Jock Cameron
Encyclopedia
Jock Cameron was a South Africa
n cricket
er of the 1920s and 1930s. A tragic figure owing to his premature death when probably the best wicket-keeper
in the world, Cameron is often forgotten today but regarded by those who know about him as one of the best wicket-keepers in the history of cricket. Cameron was also a brilliant, hard-hitting middle-order batsman who once hit Hedley Verity
for thirty runs off one over.
Cameron took a keen interest in playing cricket from the time of his tenth birthday and received plenty of encouragement in developing his skill as a wicket-keeper and batsman. After a slow start in the Transvaal team Cameron, from 1925/1926 onwards, consistently showed his superb efficiency as a wicket-keeper and his powerful hitting with the bat. As a result, he took part during 1927/1928 in all five Tests
against England on the first overseas tour of South Africa after he began playing. His form in the Tests was sufficiently good that Cameron became a certainty for the England tour of 1929, where he kept wicket in superb form and would certainly have totalled much more than 951 runs and 57 dismissals but for an injury in the Second Test at Lord's when a ball from Harold Larwood
rose sharply and hit him on the ribs. A highlight of his tour was the game against Somerset where he made seven dismissals.
Firmly established as a Test regular, Cameron moved owing to his business from Transvaal to Eastern Province the following season, and in 1930/1931 was appointed captain of South Africa for the Fourth Test of 1930/1931 after playing one game for Western Province. He celebrated this appointment with a fighting innings of 69 that saved South Africa and showcased the growing adaptability of his batting and the ability to produce a fighting defence in addition to the hitting power he always possessed. Cameron captained South Africa during the 1931/1932 tour of Australia and New Zealand, but the burden undoubtedly affected his batting in the Tests - he averaged only 15.50 against Australia and South Africa lost all five Tests against Bradman's batting and Grimmett's wonderful bowling.
Returning to Transvaal for the 1932/1933 season, Cameron could only play once in the following two seasons, but was back at his very best in 1934/1935, hitting up a career-best 182 against Griqualand West and keeping wicket as well as ever. As vice-captain in 1935, Cameron was the focal point of a surprisingly strong South African side whose batting strength was sufficient to give it victory over England by one Test to nil (though England had the best of all four draws). In the only decisive result on a spinners' wicket at Lord's (due to leatherjacket
s having infested the wicket during England's mildest winter on record), Cameron hit his highest Test score of 90 in the first innings, whilst in his famous innings against Yorkshire it was said that "Cameron had Verity in two minds: whether to hit him for four or six"! He also hit 132 against second-placed Derbyshire and 160 against an eleven raised by Shrimp Leveson Gower.
However, when Cameron returned to South Africa he was, to the regret of the cricket world, immediately afflicted with typhoid fever
. Treatment proved so impossible that Cameron died less than two months after he had played his last game of cricket. His loss was a crushing blow to South Africa: they lost four of their five Tests against Australia due to Grimmett's
and O'Reilly's
formidable spin bowling (which Cameron's hitting might well have made less dangerous) and it took them until the mid-1950s to produce teams of comparable strength to that of the 1935 side.
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 of the 1920s and 1930s. A tragic figure owing to his premature death when probably the best wicket-keeper
Wicket-keeper
The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being guarded by the batsman currently on strike...
in the world, Cameron is often forgotten today but regarded by those who know about him as one of the best wicket-keepers in the history of cricket. Cameron was also a brilliant, hard-hitting middle-order batsman who once hit Hedley Verity
Hedley Verity
Hedley Verity was a professional cricketer who played first-class cricket for Yorkshire and England between 1930 and 1939. A slow left arm orthodox bowler, he took 1,956 wickets in first-class cricket at an average of 14.90 and in 40 Tests he took 144 wickets at an average of 24.37...
for thirty runs off one over.
Cameron took a keen interest in playing cricket from the time of his tenth birthday and received plenty of encouragement in developing his skill as a wicket-keeper and batsman. After a slow start in the Transvaal team Cameron, from 1925/1926 onwards, consistently showed his superb efficiency as a wicket-keeper and his powerful hitting with the bat. As a result, he took part during 1927/1928 in all five 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...
against England on the first overseas tour of South Africa after he began playing. His form in the Tests was sufficiently good that Cameron became a certainty for the England tour of 1929, where he kept wicket in superb form and would certainly have totalled much more than 951 runs and 57 dismissals but for an injury in the Second Test at Lord's when a ball from Harold Larwood
Harold Larwood
Harold Larwood was an English cricket player, an extremely accurate fast bowler best known for his key role as the implementer of fast leg theory in the infamous "bodyline" Ashes Test series of 1932–33....
rose sharply and hit him on the ribs. A highlight of his tour was the game against Somerset where he made seven dismissals.
Firmly established as a Test regular, Cameron moved owing to his business from Transvaal to Eastern Province the following season, and in 1930/1931 was appointed captain of South Africa for the Fourth Test of 1930/1931 after playing one game for Western Province. He celebrated this appointment with a fighting innings of 69 that saved South Africa and showcased the growing adaptability of his batting and the ability to produce a fighting defence in addition to the hitting power he always possessed. Cameron captained South Africa during the 1931/1932 tour of Australia and New Zealand, but the burden undoubtedly affected his batting in the Tests - he averaged only 15.50 against Australia and South Africa lost all five Tests against Bradman's batting and Grimmett's wonderful bowling.
Returning to Transvaal for the 1932/1933 season, Cameron could only play once in the following two seasons, but was back at his very best in 1934/1935, hitting up a career-best 182 against Griqualand West and keeping wicket as well as ever. As vice-captain in 1935, Cameron was the focal point of a surprisingly strong South African side whose batting strength was sufficient to give it victory over England by one Test to nil (though England had the best of all four draws). In the only decisive result on a spinners' wicket at Lord's (due to leatherjacket
Leatherjacket
Leatherjacket may refer to:* Leatherjacket fish, a species of fish* Filefish, a family of fish* Crane fly, in larval stage...
s having infested the wicket during England's mildest winter on record), Cameron hit his highest Test score of 90 in the first innings, whilst in his famous innings against Yorkshire it was said that "Cameron had Verity in two minds: whether to hit him for four or six"! He also hit 132 against second-placed Derbyshire and 160 against an eleven raised by Shrimp Leveson Gower.
However, when Cameron returned to South Africa he was, to the regret of the cricket world, immediately afflicted with typhoid fever
Typhoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known as Typhoid, is a common worldwide bacterial disease, transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, which contain the bacterium Salmonella enterica, serovar Typhi...
. Treatment proved so impossible that Cameron died less than two months after he had played his last game of cricket. His loss was a crushing blow to South Africa: they lost four of their five Tests against Australia due to Grimmett's
Clarrie Grimmett
Clarence Victor "Clarrie" Grimmett was a cricketer; although born in New Zealand, he played most of his cricket in Australia. He is thought by many to be one of the finest early spin bowlers, and usually credited as the developer of the flipper.Grimmett was born in Caversham a suburb of Dunedin,...
and O'Reilly's
Bill O'Reilly (cricketer)
William Joseph "Bill" O'Reilly , often known as Tiger O'Reilly, was an Australian cricketer, rated as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game. Following his retirement from playing, he became a well-respected cricket writer and broadcaster.O'Reilly was one of the best spin bowlers to...
formidable spin bowling (which Cameron's hitting might well have made less dangerous) and it took them until the mid-1950s to produce teams of comparable strength to that of the 1935 side.