of bowling, but picked up only three wickets, even though he was economical.
Back in England, it was time for a five-Test Ashes series. The Aussies crushed England by 159 runs in first Test as England crumbled in their second innings, despite D'Oliviera's top scoring effort of 87 not out. He was, however, dropped
for the second Test, but when Roger Prideuax withdrew from the team for the final Test, Dolly was given a recall, and he made a triumphant return. He grabbed his chance with both hands, hitting 159 as England took a 226-run victory to tie the series one-all.
The D'Oliviera Affair
After that performance, it was clear that D'Oliviera had sealed his spot in the England team to tour South Africa in 1968/69. However, he was not selected, a victim of politics as the MCC tried to avoid a political backlash from South Africa by naming a player of colour – the South African-born D'Oliviera – in their line-up.
There was a huge outcry. Then Tom Cartwright pulled out of the touring party and D’Oliviera was named in his place. South African Prime Minister John Vorster reacted by declaring D'Oliviera unwelcome in South Africa. "It's not the MCC team", he declared, "it's the team of the anti-apartheid movement."
Vorster's decision put South Africa
irreversibly on a path to international isolation, something that became a reality in 1970 after Australia had toured the country. It also led to the cancellation of that tour.
D'Oliviera, meanwhile, was back in action for his adopted country in June 1969, once again facing the West Indies, this time in a three-Test series. He followed that with a three-match series against New Zealand and then a seven-Test Ashes series Down Under in which he scored 369 runs at an average of 36.9, including 117 in the fifth Test at the MCG.
England went on to New Zealand for two Tests, with Dolly scoring 100 in the first one and 58 and five in the second.
Pakistan next visited England in 1971, and D'Oliviera enjoyed a fine series with the bat, making 241 runs at an average of 60.25. He was below-par in a three-Test series against India, but was in better form for the visit of Australia in June 1972. The series, though, proved to be his swansong, not surprising when one considers that
he was just short of 41 at the time!
Amazing record
D'Oliviera completed his career having played 41 Tests. He scored 2 484 runs at an average of 40.06, with five centuries and 15 fifties. He also captured 47 wickets at 39.55. Given that he had missed out on playing Test cricket in his prime, it was an amazing record.
However, his greatest contribution, both to world cricket and South African cricket, happened because he managed to crack the England team at an advanced age and then forced his way into the squad to tour South Africa in 1968/69.
The repercussions of Prime Minister John Vorster's decision to prevent D'Oliviera entering South Africa were big and irreversible, but they were ultimately good for South Africa, South African cricket, and world cricket.
Dolly, meanwhile, was given belated recognition for his achievements in the game when he was chosen as one of the nominees for the title of South Africa's Cricketer of
the Century. He was at Newlands when Graeme Pollock picked up the award, a guest of honour on the Newlands ground that he had never been given the opportunity to grace as a player.
D'Oliviera was once again a big man in South African cricketing circles in 2003 when the country hosted the World Cup for the first time and named D'Oliviera one of the sporting ambassadors for cricket's greatest showcase.
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