Eddie Barlow facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Eddie Barlow

Cricket information
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm medium
International information
National side	South Africa
Test debut (cap 205)	8 December 1961 v New Zealand
Last Test	10 March 1970 v Australia
Career statistics
Competition Test FC LA Matches 30 283 99 Runs scored 2,516 18,212 2,983 Batting average 45.74 39.16 31.73 100s/50s 6/15 43/86 3/22 Top score 201 217 186 Balls bowled 3,021 31,930 5,010 Wickets 40 571 161 Bowling average 34.05 24.14 18.08 5 wickets in innings 1 16 2 10 wickets in match 0 2 0 Best bowling 5/85 7/24 6/33 Catches/stumpings 35/– 335/– 43/–
Source: CricketArchive, 3 December 2020

Edgar John Barlow (born August 12, 1940 – died December 30, 2005) was a famous South African cricket player. He was known as an "all-rounder" because he was great at both batting and bowling.

Eddie Barlow was born in Pretoria, South Africa. He played for several teams in South Africa, including Transvaal, Eastern Province, and Western Province. He also played for Derbyshire in England for three seasons. People often called him "Bunter" because he looked a bit like a character named Billy Bunter.

Eddie was easy to spot on the cricket field because he wore glasses. He was a very popular player. Many people thought he helped change how South Africa played cricket. He made the team more exciting and less defensive. In 1962, he was named one of the top six South African cricketers of the year.

Early Life and Cricket Start

Eddie Barlow went to Pretoria Boys High School and the University of the Witwatersrand. He played cricket for school and university teams.

First-Class Debut

He started his professional cricket career in 1959–60. His first match was for Transvaal B against Griqualand West. He scored 72 runs in that game. He didn't bowl much at first.

In 1960–61, he started bowling more often for the main Transvaal team. That season, he scored his first century (100 runs) against North-Eastern Transvaal. He also took five wickets in that match.

Playing in England

In 1961, Eddie went to England with a young South African team called the Fezelas. He was a last-minute replacement player. For the first time, he opened the batting, which means he was one of the first two batsmen to play. He scored 110 runs in one of his matches there.

Eddie Barlow's Test Career

Eddie Barlow played 30 Test matches for South Africa. He played every single Test match from his first one in 1961–62 until South Africa stopped playing international cricket in 1969–70.

Making History

In 1963–64, he made history by becoming the first South African to score a century in his first Test match against Australia. In that series, he scored a total of 603 runs. This included a huge score of 200 runs in a match in Adelaide.

Controversy on the Field

During England's tour of South Africa in 1964–65, Eddie was part of a big discussion. In a match at Newlands, an English bowler thought he had caught Eddie out. But the umpire said he was not out.

This series was already a bit tense. When Eddie went on to score his century, the English players didn't cheer much. But when another South African player, Tony Pithey, scored 50 runs, the English players celebrated a lot. It seemed like they were trying to make a point about Eddie. South African newspapers criticized England for this.

Amazing Bowling Feat

Besides his 30 official Test matches, Eddie also played in five matches for a "Rest of the World" team in England in 1970. These games were first called Test matches but later had their official status removed.

In one of these matches, Eddie achieved a hat-trick. This means he took three wickets in three balls! After that, he took another wicket, making it four wickets in just five balls. He ended that part of the game with 7 wickets for 64 runs. This would have been his best Test bowling performance.

End of Official Test Matches

Eddie's last official Test series was when South Africa beat Australia 4–0 in 1969–70. He was chosen for tours to England and Australia later, but these tours were canceled. This was due to protests against South Africa's government policies at the time.

World Series Cricket and Derbyshire

In 1977–78, a new cricket tournament called World Series Cricket started. It allowed top South African players to play international-level cricket again. Eddie Barlow played in this tournament for two seasons. He even captained one of the teams, the WSC Cavaliers.

Playing for Derbyshire

In 1976, Eddie joined Derbyshire as an overseas professional player. He became the team captain halfway through his first season. He brought new ideas to the team. He led them to a final in the Benson & Hedges Cup in 1978.

Life After Cricket

After he stopped playing cricket, Eddie Barlow became more involved in speaking out against unfair policies in his home country. He even tried to become a politician in 1980, but he didn't win.

Coaching Career

Eddie later became a cricket coach. He coached at Gloucestershire in England, and then for teams in South Africa like Orange Free State and Transvaal. He also became the first coach of a new cricket academy in the Western Cape.

In 1999, he was asked to become the national coach for Bangladesh. He helped them plan and improve their cricket. Because of his help, Bangladesh was able to achieve official Test match status the next year.

Later Years and Legacy

In 2000, Eddie had a serious medical emergency in Bangladesh. This meant he had to use a wheelchair for a while. He faced health challenges and financial difficulties. Later, he moved to North Wales.

Even with his health issues, he continued to coach local teams and disabled cricket players in Wales. He passed away on December 30, 2005, after another serious medical event. Eddie Barlow is remembered as a brave and talented cricketer who made a big impact on the game.