Goofy Lawrence

A 6' 5" fast bowler - and up to then the tallest player in South African cricket - Goofy Lawrence relied more on hard work than natural ability, but it won him five Test caps against New Zealand in 1961-62. In the second Test at Johannesburg he grabbed 8 for 53, taking 28 wickets at 18.28 in the series. He was also a capable batsman, and in the first innings of the final match at Port Elizabeth he opened the batting with Eddie Barlow, top-scoring with 43. That was his best season - he took 51 wickets in all at 17.49. South Africa's limited number of international matches meant that by the time of the next series he had been discarded. For more than a decade he was the spearhead of the Rhodesia side, taking 296 wickets at 17.29.
Martin Williamson