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Cape Town - Western Cape and South African cricket mourned the loss of Nickfurt van Oordt (69), a former long-serving administrator of Western Province, and one of South Africa’s finest all-rounders of the 1970s and 1980s, Clive Rice.
Van Oordt, a former active vice-rector, senior director of human resources and registrar of student affairs at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, was an administrative icon of Western Province cricket for several decades.
Nabeal Dien, chief executive officer of the Western Province Cricket Association (WPCA), paid tribute to Van Oordt, saying he was an excellent administrator whose lengthy and dedicated association with the game spanned more than four decades.
“Nick’s legacy of administrative contribution will be remembered with fondness and gratitude,” said Dien.
Rice past away at the age of 66 on Tuesday after a long battle with a brain tumour.
He captained South Africa at the age of 42 on their first post-isolation limited overs tour of India in 1991.
Rice was a stalwart of Transvaal, Natal and Nottinghamshire, striking 26 331 first-class runs at an average of 40.95 and also captured 930 wicket at 22.49 apiece before his retirement in 1994.
“He was the captain of the all-conquering 'Mean Machine' of Transvaal and was a hard-hitting batsman and excellent seam bowler and a world-class all-rounder over almost two decades,” said Dien.
“Our sincere condolences go to his friends and family,” said Dien.
Van Oordt joined Tigers (now Tygerburg) in 1963, served as secretary from 1964 and later became president and life president. He also captained the first team.
Van Oordt was a senior member of the Western Province Cricket Board executive committee as match and registration secretary. He served WP at the South African Cricket Board. An architect of unity, he participated in talks at provincial and national level and also student cricket.
He also served as first national tournament coordinator of student cricket after unity and as manager of the first national tertiary student team that played against the Indian team in 1991/1992.
“He was one of the best administrators in the South African Cricket Board-era of Western Province, recalled Angelo Carolissen, vice-chairman of Western Cape Cricket and president of the Boland Cricket Union.
He was a calm and reassuring presence during stormy debates, added Carolissen.
Beresford Williams, chairman of Western Cape Cricket and president of the WPCA, said Western Province honoured Van Oordt in 2013 with a presidential award to salute his monumental contribution to the game.
The death of Van Oordt was a huge blow for cricket. He served the game with dedication, pride and passion. The Van Oordt-family was an icon of broader community development.
Van Oordt was a stalwart of non-racialism, he added.
Omar Henry, a former chairperson of the national selectors, said Western Province and Transvaal fought lengthy tussles in three-day games over many years when Rice was at the helm of the 'Mean Machine'.
"He was a hard-hitting batsman and as a bowler, he would be uncompromising and possessed a very sharp bouncer, He could hurl missiles at batsmen at 140km/h or more, and was one of the finest all-rounders in South African cricket for more than two decades," Henry said.
