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It’s troublesome to argue with the proposition that Hugh ‘Toey’ Tayfield is the best spin bowler that South African cricket has produced. A case will be made to assist the claims of the nice triumvirate of the ‘googly’ summers of 1905/06 and 1907, however none of Bert Vogler, Reggie Schwarz or Aubrey Faulkner performed as many Assessments as Tayfield, and in any occasion once they had been an unknown amount and at their most harmful South Africa weren’t taking part in in opposition to a facet that was really consultant of the power of English cricket.
There are some who would possibly advocate a up to date of Tayfield, not less than firstly of his profession, Athol Rowan. His file in opposition to Len Hutton demonstrates what a effective off spinner Rowan will need to have been, and who is aware of what he might need achieved had it not been for that wartime harm that affected him so badly there have been instances he needed to take the sphere carrying a leg iron, but when statistics are the clincher Rowan is a way behind.
Tayfield got here from a cricketing household. His father was a great participant and his maternal uncle, Sidney Martin, performed as an all-rounder for Worcestershire within the Nineteen Thirties and was a adequate participant to do the double twice. Again in South Africa after the conflict there have been a handful of Natal matches the place uncle and nephew performed collectively, Tayfield making his debut as a 17 12 months outdated in 1946. Two youthful brothers, Arthur and Cyril, additionally performed efficiently within the Currie Cup and each should at instances have come near being chosen for the South African Take a look at facet.
A hanging presence in any group Tayfield, with darkish hair and matinee idol seems, was a sight that batsmen grew to dread. He wasn’t an amazing spinner of the ball, and his quick shuffle to the wicket didn’t counsel menace, however he was metronomically correct and, even on the uncommon events batsmen had any success in getting after him, not possible to disturb. He was a grasp of the delicate variation of tempo and flight and on a useful floor able to working by means of the perfect batting facet, one thing he demonstrated in his first Take a look at sequence, at a time when he was nonetheless to rejoice his twenty first birthday.
The well-known nickname of ‘Toey’ got here from Tayfield’s behavior, earlier than each supply, of stubbing his toe into the bottom. It was not a aware motion on Tayfield’s half, merely half and parcel of his motion and it was one thing that was not picked up on till the 1949/50 Australians did so. It was through the well-known sequence between the identical opponents in Australia three years later that Tayfield’s different idiosyncracy began, this time one which was deliberate, not less than the primary time it was completed. Annoyed at his incapability to get by means of the Australian batsmen’s defences Tayfield requested his teammates for solutions as to what he may do. At one level he kissed his cap badge earlier than handing the headgear to the umpire firstly of his over. The wicket of Arthur Morris adopted, and from then on Tayfield did the identical earlier than each over he bowled.
A spot within the beginning line up for the primary Take a look at of that 1949/50 go to of Australia will need to have been a great distance from Tayfield’s thoughts when the tour started. He had performed little or no First Class cricket within the earlier season and, a few weeks earlier than the primary Take a look at, Rowan had match figures of 15-68 in Transvaal’s match in opposition to the vacationers. Sadly for Rowan nevertheless his knee then flared up so badly it was virtually 18 months earlier than he performed once more.
Australia gained the primary, second and fifth Assessments by a distance and not one of the South African bowlers confirmed themselves to benefit, though Tayfield was seldom collared and did in addition to anybody. Within the second Take a look at he had additionally proven some potential with the bat, his 75 serving to add 102 with left arm spinner Norman ‘Tufty’ Mann for the eighth wicket within the South Africans second innings. The partnership solely delayed the inevitable nevertheless, the Australians nonetheless profitable by eight wickets. Tayfield by no means did stay as much as the promise nevertheless. The innings was to stay his highest rating in Assessments, and certainly one of simply two half centuries. He was a great participant off the entrance foot, however his approach when taking part in again was suspect.
The South Africans misplaced the third Take a look at of the sequence as nicely, however in all probability shouldn’t have, and that’s the match the place Tayfield made his mark. The house facet gained the toss and batted and while from the heights of 242-2 a complete of 311 within the first innings was disappointing, South Africa had been nicely on prime on the finish of the second day after dismissing Australia for simply 75. Tayfield had been the principle destroyer taking 7-23. Sadly for South Africa skipper Alan Melville then had the remainder day by which to ponder whether or not to implement the comply with on. Ultimately he selected to bat and, his facet dismissed for simply 99, a lot of the impetus was misplaced. The Australian goal was nonetheless 337, the very best rating of the match, however after some early breakthroughs by Mann and Tayfield Neil Harvey performed one of many nice Take a look at innings, and Australia gained by 5 wickets. The South Africans drew the fourth Take a look at and did so on advantage, so it was a 4-0 defeat and the emergence of Tayfield one of many few positives they might take from the sequence.
