My colleague Sheryl-Ann Lance is married to Tony, brother of the late Tiger, who achieved much for South Africa during his career. Tony was himself a formidable cricketer, representing North-Eastern Transvaal for many years and playing professional football. His health, sadly, is not good today.
Sheryl-Ann extracted the following memory, in her own words:
In 1956, as a 12-year-old scholar at CBD Pretoria, Tony was to represent the under-14 school cricket team in Bloemfontein. His parents were not in a position to pay the £3 required for the five-day tour. The Irish, Brother Cooke, and school coach saw in Tony a raw talent and sought to nurture the potential and approached the local Catholic Women’s League for financial aid. At the 11th hour Tony’s eldest brother Jimmy, who was working at the time gave him a whopping £5. Not only could Tony attend the cricket tour, he also had pocket money.
Early Thursday morning, filled with excitement, he cycled to Pop Richardson who was to drive the team to Bloemfontein. They arrived in time for lunch and were treated to a pie, gravy and Coke at the corner tea room. Tony recalls how the noise level fell from a crescendo to a deathly silence when the entire MCC cricket team entered the café. Never being one to be intimidated, Tony boldly walked up the great Jim Laker, who was so impressed with the young boy’s enthusiasm and knowledge of the game. “Laker Match” shared his wisdom as an off-break bowler and also introduced him to the late Trevor Bailey.
The following morning, the CBD Pretoria under-14s, at the invitation of the MCC, sat on the field of the Bloemfontein Ramblers to watch three hours of pleasing cricket. It is here where Tony witnessed the debut of the 16-year-old Peter Carlstein scoring 46 runs before lunch. Years later, after Carlstein’s tragic death of his wife and twins he spent months in Groenkloof Pretoria enjoying the legendary grub and hospitality of Kate Lance.
Early Thursday morning, filled with excitement, he cycled to Pop Richardson who was to drive the team to Bloemfontein. They arrived in time for lunch and were treated to a pie, gravy and Coke at the corner tea room. Tony recalls how the noise level fell from a crescendo to a deathly silence when the entire MCC cricket team entered the café. Never being one to be intimidated, Tony boldly walked up the great Jim Laker, who was so impressed with the young boy’s enthusiasm and knowledge of the game. “Laker Match” shared his wisdom as an off-break bowler and also introduced him to the late Trevor Bailey.
The following morning, the CBD Pretoria under-14s, at the invitation of the MCC, sat on the field of the Bloemfontein Ramblers to watch three hours of pleasing cricket. It is here where Tony witnessed the debut of the 16-year-old Peter Carlstein scoring 46 runs before lunch. Years later, after Carlstein’s tragic death of his wife and twins he spent months in Groenkloof Pretoria enjoying the legendary grub and hospitality of Kate Lance.
Carlstein was one of many sportsmen to board at 93 Frans Oerder Street, partaking of the humour and bantering that is the core of any Lance home.
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