Hugh Tayfield

Hugh Tayfield Biography

Hugh Tayfield was, along with Aubrey Faulkner, without a doubt, the greatest South African spinner. His incredible stamina and metronomic precision made him the perfect foil to Neil Adcock and Peter Heine. He partnered Tufty Mann and Trevor Goddard at various points of time in his 37-Test career.

Tayfield sent down an astonishing 367 balls per Test. His 170 wickets came at 26, and his 4.59 wickets a Test is more than the corresponding numbers for Jim Laker and Lance Gibbs. Not many bettered his economy rate of 1.94, either.

Tayfield announced himself with his 7 for 23 against Australia in 1949-50. However, despite being bowled out for 75 and conceding a 236-run lead, Australia banked on Neil Harvey’s hundred to win the Test.

Three years later he went to Australia, that graveyard of off-spinners. He returned with 30 wickets at 28 including a 13-wicket haul at Melbourne. He equalled Alec Bedser’s post-War record of most wickets in a series in Australia.

In the Melbourne Test he kissed the South African emblem on his Test cap before giving his cap to the umpire, and got Arthur Morris out promptly. He would kiss the emblem whenever he handed it over for the rest of his career. The Test also gave him his nickname ‘Toey’, for he stubbed his toe into the ground before delivery.

He even surpassed that tally in the 1956-57 home series against England, with 37 wickets at 17 — at an economy of 1.67.

On that tour he took 8 for 69 at Durban, then the best figures by a South African. This included a spell of 137 consecutive dot balls, still a world record even in First-Class cricket.

At Johannesburg he claimed 4 for 79. And when England set out to chase 232, Tayfield bowled on and on and on, bowling relentlessly from one end. At 147 for 2 it seemed England would cruise, but Tayfield toiled on, eventually helping South Africa to a 17-run victory. He finished with 9 for 113, and was chaired away by the crowd.

When Wisden released their list of 100 best bowling performances in Test cricket, Tayfield’s spell topped the list.

Tayfield was singular in every aspect. For example, he insisted on a wide gap between mid-off and point throughout his career. He preferred two short mid-ons instead, and placed them so close to each other that they nearly collided.

But both captain Jack Cheetham and manager Ken Viljoen understood Tayfield. They did not want to tame him, to curb his originality: and Tayfield paid them back.

Off the field he earned quite a reputation as a playboy. He got married and divorced five times. Of Test cricketers, only Bill Edrich matches the count — where we have data on marriages, that is.

His younger brothers Arthur and Cyril both played First-Class cricket, as did his cousin Ian. Their uncle Sidney and his son, also called Hugh, did the same.

Hugh Tayfield passed away in 1994. He was 65.

Abhishek Mukherjee

Hugh Tayfield Batting & Fielding Averages

Career	M	In	R	NO	HS	Avg	BF	SR	100s	50s	4s	6s	Ct	St
Test	37	60	862	9	75	16.90	1471	58.59	0	2	66	1	26	0
ODIs	0	--	--	--		--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
T20s	0	--	--	--		--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
World Cup	0	--	--	--		--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--

Hugh Tayfield Bowling Averages

Career	M	B	R	W	Avg	EC	SR	5WI	10WM	BBI	BBM
Test	37	11116	4405	170	25.91	2.377	65.	14	2	9/113	13/165
ODIs	0	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
T20s	0	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
World Cup	0	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--		--

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