Cuan McCarthy

Cuan McCarthy

Personal information
Batting style	Right-hand bat
Bowling style	Right-arm fast
International information
National side	South African
Career statistics
Competition	Tests	First-class
Matches	15	60
Runs scored	28	141
Batting average	3.11	4.27
100s/50s	0/0	0/0
Top score	5	23*
Balls bowled	3499	11818
Wickets	36	176
Bowling average	41.94	25.85
5 wickets in innings	2	8
10 wickets in match	0	1
Best bowling	6/43	8/36
Catches/stumpings	6/-	23/-
Source: Cricinfo,

Cuan Neil McCarthy (born March 24, 1929, Pietermaritzburg, Natal, South Africa; died August 14, 2000, Johannesburg, Transvaal, South Africa) was a South African cricketer who played in fifteen Tests from 1948 to 1951.

One of five children born to Victor and Phyllis McCarthy, he grew up on "Glenaholm", a citrus and poultry farm just out of Pietermaritzburg, where his mother bred a famous line of Rhodesian Ridgeback dogs. He received his secondary education at Maritzburg College.

Cuan McCarthy was included in the national side for the first time at the age of 19. A bowler of genuine pace who could command a deadly off-cutter^[1], he opened the bowling for South Africa in his 15 Tests, spanning 1948 to 1951. He was no batsman and stands as one of the few cricketers who have taken more wickets than they scored runs: indeed up to the end of 1951 his highest score in forty-five first-class games was only seven! On a pitch freshened by a sharp shower^[2] produced his best bowling figures in his debut Test against the touring English team on his home turf at Kingsmead. In later games it was thought that he too often pitched short when he would have been deadly bowling to a much fuller length. This tendency was seen at its worst in the 1951 tour of England, especially on an extremely difficult pitch at Old Trafford^[3].

The following year, McCarthy moved to Cambridge University and was viewed as a valuable acquisition by the cricketing press. He bowled extremely well in taking forty-four wickets for the University at an average cost of little over seventeen each^[4], but a controversy arose when at Worcester McCarthy became the first bowler to be no-balled for throwing in English first-class cricket since 1908. He was still allowed to bowl for the rest of the match, and was thought so good that he played for the Gentlemen at Lord's and Scarborough, without meeting with pronounced success.

Although at this point McCarthy was established as a major bowling force, it turned out that he was never to be seen again in first-class cricket. After being at Cambridge in 1952, McCarthy stayed on in England^[5] but was still thought a candidate for the 1952/1953 tour of Australia. However, qualms about his action probably prevented him being chosen and his only later cricket was in the Minor Counties Championship for Dorset, where he settled in subsequent years before returning to South Africa as a farmer^[6].

Personal life

He married Margaret Gillian Trotter (*16 August 1930 Kloof) on 30 January 1954 and they produced a family of 3 children - Philippa Jane (*1955 Epsom, England), Nicholas Hewlett (*1958 Dorset, England) and Sarah Victoria (*1964 Dorset, England). In 1972 he married Valerie Joan Parham (1936-1985) from Rhodesia and they had a son Angus Neil Cuan (*1973 Harare)

Pictures

Cuan McCarthy and wife Gillian 1954  Cuan McCarthy in later life

References

1. ^ Wright, Graeme (editor); Wisden Cricketer's Almanac, 138th edition (2001); p. 1594; ISBN 0947766634
2. ^ Giller, Norman; "Bedser and Gladwin scurry to thrilling last-ball victory"; in The World's Greatest Cricket Matches; pp. 17-19. ISBN 0706438956
3. ^ Preston, Norman (editor); Wisden Cricketer's Almanac, 89th edition (1952); p. 210
4. ^ Preston, Norman (editor); Wisden Cricketer's Almanac, 90th edition (1953); pp.642-643
5. ^ Webber, Roy; The Playfair Book of Test Cricket, Volume II; p. 23. Published June 1953 by Welbecson Press Limited.
6. ^ Wright; Wisden Cricketer's Almanac (2001); p. 1594

External links

• Great Test Matches
• Maritzburg College
• South African Cricket Information
• Cuan McCarthy profile at Cricinfo