Cricket
Springboks reunite in PE
2009-03-26 10:06
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SA great Ali Bacher (Gallo)
Some of the greatest names in South African cricket gathered in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday for a reunion of the famous Springbok team which whitewashed Bill Lawry's Australian tourists 4-0 in the 1969-70 season.
A total of 12 of the 15 squasd members who played in that historic series attended the function which twinned as opportunity to launch an initiative called "The Conqueror's Project".
Captain Ali Bacher, Graham Chevalier, Dennis Gamsy, Trevor Goddard, Lee Irvine, Tiger Lance, Peter Pollock, Graeme Pollock, Mike Procter, Barry Richards, John Traicos and Pat Trimborn all shared their most memorable moments from that series. Eddie Barlow and Denis Lindsay were represented by their widows while Kelly Seymour was the only player absent. It was the first time in almost 20 years that the team had been reunited.
The 12 players had spent most of Tuesday night signing a limited edition of 1500 autgraphed memorabilia items which include a team photo, pen pictures and scoresheets from the series. The items will be sold off to generate funds for the Conquerors Project which is aimed at recognising all past players and is in turn used to support future cricket in South Africa. The money will also be used to assist players who were not fortunate enough to play in the professional era and are now in need of financial support.
Bacher said it had been a privilege to captain a team of such stature. "It was a team blessed with extraordinary talent. Some of them were great players. We knew we would beat the Australians. We never spoke about it. We weren't arogant. We didn't shout in the press. But I don't think anyone of us contemplated once that we would a Test against Australia. And I have no doubt had there been a fifth Test match we would have won that one too," said Bacher.
"The third Test team was the probably the strongest team that I have ever played in. And why it was so strong it because it had five genuine all-rounders in Eddie Barlow, Tiger Lance, Denis Lindsay, Mike Procter and Trevor Goddard. It was quite extraordinary," said Bacher. Bacher also paid tribute to Graeme, Peter and Shaun Pollock saying they were greatest family ever to have played Test cricket. Bacher also suggested that a stand be named after Pollocks at Sahara Oval St George's in Port Elizabeth.
"They've surely got to be the greatest sporting family produced by your people. When you think about world cricket, the Hadlee family in New Zealand, the Chappell family in Australia, the Stewart family in England all come to mind. But when you talk about Graeme and Peter and you add in Shaun, in my opinion, in the history of the game, I don't believe there's ever been a family that has produced decisively and repeatedly such brilliance on the field internationally. They've got to be the number one family in world cricket."
Graeme and Peter Pollock both spent their formative years in Port Elizabeth and both attended Grey Junior and Grey High. They progressed to represent Eastern Province and eventually South Africa with Graeme being internationally recognised as the greatest left-hander ever to have played the game. He still holds the second best