John Waite, centre, playing for South Africa against Nottinghamshire in 1955.
John Waite, who has died aged 81, was a key figure in South African cricket during the 1950s and early 1960s. In an era when wicketkeepers were not necessarily required to be major runmakers, Waite, a fine keeper, was also good enough to have been chosen for his batting alone. He developed into a pivotal asset for the Springboks, and eventually became the first from his country to play in 50 Test matches.
Although over 6ft in height, he was slimly built and agile behind the stumps. He finished his career with 124 catches and 17 stumpings, which stood as South African records in 1970, when his country entered a period of Test match isolation because of its apartheid government. Waite's 23 dismissals (16 caught, seven stumped) in the 1953‑54 home series against New Zealand constituted a world Test record, which he raised to 26 (23, 3) in 1961-62, against the same opposition, again on his home turf.
As a batsman, Waite carved out four Test centuries, the first at Old Trafford in the pulsating 1955 series, batting at number seven against a strong England attack. Although South Africa lost the Oval decider, Waite saved them from ignominy with 60 out of their final total of 151. Elevated in the batting order, he scored 115 against Australia in Johannesburg in 1957, and 134 at Durban two Tests later, confirming his immense value to the side.
But in England in 1960, South Africa were overwhelmed in a series remembered chiefly for the painful distraction of the no-balling of one of their fast men, Geoff Griffin, because of his illegal bowling action. Waite was persuaded to write a book in the wake of this sensation. Perchance to Bowl (1961), co-written with the highly imaginative Australian RS Whitington, contained a touching recollection of the view down on to the old Wanderers ground in Johannesburg from his uncle's flat when Waite was a child. From that vantage point, he nurtured a hero-worship of the South African batsman Bruce Mitchell, and was inspired to become a wicketkeeper-batsman after watching England's Les Ames. Waite's father was an Englishman, and during one of several visits as a boy, Waite drew further inspiration from seeing Don Bradman's 202 against Somerset in 1938.
Waite was born in Johannesburg and began his education at Pridwin prep school, where he won plaudits for academic and sporting achievement before being enrolled at Hilton college in Natal. While at Rhodes University, Grahamstown, a career as a stockbroker beckoning (he also later ran a sports shop), Waite was called in to make his first-class debut for Eastern Province against the 1948-49 English touring team, and scored an impressive 80.
A year later he found himself playing against the visiting Australians (and having to cope with his fiery veteran team-mate Eric Rowan, who hurled Waite's cricket bag out of the window after he had innocently taken his space in the dressing room). In the 1950-51 season, still at university, Waite scored well for Eastern Province in the Currie Cup competition, clinching his selection for South Africa's 1951 tour of England.
Waite opened the batting in his maiden Test at Trent Bridge. With the volatile Rowan as fellow opener, he made a 76 (he was run out, although a modern-day referral would probably have spared him). The match was won, but the series was eventually lost, Waite having been dropped for the final Test.
Yet his qualities had been clearly displayed back in May with his 31 in the South Africans' innings of only 76 against Yorkshire at Bradford. He joined Rowan in a protest sit-down in the Lancashire match after some of the crowd of 15,000 objected to the tempo of their stand of 164 in three and a half hours. It was thought in some quarters that his closeness to Rowan cost Waite his chance of captaincy.
On the first of Waite's two tours of Australia (the 1952-53 venture, which had almost been aborted, as the Springboks were considered weak), he contributed two 60s as an opener and performed capably behind the stumps. It was one of the most absorbing of series, drawn 2-2 against the odds. A year later, South Africa played host to New Zealand in a series in which Waite did little of note.
After the absorbing 1955 series in England, the return rubber of 1956-57 proved just as exciting, South Africa levelling in the final Test. Waite batted lower in the order, but the quality of his wicketkeeping was sustained. A year later, as Australia came and conquered 3-0, Waite, at his peak, recorded those two centuries early in the series.
The 1960 tour of England was a hard one on the field, and the early displays of anti-apartheid feeling brought discomfort to sensitive members of the side. Waite, however, stumped Geoff Pullar at the Oval to complete the 1,000 runs/100 dismissals Test match double. Next he was playing at home to New Zealand and raising his own world Test record for wicketkeeping dismissals in a series. This was achieved in the second of the Tests that summer at the new Wanderers ground in Johannesburg. In the earlier one, he had stroked his fourth and final Test century.
Waite's second Australasian tour in 1963-64 was his last, and a year later, his long and distinguished Test career ended, when he was recalled for the last two Tests against England. In later years Waite served the game's administration in Transvaal (now Gauteng).
