Gerald Innes

Gerald Innes was educated at Bishops and later UCT and captained SA Schools in 1950 and 1951, showing great maturity. He was given a trial for the 1951 South African tour to England and scored 49, but he had to wait 18 months before representing South Africa in Australia and New Zealand in 1952-53 under the captaincy of Jack Cheetham, his provincial captain at Western Province. On tour he celebrated his 21st birthday when SA played New SouthWales, and he later produced a most cultured century against the powerful Victoria team which boasted five international bowlers, but he was unable to break into the Test team. Four years later a graceful 75 for WP at Newlands against Peter May's touring England side had armchair selectors and critics clamouring for his inclusion in the fifth and final Test at Port Elizabeth a week later. But he was not to earn a Test cap, despite being among the top 10 batsmen in South Africa. He played for and then skippered Transvaal late in his career and became a Transvaal selector, before returning to Cape Town and acting in the same capacity for WP. He died of cancer in 1982 at the age of 50.