Hugh Tayfield
Encyclopedia
Hugh Joseph Tayfield was a cricket
er. He played 37 Test matches
for South Africa from 1949 to 1960 and was one of the best off spinners the game has seen. He was the fastest South African to take 100 wickets in Tests (in terms of matches played) until Dale Steyn
claimed the record in March 2008. He was named as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year
in 1956. He was known as 'Toey Tayfield' due to his habit of stubbing his toes into the ground before every delivery. He would also kiss the badge on his cap before handing it to the umpire at the start of every over.
The Tayfields were a cricketing family and cricket was in his blood, Hugh's uncle S. H. Martin
played for Worcestershire and his brothers Arthur and Cyril both played for Transvaal as did two cousins.
Tayfield made his debut for Natal as a 17-year old in 1945-46. He took a hat-trick against Transvaal aged just 18 and, when Athol Rowan
was injured, he was hurried into the test team against Australia in 1949-50. He played in all five Tests and, on a sticky wicket at Durban, took seven for 23 when Australia crashed from 31 for no wicket to 75 all out. South Africa erred by not enforcing the follow on and Neil Harvey
won the match for Australia). After a quiet tour to England in 1951 when he was called up as a substitute for Rowan, he became South Africa's mainstay in Australia in 1952-53 under Jack Cheetham
. He claimed 30 scalps in the series, 13 of them at Melbourne to secure South Africa's first win over Australia in 42 years. Tayfield returned to England with more success in 1955, taking 143 wickets on the tour and 26 in the series including nine in South Africa's victory at Headingley. In the defeat at the Oval, the match which decided the rubber, he took 5 for 60 in 53.3 overs.
Wheeling down eight-ball overs for South Africa v England at Durban in 1956-57, he bowled 119 balls in the first innings followed immediately by a further 18 in the second without conceding a run, a test and first class cricket record. He bowled over the wicket, close to the stumps, drifting the ball away from the bat in the air and then spinning it back through the gate. He did not spin the ball as much as England's Jim Laker
but was unerringly accurate and could bowl all day. He set himself aggressive fields, in contrast to his steady bowling, with two silly mid ons for the snick prompted by a botched drive through the tempting hole he'd left at cover. He formed a fine partnership with Trevor Goddard
and, backed by South Africa's athletic fielding, took 37 wickets at 17.18 against England in 1956-57. He took 9 for 113 in the second innings of the Fourth Test at Johannesburg, bowling unchanged on the last day, and was chaired off the field by his team mates. Tayfield caught the only batsman he didn't dismiss himself - Doug Insole
, the top-scorer with 68 - off Goddard.
In England in 1960 he took 123 wickets on the tour but failed in the Tests and, his career on the wane, lost his place in 1961-62. He cut a dashing figure in his 1950s heyday but, like many before and after him, struggled somewhat once the limelight was gone.
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er. He played 37 Test matches
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
for South Africa from 1949 to 1960 and was one of the best off spinners the game has seen. He was the fastest South African to take 100 wickets in Tests (in terms of matches played) until Dale Steyn
Dale Steyn
Dale Willem Steyn is a South African cricketer who plays in Test and One Day International cricket for South Africa. He is currently the number one ranked Test bowler in the world and achieved the 900+ points benchmark on 13th Nov 2011. Steyn plays domestic cricket in South Africa for Cape Cobras...
claimed the record in March 2008. He was named as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year
Wisden Cricketers of the Year
The Wisden Cricketers of the Year are cricketers selected for the honour by the annual publication Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, based primarily on their "influence on the previous English season"...
in 1956. He was known as 'Toey Tayfield' due to his habit of stubbing his toes into the ground before every delivery. He would also kiss the badge on his cap before handing it to the umpire at the start of every over.
The Tayfields were a cricketing family and cricket was in his blood, Hugh's uncle S. H. Martin
Sidney Martin
Sidney Hugh Martin was a South African cricketer who played 267 first-class games in both South African and English cricket...
played for Worcestershire and his brothers Arthur and Cyril both played for Transvaal as did two cousins.
Tayfield made his debut for Natal as a 17-year old in 1945-46. He took a hat-trick against Transvaal aged just 18 and, when Athol Rowan
Athol Rowan
Athol Matthew Burchell Rowan was a South African cricketer who played in fifteen Tests from 1947 to 1951. His older brother, Eric, also played Test cricket for South Africa....
was injured, he was hurried into the test team against Australia in 1949-50. He played in all five Tests and, on a sticky wicket at Durban, took seven for 23 when Australia crashed from 31 for no wicket to 75 all out. South Africa erred by not enforcing the follow on and Neil Harvey
Neil Harvey
Robert Neil Harvey MBE is a former Australian cricketer who represented the Australian cricket team between 1948 and 1963, playing in 79 Test matches. He was the vice-captain of the team from 1957 until his retirement...
won the match for Australia). After a quiet tour to England in 1951 when he was called up as a substitute for Rowan, he became South Africa's mainstay in Australia in 1952-53 under Jack Cheetham
Jack Cheetham
John Erskine Cheetham was a South African cricketer who played in 24 Tests from 1949 to 1955...
. He claimed 30 scalps in the series, 13 of them at Melbourne to secure South Africa's first win over Australia in 42 years. Tayfield returned to England with more success in 1955, taking 143 wickets on the tour and 26 in the series including nine in South Africa's victory at Headingley. In the defeat at the Oval, the match which decided the rubber, he took 5 for 60 in 53.3 overs.
Wheeling down eight-ball overs for South Africa v England at Durban in 1956-57, he bowled 119 balls in the first innings followed immediately by a further 18 in the second without conceding a run, a test and first class cricket record. He bowled over the wicket, close to the stumps, drifting the ball away from the bat in the air and then spinning it back through the gate. He did not spin the ball as much as England's Jim Laker
Jim Laker
James "Jim" Charles Laker was a cricketer who played for England in the 1950s, known for "Laker's match" in 1956 at Old Trafford, when he took nineteen wickets in England's victory against Australia...
but was unerringly accurate and could bowl all day. He set himself aggressive fields, in contrast to his steady bowling, with two silly mid ons for the snick prompted by a botched drive through the tempting hole he'd left at cover. He formed a fine partnership with Trevor Goddard
Trevor Goddard (cricketer)
Trevor Leslie Goddard is a former left-hand cricketer. An all-rounder, he played 41 Test matches for South Africa from 1955 to 1970, captaining them over the 1963-64 season and drawing an encounter with Australia. A left-handed, classically correct opening batsman, he was also a successful swing...
and, backed by South Africa's athletic fielding, took 37 wickets at 17.18 against England in 1956-57. He took 9 for 113 in the second innings of the Fourth Test at Johannesburg, bowling unchanged on the last day, and was chaired off the field by his team mates. Tayfield caught the only batsman he didn't dismiss himself - Doug Insole
Doug Insole
Doug Insole CBE is a former English cricketer, who played for Cambridge University, Essex and in nine Test matches for England, five of them on the 1956-57 tour of South Africa, where he was vice-captain to Peter May...
, the top-scorer with 68 - off Goddard.
In England in 1960 he took 123 wickets on the tour but failed in the Tests and, his career on the wane, lost his place in 1961-62. He cut a dashing figure in his 1950s heyday but, like many before and after him, struggled somewhat once the limelight was gone.