Vince van der Bijl is arguably the greatest cricketer never to represent their country. In a career spanning 17 years, the Cape Town-born right-arm seamer took 767 first-class wickets at a remarkable average of 16.54 but South Africa’s exile from international cricket due to apartheid meant he was never able to show off his skills at the top level.
Vintcent van der Bijl possessed great skills as a right-arm quick but was unfortunate to be a part of an era that deprived him of international cricket. He combined with Wayne Daniel to form one of the most dynamic fast bowling duo in county cricket.
Test cricket’s loss was Middlesex’s gain for a solitary summer in 1980, when van der Bijl took 85 County Championship wickets at 14.72, etching his name into the club’s folklore in the process. With van der Bijl and West Indian quick Wayne Daniel combining to great effect, Middlesex romped to the title.
“I know there have been some great captains around the world but if anyone was better than Brearlers I’d like to have a chat,” he says. “He was like an intellectual realist. He loved the intrigue of life and the interaction with people. He opened thoughts and experiences for us, which were lasting. He allowed us to explore ourselves. He challenged what we were thinking and within that absorbed and accepted all individuals in the group and made us a cohesive unit.”
Van der Bijl’s time at Lord’s was short but very, very sweet. Few cricketers have made such an impact in such a short space of time, and he continues to be revered by the Middlesex faithful.
First published in 2017