By 1951 Rowan was thought-about match to take a spot within the occasion to tour England so, regardless of the promising begin to his Take a look at profession Tayfield missed out on the journey, not less than as a part of the unique squad. There have been issues from the outset about whether or not Rowan’s knee may stand as much as the rigours of a full tour so, in mid Could, Tayfield was flown out to England. Regardless of his issues Rowan was capable of play in all 5 Assessments, and Tayfield was the one member of the workforce who missed out on a Take a look at. For as soon as he didn’t shine, 16 First Class matches bringing him simply 29 wickets at 36.55.
The South Africans misplaced 3-1 to England in 1951. The identical England had misplaced 4-1 in Australia just a few months earlier than. The South Africans had been as a consequence of tour Australia in 1952/53, however many thought it too nice a mismatch, the facet that had misplaced to England having misplaced two of their finest batsman, Dudley Nourse and Eric Rowan, their main spin bowler in Athol Rowan. As well as the promising profession of the genuinely quick Cuan McCarthy had ended on account of issues about his motion. There have been many who thought that the tour needs to be cancelled, and it was solely when the South African Board supplied a considerable monetary assure that the journey was confirmed.
Previous to the primary Take a look at the South Africans had completed moderately nicely, though they’d misplaced to New South Wales. The primary Take a look at was additionally misplaced, however Australia’s margin of victory was solely 94 runs and, had Neil Harvey not been dropped off Tayfield’s bowling when 19 (he went on to make 109 in a century Wisden described as dazzling) the South Africans might need turned the tables. Tayfield didn’t take a wicket within the first innings, however within the second innings he took 4-116 in 33.3 eight ball overs.
The second Take a look at noticed the South Africans sq. the sequence. The fielding of the younger facet was fairly excellent and Tayfield was no exception, diving full size to take a catch that had been parried by his skipper Jack Cheetham. Tayfield additionally contributed a invaluable 23 as, after selecting to bat first, South Africa struggled to 227. Tayfield’s matchwinning contribution was with the ball nevertheless. He tied the Australians down splendidly nicely and at one level bowled unchanged for 4 hours. He took 6-84 and 7-81 which, along with a effective unbeaten 162 from Russell Endean within the second innings, noticed South Africa run out as winners by 82 runs.
The Australians reasserted their superiority within the third Take a look at, and South Africa needed to defend skilfully to attract the fourth Take a look at earlier than David slayed Goliath once more within the fifth match and the South Africans confounded their detractors with a six wicket victory. This one was an actual workforce effort, no batsman making a century as South Africa scored 732 runs throughout each innings, and the bowlers all contributed with extra lengthy spells from Tayfield as he took 3-129 and 3-73 from a complete of 67.4 overs. Over the sequence as a complete he bowled greater than twice as many overs as any of his teammates and with 30 (at 28.10), took greater than twice as many wickets.
Within the method of the instances the South Africans, with an sudden revenue for his or her board, visited New Zealand for 2 Assessments on their approach residence. They gained one and drew one and, the next 12 months, entertained the New Zealanders for a return sequence. It was the primary time that the New Zealanders performed a full 5 match sequence. That one ended with a 4-0 victory for South Africa, and the New Zealanders had no actual reply to Tayfield though, in a well-known innings within the second Take a look at at Ellis Park Bert Sutcliffe, with just a little assist from Bob Blair, took 25 from a Tayfield over. It might be the twenty first century earlier than that was exceeded in a Take a look at match over.
In 1955 the South Africans returned to England with ten of the facet who had completed so nicely in Australia. To start with the journey was not a nice one for them as they performed poorly in Could and misplaced the primary Take a look at by an innings Frank Tyson, for the one time in England, exhibiting the shape that had so dominated Australia just a few months earlier than. One other England victory adopted within the second Take a look at and a sequence defeat loomed. As they’d confirmed in Australia nevertheless South Africa didn’t surrender simply and, with the solar shining, they confirmed their sturdiness in coming again to win the following two Assessments. Within the first of them Tayfield’s was a bit half, however within the second his 4-70 and 5-94 had been the principle contribution to the trigger.