He is survived by his wife, Barbara, and a son and a daughter.
• John Henry Bickford Waite, cricketer, born 19 January 1930; died 22 June 2011
Although over 6ft in height, he was slimly built and agile behind the stumps. He finished his career with 124 catches and 17 stumpings, which stood as South African records in 1970, when his country entered a period of Test match isolation because of its apartheid government. Waite's 23 dismissals (16 caught, seven stumped) in the 1953‑54 home series against New Zealand constituted a world Test record, which he raised to 26 (23, 3) in 1961-62, against the same opposition, again on his home turf.
As a batsman, Waite carved out four Test centuries, the first at Old Trafford in the pulsating 1955 series, batting at number seven against a strong England attack. Although South Africa lost the Oval decider, Waite saved them from ignominy with 60 out of their final total of 151. Elevated in the batting order, he scored 115 against Australia in Johannesburg in 1957, and 134 at Durban two Tests later, confirming his immense value to the side.
But in England in 1960, South Africa were overwhelmed in a series remembered chiefly for the painful distraction of the no-balling of one of their fast men, Geoff Griffin, because of his illegal bowling action. Waite was persuaded to write a book in the wake of this sensation. Perchance to Bowl (1961), co-written with the highly imaginative Australian RS Whitington, contained a touching recollection of the view down on to the old Wanderers ground in Johannesburg from his uncle's flat when Waite was a child. From that vantage point, he nurtured a hero-worship of the South African batsman Bruce Mitchell, and was inspired to become a wicketkeeper-batsman after watching England's Les Ames. Waite's father was an Englishman, and during one of several visits as a boy, Waite drew further inspiration from seeing Don Bradman's 202 against Somerset in 1938.
Waite was born in Johannesburg and began his education at Pridwin prep school, where he won plaudits for academic and sporting achievement before being enrolled at Hilton college in Natal. While at Rhodes University, Grahamstown, a career as a stockbroker beckoning (he also later ran a sports shop), Waite was called in to make his first-class debut for Eastern Province against the 1948-49 English touring team, and scored an impressive 80.
A year later he found himself playing against the visiting Australians (and having to cope with his fiery veteran team-mate Eric Rowan, who hurled Waite's cricket bag out of the window after he had innocently taken his space in the dressing room). In the 1950-51 season, still at university, Waite scored well for Eastern Province in the Currie Cup competition, clinching his selection for South Africa's 1951 tour of England.
Waite opened the batting in his maiden Test at Trent Bridge. With the volatile Rowan as fellow opener, he made a 76 (he was run out, although a modern-day referral would probably have spared him). The match was won, but the series was eventually lost, Waite having been dropped for the final Test.
Yet his qualities had been clearly displayed back in May with his 31 in the South Africans' innings of only 76 against Yorkshire at Bradford. He joined Rowan in a protest sit-down in the Lancashire match after some of the crowd of 15,000 objected to the tempo of their stand of 164 in three and a half hours. It was thought in some quarters that his closeness to Rowan cost Waite his chance of captaincy.
On the first of Waite's two tours of Australia (the 1952-53 venture, which had almost been aborted, as the Springboks were considered weak), he contributed two 60s as an opener and performed capably behind the stumps. It was one of the most absorbing of series, drawn 2-2 against the odds. A year later, South Africa played host to New Zealand in a series in which Waite did little of note.
After the absorbing 1955 series in England, the return rubber of 1956-57 proved just as exciting, South Africa levelling in the final Test. Waite batted lower in the order, but the quality of his wicketkeeping was sustained. A year later, as Australia came and conquered 3-0, Waite, at his peak, recorded those two centuries early in the series.
The 1960 tour of England was a hard one on the field, and the early displays of anti-apartheid feeling brought discomfort to sensitive members of the side. Waite, however, stumped Geoff Pullar at the Oval to complete the 1,000 runs/100 dismissals Test match double. Next he was playing at home to New Zealand and raising his own world Test record for wicketkeeping dismissals in a series. This was achieved in the second of the Tests that summer at the new Wanderers ground in Johannesburg. In the earlier one, he had stroked his fourth and final Test century.
Waite's second Australasian tour in 1963-64 was his last, and a year later, his long and distinguished Test career ended, when he was recalled for the last two Tests against England. In later years Waite served the game's administration in Transvaal (now Gauteng).
He is survived by his wife, Barbara, and a son and a daughter.
• John Henry Bickford Waite, cricketer, born 19 January 1930; died 22 June 2011
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