558:
was intended to be played to a finish: in the event, after a match of unprecedented high scoring, it was left drawn to enable the
England team to return home. Van der Bijl had his best match, with innings of 125 and 97. In the first innings, van der Bijl put on 131 for the first wicket with Melville, and batted for the whole of the first day, at the end of which he was 105 not out. His batting was mixture of dour defence and pugnacious stroke-making, according to Wisden's report: "Van der Byl spent forty-five minutes before opening his score and three hours elapsed before he hit a boundary," it wrote. "He did not take the slightest risk though he astonished everyone when he punished
535:
He was then picked as an opening batsman for the first Test of a five-match series, making his debut on
Christmas Eve 1938; in this drawn game, he had limited success, scoring 4 and 38. He was more prominent in the second Test, another draw, scoring 37 in the first innings and then, when South Africa
557:
for the fourth Test, and they responded in South Africa's only innings of the game with a partnership of 108, at which score both batsmen were out, van der Bijl for 31 and
Melville for 67. With the series still undecided (England were winning 1–0 with three matches having been drawn), the final Test
578:
brought an end to competitive cricket in South Africa. Van der Bijl played in a few first-class friendly matches in 1939–40 and in a war-time first-class game a couple of years later, but there was no more Test or Currie Cup cricket for him. He was badly wounded while serving in North Africa during
562:
for twenty-two in one over, including five boundaries. Next he pulled a ball into the grand stand for 6." In the second innings, Mitchell was restored as van der Bijl's opening partner, and they put on 191 for the first wicket, van der Bijl failing by three runs to become the first South
African to
478:
too, in its review of the 1932 Oxford season, was also somewhat faint in its praise: "Van der Bijl seemed to play an unnecessarily laboured game for a man of such fine physique," it wrote. "Patient, with very strong defence, he usually took a long time to settle down and seldom allowed himself the
463:
cricket trial matches and that led to his selection for early matches: once in the team, he did well enough to justify continued selection. Sometimes opening the innings, sometimes batting in the middle order, he scored consistently and totalled 540 runs and an average of 45.00. His best match was
508:
in 1936–37, which would remain his highest first-class score – in this match he also opened the bowling, though he did not take any wickets, and he was never a regular bowler. The following season, in a dozen innings, there were two further centuries and five other scores of more than 50, and he
548:
reported: "Van der Byl (sic) played his usual stolid defensive game for the first part of his innings, but later used his great height to hit with vigour." There were no such heroics in the third game which
England won by an innings; Van der Bijl scored 28 and 13. Having opened the innings with
455:
and won his bout, which was the last of the tournament and won the rubber for Oxford by four to three. In cricket, he was not picked for the freshmen's trial match in 1929, and though he played in the seniors' match in 1930, he was not then selected for any of the first-class games; in 1931, he
472:, reporting on his 97 not out against Essex, wrote: "His driving too often had the dead and muffled sound that comes from bad timing and a lack of follow-through. Still, his defence was good and if he took an unconscionable time to reach his 50 he deserved the century that he just missed."
504:. From 1936–37, however, he played more regularly and in 1937–38, he was the captain of the Western Province side. Regular cricket brought more success: he finally hit a first-class century, more than 10 years after his debut, in making 195 against
495:
Leaving Oxford, van der Bijl returned to South Africa, but did not play first-class cricket over the next couple of seasons. He reappeared in three games in the 1934–35 season for
Western Province with no great success, and was not in the
586:, another very tall man, became a successful fast bowler for teams in South Africa and England, though his career coincided with the exclusion of South Africa from international sport because of
566:
In the series as a whole, van der Bijl scored 460 runs at an average of 51.11; his was the second highest aggregate of runs for South Africa in the series, beaten only by
Mitchell's 466.
431:
His first-class cricket career for
Western Province began in 1925–26 and he played regularly for the team in 1926–27, acting as wicketkeeper. Aside from an innings of 60 not out against
423:
from 1928. A newspaper report in 1930 said that van der Bijl was "reputed to be the tallest man in Oxford". In many reports then and later, his surname was spelled "van der Byl".
501:
529:
468:
when he made an unbeaten 97 in the first innings and followed that with 60 in the second. Despite his success, however, van der Bijl's batting attracted criticism.
1158:
497:
1168:
1099:
479:
luxury of an attempt to force the game." In a year when Oxford were not strong in cricket, however, van der Bijl was one of the early selections for the
435:
he did not make much impression as a batsman. After a single game in the 1927–28 season he disappeared from first-class cricket for almost four years.
