Full name Alexander John Bell
Born April 15, 1906, East London, Cape Province
Died August 1, 1985, Mowbray, Cape Town, Cape Province (aged 79 years 108 days)
Major teams Rhodesia, South Africa, Western Province
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm fast-medium
Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | 100 | 50 | 6s | Ct | St | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tests | 16 | 23 | 12 | 69 | 26* | 6.27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
First-class | 63 | 79 | 45 | 311 | 32* | 9.14 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
Mat | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | 10 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tests | 16 | 26 | 3342 | 1567 | 48 | 6/99 | 6/159 | 32.64 | 2.81 | 69.6 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
First-class | 63 | 5312 | 228 | 8/34 | 23.29 | 10 | 1 |
Test debut | England v South Africa at Lord's, Jun 29-Jul 2, 1929 scorecard |
Last Test | England v South Africa at Manchester, Jul 27-30, 1935 scorecard |
Test statistics | |
First-class span | 1925/26 - 1938/39 |
Wisden obituary
Alexander John 'Sandy' Bell, who played sixteen times for South Africa between 1929 and 1935, died in Cape Town on August 2, 1985, aged 79. In all but two of his Tests he opened the bowling, sometimes working up a good pace, bringing the ball down from a considerable height and capable of late in-swing. He toured England twice, in 1929 and 1935, and took 23 wickets in five Tests in Australia in 1931-32, claiming five wickets in an innings in successive Test matches at Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. He had his best Test figures in his first Test match, at Lord's when he took the last six wickets in England's first innings and finished with six for 99. In the same series he shared what remains the record tenth-wicket partnership for South Africa in Test cricket - 103 with H. G. Owen-Smith at Headingley. Though no batsman himself, Bell's share was 26. Altogether he took 48 Test wickets (32.65) and 228 first-class wickets (23.29) At Cape Town in 1929-30 he took thirteen for 61 for Western Province against Eastern Province.
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack