Jacobus Duminy

The batting talent of Jacobus Petrus Duminy was never truly reflected in his three Test appearances for South Africa. In two Tests against England in 1927-28 - opening the batting in three innings - he failed to reach double figures, and when called up as an emergency replacement while visiting Europe in 1929, he made only 2 and 12 in the Leeds Test, which was rendered memorable by the last-wicket stand of 103 in little more than an hour by 'Tuppy' Owen-Smith and 'Sandy' Bell. Duminy's diving, one-handed gully catch to dismiss Leyland, too, was not easily to be forgotten. A left-hander Duminy, who died in Cape Town on January 31, aged 82, made a strong impact on the game, scoring 95 not out in his first innings for Transvaal, against Stanyforth's 1927-28 MCC team at Pretoria, a week before his 30th birthday. A double of 55 and 74 not out in the return match earned him his Test place. Against Border in 1928-29 he made a big not-out century and took 6 for 40 with right-arm slows; but unspectacular performances in the other trial matches led to his omission from the tour of England - until he was tracked down in Switzerland! A Rhodes scholar at Oxford in 1920, Professor Duminy - as he became - had a distinguished academic career, assuming the vice-chancellorship of the University of Cape Town, and pursuing a courageous course in opposition to apartheid, among other things running cricket weeks for youngsters of all races.
Wisden Cricket Monthly