Alvin Reeves
African team was led by Port Elizabeth’s Owen Dunnell and was made up of three EP players, two from Natal, four from Kimberley, one from Western Province and one from the Free State Sadly, they lost.
Luckily there was improvement. South Africa’s cricketer of the century, Graeme Pollock, played his role in taking cricket to the next level.
In 1963, Pollock, then 19, became the youngest South African to score a double ton, making an unbeaten 209 in just 201 minutes at George’s Park against the touring Cavaliers side, which included names like captain Richie Benaud and Graham McKenzie. Then Herald cricket writer the late Geoff Summerton described the innings as one of the best he had ever seen.
Pollock’s first test hundred in his first test was also made at St George’s, in the 1964/65 season. He made 137 on debut in a drawn test against England. His last international innings would also come at the PE venue, when he slaughtered a fine rebel Australian attack in a 1986-87 “test”.
Another man who made a significant impact on South African cricket was the late Khaya Majola whose talents were unfortunately not displayed on the international stage because of apartheid.
Nonetheless, New Brighton-born Majola emerged as one of the country’s finest cricketers and later became a leading administrator with the United Cricket Board of SA. His brother Gerald, a talented sportsman in his own right, became chief executive of Cricket South Africa.
The Majola story started with the father Eric, who was regarded as one of the best flyhalves ever and played for Spring Rose Rugby Football Club, established in 1907. His family was at the forefront of township sport for over 50 years and continued a strong tradition of township rugby with the likes of Archie Mkele, Alfred Dwesi and Peter Mkata.
Amateur soccer in Port Elizabeth and surrounds has always flourished and today more than a dozen districts compete regularly.
But professional soccer has struggled to maintain a presence on the national stage.
Port Elizabeth City put the Bay on the map by winning the National Football League in 1967 after finishing runners-up the previous year. They attracted thousands of fans to the Crusaders Ground until the early 70s.
The Eastern Province Soccer Board was established in 1954 and eventually became the Northern Areas Soccer Board and today the Northern Areas Football Association-Port Elizabeth.
According to Nafa-PE’s website: “In 1962, the board arranged the first professional match between Cape Ramblers and Athlone Athletics at the PE Show grounds. In 1974, PE United entered the professional ranks becoming the first Eastern Cape side to partici- pate in the South African Soccer Federation FPL. In 1992, Blackpool became the first professional team from Port Elizabeth to play in the National Soccer League (NSL). Hotspurs also had stints in the professional ranks as did Park United.”
Currently Chippa United represents PE in the professional ranks.