443:
At Oxford, van der Bijl initially made a mark in athletics and boxing more than in cricket. In athletics, his event was "putting the weight", as the
629:
1163:
1183:
1173:
1188:
121:
1178:
484:
582:
His career was as a schoolmaster and he became the headmaster of the
Diocesan College Preparatory School in Cape Town. His son,
500:. The following year, he played only one match, right at the end of the season, and did not feature in the Tests against the
460:
161:
1085:
1079:
1064:
1058:
815:
809:
474:
513:
432:
396:
151:
505:
550:
480:
1153:
465:
218:
528:
domestic first-class competition was cancelled for the 1938–39 season as there was a tour of South Africa by an
365:
47:
851:
749:
559:
532:. Van der Bijl played in an early game for Western Province against the tourists and scored just 19 and 14.
448:
516:
at the end of the 1937–38 season, he hit 28 off six balls of the final over of the match to win the game.
633:
583:
385:
102:
97:
512:
By this time, Van der Bijl's reputation for stodgy batting was well in the past. In the match against
1148:
1143:
452:
420:
456:
played in a single match, but after scoring 16 not out and 0, he was not chosen again that season.
389:
189:
253:
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280:
412:
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373:
77:
447:
was termed. He was fourth in the freshman's trial in his first year and later won a
1120:
451:. The following day, he was the heavyweight in the university boxing match against
381:
184:
55:
541:
404:
587:
537:
408:
51:
1100:"Test Batting and Fielding for South Africa: MCC in South Africa 1938/39"
444:
399:
cricketer and the nephew of another, Pieter van der Bijl was educated at
369:
73:
750:"First-class batting and fielding in each season by Pieter van der Bijl"
377:
329:
553:
in the first three matches, van der Bijl had a new opening partner in
267:
540:
making 87 and sharing a second wicket stand of 147 with
830:"Scorecard: Oxford University v Cambridge University"
659:. No. 45653. London. 25 October 1930. p. 7.
459:
In 1932, van der Bijl scored a century in one of the
980:. No. 48195. London. 5 January 1939. p. 4.
852:"First-class matches played by Pieter van der Bijl"
171:
157:
147:
134:
114:
109:
93:
85:
62:
33:
28:
899:. No. 47937. London. 8 March 1938. p. 6.
797:. No. 46165. London. 21 June 1932. p. 6.
711:. No. 45147. London. 9 March 1929. p. 6.
696:. No. 45146. London. 8 March 1929. p. 7.
671:"Scorecard: Eastern Province v Western Province"
579:the war, and played no more cricket after that.
563:score two centuries in a match against England.
874:"Scorecard: Western Province v Griqualand West"
793:"Oxford at Leyton: An even game with Essex".
8:
21:
483:, though in a high-scoring drawn game with
723:"Scorecard: Oxford University v Yorkshire"
20:
1127:, William Collins, London, 1972, p. 102.
487:he scored only 7 in his single innings.
976:"Cricket: South Africa Save the Game".
895:"Exciting Finish to Currie Cup Match".
707:"University Boxing: Oxford's Victory".
599:
772:"Scorecard: Essex v Oxford University"
655:"University Sport: Oxford Prospects".
632:. rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk. Archived from
1159:South African people of Dutch descent
814:. Vol. Part II (1933 ed.).
744:
742:
740:
7:
362:Pieter Gerhard Vintcent van der Bijl
1169:Alumni of Brasenose College, Oxford
1078:"M.C.C. in South Africa, 1938–39".
1057:"M.C.C. in South Africa, 1938–39".
1036:"Scorecard: South Africa v England"
1014:"Scorecard: South Africa v England"
992:"Scorecard: South Africa v England"
955:"Scorecard: South Africa v England"
933:"Scorecard: South Africa v England"
911:"Scorecard: Western Province v MCC"
16:South African cricketer (1907–1973)
1016:. CricketArchive. 18 February 1939
957:. CricketArchive. 31 December 1938
935:. CricketArchive. 24 December 1938
913:. CricketArchive. 12 November 1938
876:. CricketArchive. 26 December 1936
590:and he did not play Test cricket.
498:1935 South African team in England
14:
994:. CricketArchive. 20 January 1939
630:"Rhodes Scholars, complete list"
673:. CricketArchive. 17 March 1927
524:As was usual at that time, the
1038:. CricketArchive. 3 March 1939
774:. CricketArchive. 18 June 1932
1:
1164:South African Rhodes Scholars
832:. CricketArchive. 4 July 1932
692:"University Sports: Oxford".
1184:Oxford University cricketers
1174:South Africa Test cricketers
725:. CricketArchive. 6 May 1931
1189:Western Province cricketers
1081:Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
1060:Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
811:Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
808:"The Universities—Oxford".
475:Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
1205:
135:Domestic team information
110:International information
349:
345:
176:
167:
142:
139:
130:
1179:South African cricketers
1125:Sort of a Cricket Person
388:, also had a successful
366:Kenilworth, South Africa
544:which saved the game.
