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Solicitor Dave Richardson was a surprise choice to take the
wicket-keeping gloves for South Africa on their return to international
cricket in 1992. Most had expected the selectors to reward the long
service of veteran Ray Jennings, a legend in South African cricket
during the isolation of the apartheid years, and still thought to be on
the top of his form even though he was pushing 40. Instead the selectors
opted for the younger man and Richardson provided a safe pair of
gauntlets for the next five years. No one else kept wicket for South
Africa in Tests until Mark Boucher took over the gloves in Sheikhupura
in October 1997.
More often than not Richardson was standing back to
South Africa's battery of seam bowlers. He took nine catches in the Test
against India in Port Elizabeth in 1992-93. In his early years his
batting was insignificant but he worked hard on it and became a useful
lower order fighter, in 1994-95 scoring 93 against New Zealand in
Johannesburg, followed by 109 in Cape Town. He made 84 against England
in Port Elizabeth in 1995-96 and 72 not out against Australia in
Johannesburg a year later.
Perhaps his best remembered innings was his
54 not out against England in Cape Town, where his defiance against the
new ball not only lead to victory but brought the Test careers of Devon
Malcolm and Angus Fraser to a grinding halt. In the 1992 World Cup he
was 13 not out when rain put paid to South Africa's semi-final run chase
against England. He missed the 1996 competion in India and Pakistan
when he was injured in the ODI series against England immediately
beforehand. (Bob Harragan)
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