Jock Cameron
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| Born |
5 July 1905 Port Elizabeth, Cape Province |
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| Died | 2 November 1935 (aged 30) Joubert Park, Johannesburg, South Africa |
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| Batting style | Right-hand bat | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling style | - | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Source: Cricinfo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jock Cameron (born Horace Brakenridge Cameron and often known as "Herbie" Cameron; 5 July 1905 – 2 November 1935) was a South African cricketer of the 1920s and 1930s. A tragic figure owing to his premature death when probably the best wicket-keeper in the world, Cameron is often forgotten today but regarded by those who know about him as one of the best wicket-keepers in the history of cricket. Cameron was also a brilliant, hard-hitting middle-order batsman who once hit Hedley Verity for thirty runs off one over.
Cameron took a keen interest in playing cricket from the time of his tenth birthday and received plenty of encouragement in developing his skill as a wicket-keeper and batsman. He later moved on to Hilton College where he played for the 1st XI.
After a slow start in the Transvaal team Cameron, from 1925/1926 onwards, consistently showed his superb efficiency as a wicket-keeper and his powerful hitting with the bat. As a result, he took part during 1927/1928 in all five Tests against England on the first overseas tour of South Africa after he began playing. His form in the Tests was sufficiently good that Cameron became a certainty for the England tour of 1929, where he kept wicket in superb form and would certainly have totalled much more than 951 runs and 57 dismissals but for an injury in the Second Test at Lord's when a ball from Harold Larwood rose sharply and hit him on the ribs. A highlight of his tour was the game against Somerset where he made seven dismissals.
Firmly established as a Test regular, Cameron moved owing to his business from Transvaal to Eastern Province the following season, and in 1930/1931 was appointed captain of South Africa for the Fourth Test of 1930/1931 after playing one game for Western Province. He celebrated this appointment with a fighting innings of 69 that saved South Africa and showcased the growing adaptability of his batting and the ability to produce a fighting defence in addition to the hitting power he always possessed. Cameron captained South Africa during the 1931/1932 tour of Australia and New Zealand, but the burden undoubtedly affected his batting in the Tests - he averaged only 15.50 against Australia and South Africa lost all five Tests against Bradman's batting and Grimmett's wonderful bowling.
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