Tony Pithey: An Appreciation by Peter Martin

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Player:

AJ Pithey

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DateLine: 22nd November 2006

 

Former Springbok batsman Anthony John "Tony" Pithey has died at Southbroom, KwzZulu-Natal at the age 73.

 

He had been suffering from cancer of the pancreas for some months.

 

He was born in Umtali (now Mutare) in the then Rhodesia on July 17, 1933 and while studying at the University of Cape Town and playing for Western province, he was called up for the third Test against Peter May's England team at Kingsmead, Durban in place of the injured South African captain, Jackie McGlew, who was out for the rest of the series with a broken shoulder, Clive van Ryneveld taking over the captaincy.

 

With McGlew back the following season he was not required for the series against Australia and he was then selcetd for the 1960 tour of England where he played two Tests with litle success.

 

He took over the captaincy of Rhodesia in 1960-61 and captained them for some seasons.

 

Pithey toured Australia and New Zealand in 1963-64, along with his brother, off-spinner David, playing in four Tests against Australia and all three on the New Zealand leg of the tour.

 

Back in South Africa in 1964-65, he was one of South Africa's most successful batsmen in the series against MJK Smith's touring team, playing in all five Tests and scoring 462 runs, including his maiden Test century, 154 in the third Test match at Newlands, Cape Town.

 

Pithey was slected for the 1965 tour of England but withdrew, citing busines reasons.

 

In 17 Tests Pithey scored 819 runs (ave 31.50) with one century and four half-centuries, while in first-class cricket he played in 124 matches, scoring 7, 073 runs (35.90) with 13 hundreds and 41 half-centuries.

(Article: Copyright © 2006 Peter Martin)