Denis Begbie

Denis Warburton Begbie (12 December 1914 – 10 March 2009) was a South African cricketer who played in five Test matches between 1948 and 1950.^[1] He played first-class cricket for Transvaal between the 1933–34 and 1949–50 seasons.^[2]

Denis Begbie

Personal information
Full name	Denis Warburton Begbie
Born	(1914-12-12)12 December 1914 Middelburg, Transvaal, Union of South Africa
Died	10 March 2009(2009-03-10) (aged 94) Johannesburg, South Africa
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm off-break Right-arm leg-break and googly
Role	All-rounder
International information
National side	South Africa
Test debut (cap 166)	16 December 1948 v England
Last Test	6 March 1950 v Australia
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1933/34–1949/50	Transvaal
Career statistics
Competition Test First-class Matches 5 58 Runs scored 138 2,727 Batting average 19.71 35.88 100s/50s 0/0 6/8 Top score 48 207* Balls bowled 160 4,469 Wickets 1 88 Bowling average 130.00 23.69 5 wickets in innings 0 5 10 wickets in match 0 2 Best bowling 1/38 7/96 Catches/stumpings 2/– 27/–
Source: CricketArchive, 10 March 2009

Career

Begbie was a right-handed batsman and right-arm leg-spin bowler who could also bowl off-spin. He was selected for the South African tour of England in 1947, but did not play in any of the Test matches.^[3] He made his Test debut against England in December 1948 at the age of 34, playing the first three Tests of the five-match series. In the first Test he scored 37 and 48, falling both times to Alec Bedser, as England won by 2 wickets.^[4] In the second Test he was out for 5 as the match was drawn.^[5] In the third Test, he was run out for 18 as the match was again drawn.^[6] Begbie did not play the final two games of the series, which was won 2–0 by England.

He next played for South Africa in the fourth Test of the 1949–50 series against Australia. He was out for 24 to Keith Miller as the match was drawn.^[7] In the final Test of the series, he was out for 1 to Geff Noblet in the first innings and then to Bill Johnston for 5 in the second and took his only Test wicket, bowling Neil Harvey for 116.^[8] Australia crushed South Africa by an innings and 259 runs to seal a 4–0 series victory. This was Begbie's final Test match.

At the time of his death in March 2009, aged 94, Begbie was the third oldest Test cricketer still living, behind New Zealand's Eric Tindill and fellow South African Norman Gordon.^[1]