Lest We Forget

When I was a boy in the 1970s he was a genial middle order England batsman and sometime bowler with an interesting name. I had no idea of his wider significance. Yesterday Basil D'Oliveira, universally known as 'Dolly' passed away at the age of 80. He was born in South Africa and because of apartheid and his 'coloured status' he could not play there. Friends made a collection to pay his fare to England and he settled here in 1960, became a British citizen and eventually played for England (44 tests batting average over 40 and 47 test wickets). At this time England continued to play test matches against South Africa notwithstanding the racist Afrikaner Nationalist Party regime in power there. In 1968 England were due to tour South Africa in the Winter. Dolly's place was far from secure until the final test of the Summer against Australia. This was purely a result of political considerations and not a question of ability. At the Oval in the final test of the Summer against Australia Dolly scored 158. Surely now his place was inked in for the Winter. For reasons shrouded in controversy the MCC omitted Dolly from the original touring line up. However once one of that squad (Tom Cartwright) withdrew injured Dolly was called up in his stead. All hell broke loose. The South African Government objected to the inclusion of a non white and demanded that he be withdrawn. Whatever the original reason for his exclusion the MCC now held firm and refused to withdraw Dolly. 8 days later the tour was cancelled. Only once Nelson Mandela had been released and subsequently elected President did South Africa truly rejoin the International fold 25 years later.