Craig MATTHEWS

The blonde South African Craig Matthews was the archetypal seam bowler: flat-footed, running in on a well-worn set of footmarks,

forever on a length, nagging, nagging. He frustrated batsmen while shock bowlers like Donald and Pollock blasted them out at the other end.

He was just the type of bowler you would expect to develop on traditional South African wickets. He missed South Africa's return to big cricket

in the 1992 World Cup, but was quickly brought into their team when India visited them in 1992-93, taking four wickets on debut in the Second

Test when he bowled 49 overs which cost just 64 runs, and then 3-32 in Cape Town. Matthews rarely played in a full series, but toured Australia

in 1993-94, taking 3-68 in Perth when South Africa won by the narrowest of margins, and then 5-80 in Cape Town and 4-65 in Durban in the

return series later that same season. He toured England in 1995, taking 3-25 in the second innings at Lord's when England were bowled out for 99,

and scoring an unexpected but important 63 not out at Headingley. At Johannesburg in 1994-95 he took 5-42 against New Zealand, and 3-31

against England at Durban in 1995-96 when only five wickets fell before rain ruined the Test. His victims were Alec Stewart, Robin Smith and

Jack Russell. In the World Cup of 1996 he was an inexpensive new ball bowler throughout the South African campaign, taking 2-30 against

England in Rawalpindi. (Bob Harragan)

Craig Matthews is pictured above on Sunday, August 7th. 1994.    Photo Nigel French.  ©

                                                                        TEST RECORD.