Martin Andrew Hanley died suddenly from a heart attack at his Bishopscourt, Cape Town home on June 2 at the age of 81. Although he had been suffering from loss of memory for some time, he had still been leading an active life. An offspin bowler, who at his home ground, Newlands, could often turn the ball even more sharply than the renowned Athol Rowan, he represented South Africa in a solitary Test match against George Mann's England side in the 1948-49 season. He was one of the stars of the Western Province side in the immediate post-World War Two period. He took 11 and 12 wickets in a match in his debut season against Eastern Province and North Eastern Transvaal respectively. His finest season was 1952-53 when his 49 wickets were the main contribution to Western Province's first Currie Cup success in 21 years. His nephew, Rupert Hanley, was one of South Africa's best fast bowlers of the isolation period, appearing in two four-day matches against Lawrence Rowe's West Indies XI in 1983-84. He is survived by his wife and three sons.
Michael Owen-Smith, The Cricketer