Basil Helfrich

Basil Arthur Helfrich (30 March 1919 – 6 March 1938) was a South African cricketer who showed great promise as a teenager but died at the age of 18. He was one of four brothers who played first-class cricket in South Africa.

Basil Helfrich
Personal information
Full nameBasil Arthur Helfrich
Born(1919-03-30)30 March 1919
South Africa
Died6 March 1938(1938-03-06) (aged 18)
Kimberley, Cape Province, South Africa
BattingRight-handed
RelationsDudley Helfrich (brother)
Cyril Helfrich (brother)
Kenneth Helfrich (brother)
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1934/35–1937/38Griqualand West
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 13
Runs scored 626
Batting average 27.21
100s/50s 1/4
Top score 109
Balls bowled 609
Wickets 14
Bowling average 23.57
5 wickets in innings 0
10 wickets in match 0
Best bowling 3/31
Catches/stumpings 9/–
Source: Cricinfo, 3 July 2017

Life and career

Basil Helfrich lived in Kimberley, where he made his first-class debut in March 1935 a few days before his 16th birthday, playing for Griqualand West in a victory over Western Province. Also in the Griqualand West team were John Waddington, who had made his debut earlier in the season a few days younger than Helfrich and would play for Griqualand West for another 24 years; Tony Harris, 18 years old, who would play Test cricket for South Africa after World War II; and Helfrich's elder brother Dudley, who had made his debut five seasons earlier at the age of 17.[1]

As he was still at school, he played only home matches in his first two seasons. In 1935-36 he top-scored with 66 in the match against Orange Free State, and then top-scored in both innings of the match against the touring Australians, making 64 and 59 when none of his team-mates were able to reach 25.[2] In the second innings he was so severe on the bowling of Bill O'Reilly that O'Reilly was taken out of the attack.[3] The Australian batsman Jack Fingleton thought Helfrich "was bound to become an international",[4] as did the South African sports journalist Louis Duffus.[5]

He played the full seasons of 1936-37 and 1937-38. In 1936-37 he made his only century, 109 against Transvaal,[6] and appeared for a strong South African team in a first-class match against City of Johannesburg.[7] His batting form fell away in 1937-38. During the season, just after scoring 120 not out in 80 minutes in a club match in Kimberley, he was struck down with enteric fever, and died a few weeks later, just short of his 19th birthday.[5] Griqualand West's match against North-Eastern Transvaal was abandoned after the second day's play when news came of his death.[8]

Besides his batting he was a brilliant fieldsman and useful slow bowler. He also excelled at Rugby union and swimming.[5]

References
  1. "Griqualand West v Western Province 1934-35". CricketArchive. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  2. "Griqualand West v Australians 1935-36". CricketArchive. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  3. "African Tour. Oldfield's Century. Schoolboy's Courage". Sydney Morning Herald. 3 February 1936. p. 10.
  4. Jack Fingleton, Cricket Crisis, Cassell & Co., London, 1946, p. 226.
  5. "Obituary: B. Helfrich", The Cricketer, 30 April 1938, p. 28.
  6. "Transvaal v Griqualand West 1936-37". CricketArchive. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  7. "City of Johannesburg v The Rest 1936-37". CricketArchive. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  8. "North-Eastern Transvaal v Griqualand West 1937-38". CricketArchive. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
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