Denis Lindsay, the famous South African cricketer of the 1960s, died in Johannesburg on Wednesday night at the age of 66 as the result of a short illness.
Ali Bacher, who played with Lindsay in various Test teams of that era and captained him during the victorious 1969-70 series over Australia, said on Thursday: ”Denis was diagnosed with cancer of the bladder earlier this year and it spread. He fought the illness with the same courage that he displayed on the cricket field. He was a great team man.”
Bacher described Lindsay, who represented his country in 19 Tests, as ”one of the dominant forces” in South African cricket during its golden era of the sixties.
He was at the top of his game during the 1966-1967 series against Australia in South Africa when he bludgeoned 606 runs in the four-match Test series — including three centuries and a top score of 182 in the first Test at the Wanderers — at an average of 86,57.
He was at that stage the most successful wicketkeeper-batsman in world cricket. This remains the world record for the most runs scored by a wicketkeeper in a Test series.
Born on September 4, 1939 in Benoni, Johannesburg, the right handed wicketkeeper batsman was destined for greatness and served the game both on and off the field with distinction.
As a player, Lindsay represented North Eastern Transvaal (1958/1959) and Northern Transvaal (1973/1974).
He then went on to make his international debut for South Africa against Australia in Brisbane (1963/1964).
Cricket SA CEO, Gerald Majola said: ”Denis was an understanding cricketer who served the game wholeheartedly even during his retirement. He will leave behind a legacy and on behalf of the UCBSA and Cricket SA, we extend our condolences to the family during this tough period.”
After retiring from professional cricket he turned to officiating, a duty he excelled at. He sat on the International Cricket Council’s supplementary panel of referees, refereeing seven ICC Tests (2001-2001/2002) and 59 Limited Over Internationals
(2000/20001-2003-2004).
Lindsay also served on Cricket South Africa’s panel of match referees and the last match he officiated in was between the Highveld Lions and Warriors in a SuperSport Series match played at the Wanderers Stadium from November 3-6, 2005. – Sapa