Pieter van der Bijl
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Pieter Gerhard Vintcent van der Bijl (21 October 1907 in Kenilworth, South Africa – 16 February 1973 in Kalk Bay, Cape Province) was a South African cricketer who played in 5 Tests in 1938–39. His son, Vintcent, also had a successful first-class cricket career.
The son of one Western Province cricketer and the nephew of another, Pieter van der Bijl was educated at Diocesan College, Rondebosch, Cape Town, and was then a Rhodes Scholar at Brasenose College, Oxford University from 1928. A newspaper report in 1930 said that van der Bijl was "reputed to be the tallest man in Oxford". In many reports then and later, his surname was spelled "van der Byl".
His first-class cricket career for Western Province began in 1925–26 and he played regularly for the team in 1926–27, acting as wicketkeeper. Aside from an innings of 60 not out against Eastern Province he did not make much impression as a batsman. After a single game in the 1927–28 season he disappeared from first-class cricket for almost four years.
At Oxford, van der Bijl initially made a mark in athletics and boxing more than in cricket. In athletics, his event was "putting the weight", as the shotput was termed. He was fourth in the freshman's trial in his first year and later won a half-blue. The following day, he was the heavyweight in the university boxing match against Cambridge University and won his bout, which was the last of the tournament and won the rubber for Oxford by four to three. In cricket, he was not picked for the freshmen's trial match in 1929, and though he played in the seniors' match in 1930, he was not then selected for any of the first-class games; in 1931, he played in a single match, but after scoring 16 not out and 0, he was not chosen again that season.
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