Oldest Check cricketer dies in South Africa aged 98

Ron Draper, who was the oldest dwelling Check cricketer, has died in Gqeberha on the age of 98 years and 63 days, his household stated Friday (March 28, 2025).

Draper, a top-order batsman and occasional wicketkeeper, performed in two Check matches for South Africa in opposition to Australia in 1950.

Additionally learn: Celebrating 140 years of Check cricket

Certainly one of his opponents, Neil Harvey, now turns into the oldest dwelling Check participant on the age of 96.

Each earlier oldest Check cricketers had been South Africans –- Norman Gordon, who died aged 103 in 2016, and John Watkins, who was 98 when he died in 2021.

Draper, who was born on 24 December 1926, made a century on first-class debut for Jap Province in opposition to Orange Free State on his nineteenth birthday.

After making 86 for the province in opposition to the touring Australians in 1949/50 he was chosen for the final two Checks in opposition to the vacationers however scored solely 25 runs in three innings. In contrast, Harvey, then aged 21 and within the early levels of a distinguished Check profession, made centuries in each matches.

Draper continued to play first-class cricket till 1959/60 and completed with a good common of 41.64.

He scored a century earlier than lunch on the primary day of his first two matches of the 1952/53 season. Within the second match, in opposition to Border, he added one other hundred within the second innings to grow to be the primary participant to attain two centuries in a match in South Africa’s long-established Currie Cup competitors.

Draper died in a retirement dwelling in Gqeberha on Tuesday (February 25, 2025). His dying was confirmed by his son-in-law, Neil Thomson, on Friday (February 28, 2025).