The pitch for the ultimate Take a look at on the Oval was one which helped the spinners, with out ever being unfair. There have been three nice spinners on present, Tayfield, Jim Laker and Tony Lock and so they took 8, 7 and eight wickets respectively. England got here out on prime by 92 runs. Had Tayfield had a ‘spin twin’ it might need been completely different. Within the sequence he took 26 wickets at 21.84 and was chosen as certainly one of Wisden’s ‘5 Cricketers of the Yr’.
Tayfield was again in England the next summer time, a marquee signing by the East Lancashire membership of the Lancashire League. Nice issues had been anticipated however the signing was a disappointment. Blaming the climate, his captain and harm Tayfield scored solely 302 runs and took 47 wickets. On the social facet he shaped a friendship with the English actress Jill Adams that was sufficiently shut to influence Adams to mortgage him £230 (value round £6,000 at this time). On the finish of the summer time Tayfield went residence to South Africa the place England, recent from a 3-1 victory in that summer time’s Ashes marketing campaign, had been visiting.
England carried on the place they left off, comfortably profitable the primary two Assessments, however the South Africans then turned the sequence on its head. They managed a draw within the third Take a look at, Tayfield taking 8-69 in England’s second innings. He went one higher within the fourth Take a look at when he took 9-113 as England failed by 17 runs to chase down a victory goal of 232, the ninth wicket being that of tempo bowler Peter Loader, caught within the deep by Tayfield’s brother Arthur, fielding as an alternative. The fifth Take a look at had the same conclusion with, on this event, England chasing the seemingly much less testing goal of 189. This time nevertheless they fell 59 runs quick, Tayfield once more being the architect of their defeat, taking 6-78. Over the 5 Assessments Tayfield had taken 37 wickets at a price of simply 17.18 every, nonetheless the biggest sequence haul for a South African.
The 1956/57 sequence was nevertheless the height. The next winter the South African public will need to have been anticipating a repeat as a younger Australia facet below Ian Craig visited them, however the sequence was a disappointment. The Australians recorded three complete defeats and Tayfield took simply 17 wickets at 37.58. The most important shock of the sequence was that Ken ‘Slasher’ Mackay, who in 1956 in England had had no reply to the wiles of Laker, had the perfect sequence of his profession and appeared untroubled by Tayfield. In 1960 in England, Tayfield’s final sequence, he was much more disappointing with simply 12 wickets at 37.83. Over the tour as a complete he did nicely, however struggled within the large matches.
After his disappointing journey to England in 1960 the following alternative for Tayfield to play Assessments was a go to by the New Zealanders for a 5 Take a look at sequence in 1961/62. By then although Tayfield’s kind was on the wane. He was nonetheless solely 32, so ought to nonetheless have been on the peak of his powers, however he was palpably not the bowler he as soon as had been and appeared unable to arrest the slide and after extra disappointing kind within the 1962/63 season he slipped out of the sport.
What was the issue? It’s troublesome to discern that as there was no important harm or lack of health however, in a guide on the 1961/62 sequence the Australian author ‘Dick’ Whitington expressed the view {that a} contributory issue was a refusal by Tayfield to hearken to recommendation. His tactic of inserting two mid ons while leaving a niche within the off facet was not working, however he steadfastly refused to desert it.
One other instance of Tayfield failing to adapt was when, throughout a visit to South Africa with a Commonwealth XI in October 1959, Tom Graveney began taking part in Tayfield by planting his entrance foot ahead after which sweeping. South African umpires weren’t within the behavior of giving lbws and Graveney discovered he had what amounted to a free cross. It didn’t take lengthy for different batsmen to understand that they might now nullify a lot of Tayfield’s menace.
In 1960 Tayfield would have good purpose to really feel considerably distracted. The phrases of the settlement he struck with Jill Adams usually are not clear, however sooner or later she had obtained a Excessive Courtroom judgment in opposition to him for the cash. With Tayfield again in England she took steps to implement it, and the Every day Mirror picked up on the story and returned to it a number of instances. At one listening to, not attended by Tayfield, Ms Adams’s Counsel got here out with the kind of soundbite legal professionals enjoyment of when he mentioned of Tayfield in open court docket he’s a sluggish bowler and an excellent slower payer. The debt was, apparently, paid earlier than the South Africans returned.
The Adams story means that Tayfield was not nicely appreciated, and that’s one thing that definitely prolonged to his opponents. As a bowler he was revered, as a person much less so. In 1960 his fellow grasp of the craft of off spin, Laker, wrote; Tayfield is a effective off spinner, essentially the most correct I’ve ever seen. He doesn’t spin the ball as a lot as, for instance, I do, however he has an uncanny knack of tying batsmen down, earlier than including as an individual I’ve much less to say for him; he’s not the kind of particular person I need to have any contact with.
