Bob Crisp
Encyclopedia
Robert James Crisp DSO
MC
(28 May 1911 – 3 March 1994) was a South Africa
n cricket
er who played in nine Tests
from 1935 to 1936 before living for a while in England
. He appeared for Rhodesia
, Western Province, Worcestershire and South Africa. Though his Test bowling average lay over 37.00, Crisp had a successful first-class cricket
career, with 276 wickets at 19.88. Crisp holds the distinction of being the only bowler in first-class cricket to have taken four wickets in four balls more than once.
He went on to a career in journalism
and writing, publishing several accounts of his career in World War II
, and earning a reputation as an adventurer.
in India
. He made sporadic appearances between 1929 and 1931, taking only seven wickets before a more regular place arrived from him in the 1931–32 season. He took 33 wickets that season at 14.93, including an eight-wicket haul against Griqualand West. He took three more five-wicket hauls in his 26 wicket-haul during the 1932/33 season, and scalped 27 more batsman in the 1933/34 season, including a career best 9/64 for Western Province.
in 1935, taking 107 wickets in all at 19.58. He took 5/99 at Old Trafford for South Africa to help earn his team their first victory in England. This was one of eight five-wicket hauls on the tour. 13 of those wickets came in his five Test matches, at 34.15. He returned to South Africa to take nine expensive wickets at 45.33 – seven of these across four Test matches against Australia before returning to England once more and taking a four-wicket haul in a first-class match that summer. He dismissed six Sri Lanka
n batsman over the 1936/37 season, before returning to England once more in 1938 to take 44 wickets for Worcestershire including a spell of 5/0.
in the 3rd Royal Tank Regiment
, later writing two books documenting his experiences: The Gods Were Neutral and Brazen Chariots. These books covered his combat during the early part of the war, first during the British retreat in Greece, then the victory that followed in North Africa. He was decorated for his bravery during the North African campaign, and was also wounded there, nearly dying several times from shrapnel in his skull as well as subsequent infection. Bernard Montgomery, commanding, intervened to restrict Crisp's decorations given the latter's issues with authority. Crisp ended the war with an Military Cross
, Distinguished Service Order
, and four mentioned in dispatches.
He was also noted for his serial womanising and "crooning in the nightclubs" of Alexandria
, and his wide ranging travel – including climbing Mount Kilimanjaro
(he is the only Test cricketer to have climbed it twice) and swimming Loch Lomond
. He went on to a career as a journalist
, writing for Wisden
and several newspapers. He helped found Drum for black South Africans. He sailed Greece
, farmed mink
s in England, and wrote for the East Anglican Daily Times.
During the 1970s, Crisp was diagnosed with cancer
, and responded by walking around Crete
for a year supporting himself by selling his account to the Sunday Express. He remained outspoken on apartheid, advocating "a federation of semi-autonomous states, black and white" and arguing that "nothing else is feasible." The end of segregation "startled" him. He lived to see South Africa reintegrated into the international Test scene before dying in 1994.
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(28 May 1911 – 3 March 1994) was a South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er who played in nine Tests
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
from 1935 to 1936 before living for a while in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He appeared for Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
, Western Province, Worcestershire and South Africa. Though his Test bowling average lay over 37.00, Crisp had a successful first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
career, with 276 wickets at 19.88. Crisp holds the distinction of being the only bowler in first-class cricket to have taken four wickets in four balls more than once.
He went on to a career in journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
and writing, publishing several accounts of his career in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and earning a reputation as an adventurer.
Domestic debut
Crisp was born in Calcutta, BengalBengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He made sporadic appearances between 1929 and 1931, taking only seven wickets before a more regular place arrived from him in the 1931–32 season. He took 33 wickets that season at 14.93, including an eight-wicket haul against Griqualand West. He took three more five-wicket hauls in his 26 wicket-haul during the 1932/33 season, and scalped 27 more batsman in the 1933/34 season, including a career best 9/64 for Western Province.
England tour
Crisp toured EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1935, taking 107 wickets in all at 19.58. He took 5/99 at Old Trafford for South Africa to help earn his team their first victory in England. This was one of eight five-wicket hauls on the tour. 13 of those wickets came in his five Test matches, at 34.15. He returned to South Africa to take nine expensive wickets at 45.33 – seven of these across four Test matches against Australia before returning to England once more and taking a four-wicket haul in a first-class match that summer. He dismissed six Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n batsman over the 1936/37 season, before returning to England once more in 1938 to take 44 wickets for Worcestershire including a spell of 5/0.
World War II and later life
Crisp served during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in the 3rd Royal Tank Regiment
3rd Royal Tank Regiment
The 3rd Royal Tank Regiment was an armoured regiment of the British Army until 1992. It was part of the Royal Tank Regiment, itself part of the Royal Armoured Corps. It originally saw action as C Battalion, Tank Corps in 1917....
, later writing two books documenting his experiences: The Gods Were Neutral and Brazen Chariots. These books covered his combat during the early part of the war, first during the British retreat in Greece, then the victory that followed in North Africa. He was decorated for his bravery during the North African campaign, and was also wounded there, nearly dying several times from shrapnel in his skull as well as subsequent infection. Bernard Montgomery, commanding, intervened to restrict Crisp's decorations given the latter's issues with authority. Crisp ended the war with an Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
, Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, and four mentioned in dispatches.
He was also noted for his serial womanising and "crooning in the nightclubs" of Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
, and his wide ranging travel – including climbing Mount Kilimanjaro
Mount Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro, with its three volcanic cones, Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira, is a dormant volcano in Kilimanjaro National Park, Tanzania and the highest mountain in Africa at above sea level .-Geology:...
(he is the only Test cricketer to have climbed it twice) and swimming Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond is a freshwater Scottish loch, lying on the Highland Boundary Fault. It is the largest lake in Great Britain by surface area. The lake contains many islands, including Inchmurrin, the largest fresh-water island in the British Isles, although the lake itself is smaller than many Irish...
. He went on to a career as a journalist
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
, writing for Wisden
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
and several newspapers. He helped found Drum for black South Africans. He sailed Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, farmed mink
Mink
There are two living species referred to as "mink": the European Mink and the American Mink. The extinct Sea Mink is related to the American Mink, but was much larger. All three species are dark-colored, semi-aquatic, carnivorous mammals of the family Mustelidae, which also includes the weasels and...
s in England, and wrote for the East Anglican Daily Times.
During the 1970s, Crisp was diagnosed with cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, and responded by walking around Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
for a year supporting himself by selling his account to the Sunday Express. He remained outspoken on apartheid, advocating "a federation of semi-autonomous states, black and white" and arguing that "nothing else is feasible." The end of segregation "startled" him. He lived to see South Africa reintegrated into the international Test scene before dying in 1994.
Books
Crisp wrote a number of books, including:- The Gods Were Neutral "a British Tank Officer's Very Personal Account of the Ill Fated Greek Campaign in WW II", 1961
- Brazen Chariots, ":An Account of Tank Warfare in the Western Desert, November - December 1941", 1959, ISBN 978-0393327120
- The Outlanders: the men who made Johannesburg, 1964, ASIN: B0000CM9IW