Feared batsman Wilkins dies at 74
A fine cricketer with an aggressive batting style that struck fear into the hearts of many fast bowlers. This is how Chris Wilkins will be remembered after the 74-year-old died at his home in Harding, KwaZuluNatal, on Monday.
His wife of 54 years, Laraine, 72, said her husband had suffered from emphysema and had been housebound and on oxygen for the past few years.
“He wasn’t a depressed person, but being an active person for many years, he found it difficult not being able to walk, drive, play the sport he loved and do all the things he did regularly,” she said.
Laraine said Wilkins also enjoyed golf and at one stage played off a single handicap.
“After his stroke in 1999, he had to learn to walk again, and he was given a handicap of 16 – something he was not very happy about,” she said.
The couple have two children – Peter, 53, and Linda, 51 – and four grandchildren.
Gavin Cowley, who played for EP alongside Wilkins in the 1970s, described him as “an extremely special guy with so much talent”.
“His aggression and bravery [were among] his trademarks,” Cowley said.
“We played in a time when there were some very fast bowlers around and he was not afraid to take them on.”
Cowley, an all-round sportsman who captained EP in cricket and rugby, said Wilkins’s talent was undeniable in that he played various other sports at both amateur and provincial levels.
“He was a great competitor who will be remembered for his effort, everything he achieved and the entertainment he brought for the many people he played in front of.”
Born in King William’s Town, Wilkins became one of the most feared batsmen in limited-overs cricket for his ability to tear apart bowlers with swashbuckling batting.
He represented Border, Derbyshire (in England), EP and Natal during his career, making almost 11,000 first-class runs, including 18 centuries.
As a bowler, offering some lively away swingers, he claimed 142 wickets.
Simon Bezuidenhout, an opening partner of Wilkins at EP, said they never messed about at the crease, as both men aimed to score “as many runs as quickly as possible”, which resulted in many hundred partnerships together.
“It is sad to lose someone like him . . . he will be missed,” Bezuidenhout said.
Cricket SA CEO Thabang Moroe said: “On behalf of the CSA family I extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends and many cricketing colleagues.”