Peter van der Merwe (cricketer) facts for kids
Peter van der Merwe after the Fifth Test in 1966–67
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| Full name |
Peter Laurence van der Merwe
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| Born | 14 March 1937 Paarl, Cape Province, South Africa |
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| Died | 23 January 2013 (aged 75) Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa |
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| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Slow left-arm orthodox | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | All-rounder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relations | JHB Waite (brother-in-law) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| National side | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Test debut (cap 220) | 6 December 1963 v Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 24 February 1967 v Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1957–1958 | South African Universities | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1958–1966 | Western Province | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1966–1969 | Eastern Province | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: CricketArchive, 23 January 2013
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Peter Laurence van der Merwe (born 14 March 1937, died 23 January 2013) was a famous South African cricketer. He played in 15 Test matches between 1963 and 1967. Peter was also the captain of the South African team. He led them to big wins against England in 1965 and Australia in 1966–67.
Contents
Early Life and Cricket Start
Peter van der Merwe was born in Paarl, Cape Province. He went to St Andrew's College in Grahamstown. Later, he studied at the University of Cape Town.
He started his first-class cricket career as a left-arm spinner. He played for the South African Universities. Peter was the main spinner for the South African team that toured England in 1961. He batted with his right hand.
As Peter became a better batsman, he bowled less. After 1963–64, he stopped bowling in first-class cricket. In 1960, Peter helped raise money for Basil D'Oliveira. This allowed Basil to go to England and play professional cricket. Peter organised a match between white players and a team of non-white players led by D'Oliveira.
Becoming a Cricket Captain
Peter van der Merwe played for Western Province from 1958 to 1966. Then he played for Eastern Province from 1966 to 1969. He was the captain for both teams.
Peter was known for his great leadership skills. He often became captain even when other players had more experience. He first captained Western Province when he was only 23. At 26, he became vice-captain for the team touring Australia and New Zealand. This was special because he had never played a Test match before.
In 1965, he captained the team to England. He had only played 7 Tests and scored 198 runs. But his team won the three-match series 1–0.
Key Moments as a Batsman
Even though his overall batting record in Tests was not the highest, Peter played some very important innings. One of his best was scoring 76 runs. This happened during a partnership of 221 runs with Denis Lindsay. It was in the First Test against Australia in 1966–67 in Johannesburg.
When Peter and Denis started batting together, South Africa was in a tough spot. They had lost six wickets. But their partnership changed the game completely. South Africa gained a huge lead and went on to win the match.
In the Third Test of the same series, Peter and Lindsay again saved the team. Peter scored 42 runs. This helped South Africa win another match. In 1965, Peter also had a great partnership with Graeme Pollock. He scored 38 runs, helping South Africa win by 94 runs.
A Great Fielder and Leader
Peter van der Merwe was also an excellent fielder. Wisden, a famous cricket book, said he was one of the best fielders in the 1965 series. He was ranked almost as good as Colin Bland, who was known for his amazing fielding.
Peter led South Africa in eight Test matches. His team won four of these matches and lost only one. The victory over Australia in 1966–67 was the first time South Africa had won a series against Australia. After this big win, Peter retired from Test cricket at the age of 29.
Christopher Martin-Jenkins, a famous cricket writer, said Peter was a "thoughtful and shrewd captain". He also said Peter inspired a strong team spirit. Peter was the first player from an Afrikaner background to captain South Africa. He wrote an Afrikaans cricket book called Wenkrieket So Word Dit Gespeel in 1967. Later in his life, he became a match referee.
Peter van der Merwe passed away in Port Elizabeth in January 2013. He was 75 years old and had been unwell before his death.
