Hugh Tayfield

Personal information

Full name

Hugh Joseph Tayfield

Born

30 January 1929
Durban, South Africa

Died

24 February 1994 (aged 65)
Hillcrest, South Africa

Batting style

Right-hand bat

Bowling style

Right-arm offbreak

International information

National side

South African

Career statistics

Competition	Tests	First-class
Matches	37	187
Runs scored	862	3668
Batting average	16.90	17.30
100s/50s	0/2	0/10
Top score	75	77
Balls bowled	13568	54848
Wickets	170	864
Bowling average	25.91	21.86
5 wickets in innings	14	67
10 wickets in match	2	16
Best bowling	9/113	9/113
Catches/stumpings	26/-	149/-

Source: CricketArchive

Hugh Joseph Tayfield (30 January 1929 – 24 February 1994) was a cricketer. He played 37 Test matches for South Africa from 1949 to 1960 and was one of the best off spinners the game has seen. He was the fastest South African to take 100 wickets in Tests (in terms of matches played) until Dale Steyn claimed the record in March 2008. He was named as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1956. He was known as 'Toey Tayfield' due to his habit of stubbing his toes into the ground before every delivery. He would also kiss the badge on his cap before handing it to the umpire at the start of every over.

Biography

The Tayfields were a cricketing family and cricket was in his blood, Hugh's uncle Sidney Martin played for Worcestershire and his brothers Arthur and Cyril both played for Transvaal as did two cousins.

Tayfield made his debut for Natal as a 17-year-old in 1945–46. He took a hat-trick against Transvaal aged just 18 and, when Athol Rowan was injured, he was hurried into the test team against Australia in 1949–50. He played in all five Tests and, on a sticky wicket at Durban, took seven for 23 when Australia crashed from 31 for no wicket to 75 all out. South Africa erred by not enforcing the follow on and Neil Harvey won the match for Australia.^[1]

After a quiet tour to England in 1951 when he was called up as a substitute for Rowan, he became South Africa's mainstay in Australia in 1952–53 under Jack Cheetham. He claimed 30 scalps in the series, 13 of them at Melbourne to secure South Africa's first win over Australia in 42 years. Tayfield returned to England with more success in 1955, taking 143 wickets on the tour and 26 in the series including nine in South Africa's victory at Headingley. In the defeat at the Oval, the match which decided the rubber, he took 5 for 60 in 53.3 overs.^[2]

Wheeling down eight-ball overs for South Africa v England at Durban in 1956–57, he bowled 119 balls in the first innings followed immediately by a further 18 in the second without conceding a run, a test and first class cricket record. He bowled over the wicket, close to the stumps, drifting the ball away from the bat in the air and then spinning it back through the gate. He did not spin the ball as much as England's Jim Laker but was unerringly accurate and could bowl all day. He set himself aggressive fields, in contrast to his steady bowling, with two silly mid ons for the snick prompted by a botched drive through the tempting hole he'd left at cover. He formed a fine partnership with Trevor Goddard and, backed by South Africa's athletic fielding, took 37 wickets at 17.18 against England in 1956–57. He took 9 for 113 in the second innings of the Fourth Test at Johannesburg, bowling unchanged on the last day, and was chaired off the field by his team mates. Tayfield caught the only batsman he didn't dismiss himself – Doug Insole, the top-scorer with 68 – off Goddard.^[3]

In England in 1960 he took 123 wickets on the tour but failed in the Tests and, his career on the wane, lost his place in 1961–62. He cut a dashing figure in his 1950s heyday but, like many before and after him, struggled somewhat once the limelight was gone. He was married and divorced five times.^[4]

Tayfield died in a hospital at Durban on 25 February 1994, at the age of 65.^[5] He was survived by his only son, Robert, from his marriage to Barbara Metcalf. His grandchildren are Derek and Janna followed by great grandchildren, Evangeline and Curran.^[6]

References

↑ "South Africa v Australia, Durban 1949-50". CricketArchive. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
↑ "Hugh Tayfield". ESPN Cricket Info. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
↑ "CRICKETER OF THE YEAR 1956: Hugh Tayfield". ESPN Cricket Info. 1956. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
↑ Wisden 1995, pp. 1395-96.
↑ "Hugh Tayfield". ESPN Cricket Info. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
↑ "South Africa, Natal Province, Civil Marriages".

External links

Australian first-class cricket season leading wicket-takers (1950–51 to 1999–2000)

1950–51: Bedser 1951–52: Johnston 1952–53: Tayfield 1953–54: Johnson 1954–55: Tyson 1955–56: Benaud 1956–57: Kline 1957–58: Quick 1958–59: Benaud 1959–60: Martin 1960–61: Davidson 1961–62: Benaud 1962–63: Meckiff 1963–64: Sellers 1964–65: Hawke 1965–66: Hawke 1966–67: Lock 1967–68: Connolly 1968–69: McKenzie 1969–70: A. Thomson 1970–71: A. Thomson 1971–72: Mallett 1972–73: Mallett 1973–74: Dymock 1974–75: Lillee/J. Thomson 1975–76: Lillee/J. Thomson 1976–77: Lillee 1977–78: J. Thomson 1978–79: Hogg 1979–80: Mallett 1980–81: Lillee 1981–82: Yardley 1982–83: Lawson 1983–84: Lillee 1984–85: Holland 1985–86: Holland 1986–87: McDermott 1987–88: Matthews 1988–89: Whitney 1989–90: Rackemann 1990–91: McDermott 1991–92: McDermott 1992–93: Holdsworth 1993–94: Warne 1994–95: Rackemann 1995–96: Kasprowicz 1996–97: Kasprowicz 1997–98: Miller 1998–99: Saker 1999–2000: Bichel

Leading run-scorers: 1850–51 to 1899–00 1900–01 to 1949–50 1950–51 to 1999–00 2000–01 onwards Leading wicket-takers: 1850–51 to 1899–00 1900–01 to 1949–50 1950–51 to 1999–00 2000–01 onwards

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