It’s troublesome to seek out an excessive amount of about why this was and, apparently, certainly one of Laker’s biographers makes the statement that when teammate Doug Insole noticed the preliminary proofs he suggested Laker to tone down that reference to Tayfield. This was even if Insole disliked Tayfield as a lot as anybody, but as an illustration of what sporting autobiographies had been then like Insole’s personal autobiography, printed in the identical 12 months as Laker’s guide, is totally anodyne within the few references it makes to Tayfield.
There are two ceaselessly cited examples that illustrate why Tayfield was disliked. On the fourth morning of the primary Take a look at of the 1956/57 sequence, with South Africa nonetheless nicely within the recreation, Denis Compton drove the ball again at Tayfield who, regardless of each Englishman (and on their accounts a number of the South Africans) being satisfied the ball bounced two toes in entrance of him, claimed the catch. Ever the gentleman Compo accepted Tayfield’s assurance that the catch was good so there was no ‘incident’, however the matter was clearly not forgotten and one thing comparable occurred later within the sequence.
Within the drawn third Take a look at, having retired damage earlier within the innings, Trevor Bailey returned to the crease late on the fourth afternoon and was dealing with Tayfield within the final over of the day. What shouldn’t be in dispute is that Bailey performed defensively at what turned the final ball of the day and, because the ball lobbed as much as quick leg, was given out caught after a thunderous attraction from the bowler. All commentators additionally agree that he stayed put within the center for a while after being given out. In accordance with Bailey the choice was a shocker, and that his bat had been tucked in nicely behind his bat. Insole, non-striker on the time, was sure that each one the ball struck was Bailey’s knee roll. On the opposite facet of the coin there have been South Africans apart from Tayfield who appealed, and while the press field was a great distance from the center of their publish tour books neither EW ‘Jim’ Swanton nor Alan Ross indicated any issues in regards to the dismissal.
Life after cricket didn’t deal with Tayfield notably nicely. He was married 5 instances and every of the marriages resulted in divorce. His first spouse was from Perth, Western Australia and Tayfield met her on the 1952/53 tour. Subsequently it was introduced on the finish of the 1960 tour of England that he can be marrying a lady from London who can be following him again to South Africa. He had a son from his first marriage, however there have been no additional kids from the opposite 4.
What did Tayfield do with himself after cricket? It’s not fully clear. In 1958/59 he went to Australia to jot down about that winter’s Ashes sequence for an English newspaper, the Every day Herald. He went again in 1963/64 to comply with the South African tour there, however appears to not have completed an amazing deal extra journalism.
In 1960/61 he instructed the Transvaal selectors that he wasn’t out there because of the calls for of his enterprise, however he nonetheless performed 4 instances in 1962/63, so maybe the enterprise, no matter it was, shortly failed. In 1969 it was reported that Tayfield appeared in court docket on a theft cost, though the result of the listening to being the dismissal of the cost that can not be the rationale why, after Tayfield’s dying in 1994, David Frith reported a hearsay that Tayfield had spent a short while in jail.
It was in 1989 that Frith met Tayfield, at an occasion organised to rejoice the one hundredth anniversary of South Africa’s first Take a look at match. He didn’t look nicely even then, however left Frith with a quip that maybe defines him. Requested about his two journeys to England he instructed Frith of a dialog with the legendary Sydney Barnes, whose recommendation to Tayfield was don’t take any discover of something anyone ever tells you. That he adopted Barnes’ steerage would possibly nicely clarify why so a lot of his friends had been so ambivalent in direction of him.
In any occasion the consensus of these few who’ve written briefly of Tayfield’s later life is that he didn’t do nicely. Damaged marriages and unemployment usually are not a great begin and the one theme with any diploma of consistency is that he did do some journalistic work. He was in Australia in 1982/83 reporting on the World Cup, however sadly I’ve discovered little to shed any gentle on the suggestion that he was additionally engaged in searching for to recruit Australian gamers for a insurgent tour.
What is for certain is that Tayfield died in 1994 on the age of 65, spending his final weeks in a hospice in Hillcrest in Natal, dying of oesophageal most cancers. He had been unwell for a while and was on his personal and penniless. Sadly the one member of the family I managed to trace down was unwilling to debate Tayfield’s life with me however he was definitely an attention-grabbing man and, hopefully, sooner or later a talented biographer will be capable of unravel his story.
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