Gus Kempis

Gustav Adolph Kempis (4 August 1865 – 19 May 1890) was a South African cricketer who played in South Africa's inaugural Test match in March 1889.

Kempis was born in Port Elizabeth, Cape Colony. A left-arm medium pace bowler, he delivered the ball with great control of length and could break it either way off the pitch. After taking 13 wickets in three non-first-class innings against R. G. Warton’s touring side in 1888-89, he was selected for what became the very first Test match between the two countries, played at Port Elizabeth. He failed with the bat but took 3 for 53 and 1 for 23 as England won comfortably by 8 wickets.[1]

The following season, playing for Natal, Kempis took 41 wickets at an average of 12.42 apiece.[2] These figures came from just five matches and included four hauls of more than 5 wickets in an innings and two of 10 wickets in a match: 7 for 35 and 4 for 29 against Port Elizabeth, 7 for 44 against Kimberley, 7 for 33 and 3 for 76 against Western Province and 5 for 20 against Cape Town Clubs.[3] He was easily the most successful bowler in the season.[4]

He died shortly after the 1889-90 season finished, aged 24, in Chiloane Island, Mozambique. His death went unrecorded at the time and no obituary appeared for him in Wisden Cricketer's Almanack.

His younger brother George toured England with the first South African touring team in 1894.