Geoff Chubb

CHUBB, GEOFFREY WALTER ASHTON, who died in East London on August 28, 1982, at the age of 71, played five times for South Africa against England in England in 1951 and served two terms as President of the South African Cricket Association. At 40 years 56 days he was the oldest South African to make a Test début. It happened at Trent Bridge, and when England went in late on the second day, facing a total of 483, he had Ikin caught at slip with his third ball and finished with four for 146 off 46 overs. He and McCarthy reduced England from 375 for three to 419 all out and gave South Africa the chance to record their first win in England for sixteen years.

Chubb's best Test figures came at Old Trafford when he took six for 51 in England's first innings. With 21 wickets in the series at 27.47 apiece, he headed the bowling averages for South Africa. He was also their leading wicket-taker in all first-class matches on the tour, capturing 72 at 26.84 apiece and bowling over 150 overs more than anyone else.

Born in Rhodesia, Chubb began his first-class career as an opening batsman for Border in 1931-32, but on moving to Johannesburg concentrated on his bowling. He worked hard at perfecting his medium-paced seamers and developing a high degree of accuracy. Fair-haired, studious and bespectacled, he was a disarmingly effective bowler and immensely popular. After his retirement in 1951, at the end of his tour of England, he devoted his energies to cricket administration, becoming a national selector and, from 1955 to 1957 and again from 1959 to 1960, President of the SACA. In all first-class cricket he took 160 wickets at an average of 23.91, scored 835 runs (average 18.15) and held twelve catches.