Ron Draper, who was the oldest dwelling Take a look at cricketer, has died in Gqeberha on the age of 98 years and 63 days, his household stated Friday (March 28, 2025).
Draper, a top-order batsman and occasional wicketkeeper, performed in two Take a look at matches for South Africa towards Australia in 1950.
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Considered one of his opponents, Neil Harvey, now turns into the oldest dwelling Take a look at participant on the age of 96.
Each earlier oldest Take a look at cricketers had been South Africans –- Norman Gordon, who died aged 103 in 2016, and John Watkins, who was 98 when he died in 2021.
Draper, who was born on 24 December 1926, made a century on first-class debut for Jap Province towards Orange Free State on his nineteenth birthday.
After making 86 for the province towards the touring Australians in 1949/50 he was chosen for the final two Exams towards the vacationers however scored solely 25 runs in three innings. In contrast, Harvey, then aged 21 and within the early levels of a distinguished Take a look at profession, made centuries in each matches.
Draper continued to play first-class cricket till 1959/60 and completed with a good common of 41.64.
He scored a century earlier than lunch on the primary day of his first two matches of the 1952/53 season. Within the second match, towards Border, he added one other hundred within the second innings to turn into the primary participant to attain two centuries in a match in South Africa’s long-established Currie Cup competitors.
Draper died in a retirement house in Gqeberha on Tuesday (February 25, 2025). His dying was confirmed by his son-in-law, Neil Thomson, on Friday (February 28, 2025).
Revealed – March 01, 2025 07:01 on is