376:) was a South African
368:– 16 February 1973 in
608:"Pieter van der Bijl"
584:Vintcent van der Bijl
384:in 1938–39. His son,
103:Voltelin van der Bijl
98:Vintcent van der Bijl
491:Back in South Africa
453:Cambridge University
421:University of Oxford
364:(21 October 1907 in
294:5 wickets in innings
29:Personal information
390:first-class cricket
306:10 wickets in match
25:
23:Pieter van der Bijl
439:English experience
148:1925-26 to 1939-40
1084:(1940 ed.).
1063:(1940 ed.).
461:Oxford University
417:Brasenose College
411:, and was then a
359:
358:
341:
340:
172:Career statistics
162:Oxford University
1196:
1154:Afrikaner people
1128:
1118:
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1111:
1109:
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1102:. CricketArchive
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610:. CricketArchive
604:
576:Second World War
514:Eastern Province
509:averaged 60.30.
481:University Match
433:Eastern Province
401:Diocesan College
397:Western Province
380:who played in 5
178:
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152:Western Province
81:
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66:16 February 1973
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636:on 8 March 2012
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506:Griqualand West
493:
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395:The son of one
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281:Bowling average
219:Batting average
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44:21 October 1907
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1088:. p. 743.
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818:. p. 454.
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551:Bruce Mitchell
536:was forced to
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520:Test cricketer
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413:Rhodes Scholar
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353:CricketArchive
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80:, South Africa
70:(aged 65)
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555:Alan Melville
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427:Early cricket
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374:Cape Province
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78:Cape Province
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65:
61:
57:
53:
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36:
32:
27:
19:
1124:
1121:E.W. Swanton
1116:
1104:. Retrieved
1094:
1080:
1073:
1059:
1052:
1040:. Retrieved
1030:
1018:. Retrieved
1008:
996:. Retrieved
986:
977:
971:
959:. Retrieved
949:
937:. Retrieved
927:
915:. Retrieved
905:
896:
890:
878:. Retrieved
868:
856:. Retrieved
846:
834:. Retrieved
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810:
803:
794:
788:
776:. Retrieved
766:
754:. Retrieved
727:. Retrieved
717:
708:
702:
693:
687:
675:. Retrieved
665:
656:
650:
638:. Retrieved
634:the original
624:
612:. Retrieved
602:
581:
573:
570:Later career
565:
545:
534:
530:England team
523:
511:
494:
473:
469:
458:
442:
430:
394:
361:
360:
317:Best bowling
158:1931 to 1932
122:South Africa
89:Right-handed
68:(1973-02-16)
18:
1149:1973 deaths
1144:1907 births
502:Australians
207:Runs scored
190:First-class
181:Competition
56:Cape Colony
1138:Categories
614:17 January
594:References
542:Eric Rowan
526:Currie Cup
405:Rondebosch
48:Kenilworth
40:1907-10-21
978:The Times
897:The Times
795:The Times
709:The Times
694:The Times
657:The Times
588:apartheid
546:The Times
538:follow on
485:Cambridge
470:The Times
449:half-blue
409:Cape Town
378:cricketer
330:stumpings
242:Top score
94:Relations
52:Cape Town
1106:19 March
1042:18 March
1020:18 March
998:18 March
961:18 March
939:18 March
917:17 March
880:17 March
858:17 March
836:15 March
778:15 March
756:15 March
729:12 March
677:11 March
640:11 March
464:against
445:shot put
392:career.
386:Vintcent
370:Kalk Bay
351:Source:
328:Catches/
231:100s/50s
74:Kalk Bay
268:Wickets
196:Matches
105:(uncle)
86:Batting
1086:Wisden
1065:Wisden
816:Wisden
560:Wright
256:bowled
466:Essex
382:Tests
288:31.60
254:Balls
226:40.17
223:51.11
185:Tests
140:Years
100:(son)
1108:2012
1044:2012
1022:2012
1000:2012
963:2012
941:2012
919:2012
882:2012
860:2012
838:2012
780:2012
758:2012
731:2012
679:2012
642:2012
616:2012
574:The
337:36/2
323:2/20
237:5/18
213:2692
143:Team
63:Died
34:Born
415:at
334:1/-
262:406
248:195
245:125
234:1/2
210:460
1140::
1123:,
739:^
419:,
407:,
403:,
372:,
202:44
76:,
54:,
50:,
1110:.
1046:.
1024:.
1002:.
965:.
943:.
921:.
884:.
862:.
840:.
782:.
760:.
733:.
681:.
644:.
618:.
320:–
312:0
309:–
301:0
298:–
285:–
275:5
272:–
259:–
199:5
42:)
38:(
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