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Eddie Barlow was one of that talented group of South African cricketers
who in the space of ten years turned their Test team from boring
strugglers to world beaters. Sadly their apartheid Government never let
them take on the non-white world, and it was only the unofficial Rest of
the World teams lead by Garry Sobers in England that gave Barlow the
chance to compare himself with the great West Indians. 'Bunter' Barlow -
the somewhat chubby, bespectacled all-rounder was named for his
likeness to the comic schoolboy of fiction Billy Bunter - made his debut
against New Zealand back in 1961-62, scoring three half centuries in
his first series.
It was in Australia in 1963-64, when he was joined by
the likes of the Pollock brothers and Denis Lindsay, that South African
cricket really came of age. Barlow scored 114 in the first Test at
Brisbane, 109 at the MCG and 201 at Adelaide, where he was outshone by
Graeme Pollock - as every batsman of the era was - in a stand of 341. He
also took 3-6 in the second innings with his enthusiastic medium-fast
seamers.
In New Zealand at the end of that tour he scored 92 in
Wellington as well as 61 and 58 in Auckland. Against England in 1964-5
he made 71 in Johannesburg, 138 and 78 at Cape Town, 96 and 42 at
Johannesburg again, and 69 and 47 with 3-55 at Port Elizabeth with the
ball. He had a poor series against Australia in 1966-67, but in the
destruction of Bill Lawry's 1970 Australians he made 127 at Cape Town
and 110 in Johannesburg. For the Rest of the World in 1970 he scored 142
and took 5-66 at Trent Bridge. At Headingley he took 5-78, including a
hat trick. Barlow also played for the Rest of the World in the Rothman's
World Cup of 1967, scoring 74 not out against England at Lord's. (Bob Harragan).
Eddie Barlow died on 30th. December 2005 at The General Hospital, St Helier, Jersey (aged 65 years 140 days). After retiring he took up a post as Director of the South African Sports Office in London and afterwards he became a cricket coach. He was appointed coach at Gloucestershire but owing to his father's death had to leave after two seasons.
He coached Orange Free State and then Transvaal. In 1996 he acquired a wine farm in South Africa. He was then invited to become the national coach of Bangladesh in 1999.
In 2000 he suffered a stroke in Bangladesh which put him initially in intensive care and then a wheelchair. Later he moved to North Wales.
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