Graham Bunyard

Graham Stuart Bunyard (17 October 1939 – 10 May 2018) was a South African cricketer who played first-class cricket from 1959 to 1963.

A fast bowler, Bunyard made his first-class debut for Transvaal in the 1959-60 season, on the day before he turned 20. His first two wickets were Denis Compton and Godfrey Evans.[1] In his third match he took 5 for 35 against Rhodesia.[2] He finished the season with 23 wickets in seven matches at an average of 21.78.[3] He was one of the pace bowlers considered for selection for the tour to England in 1960 and later as a replacement during the tour when Geoff Griffin could no longer bowl, but was not selected.[4]

Bunyard took 16 wickets at 24.31 in five matches in 1960-61 and toured England in 1961 with the South African Fezela XI of promising young players. He took 3 for 48 and 3 for 42 to help the Fezelas to an innings victory over Combined Services.[5] However, he played only one more first-class match, for Rhodesia two years later, when he was still only 23 years old. His last three wickets were Norm O'Neill, John Reid and Bill Alley.[6]

He became a tobacco farmer in Schagen, about 20 kilometres west of Nelspruit, in north-eastern Transvaal.[7]