Full Name

John Henry Bickford Waite

Born

January 19, 1930, Johannesburg, Transvaal

Died

June 22, 2011, Deansgate, Frail Care Centre, Craighall Park, Johannesburg, (aged 81y 154d)

Batting Style

Right hand Bat

Fielding Position

Wicketkeeper

Playing Role

Wicketkeeper Batter

Johnny Waite was something of a legend for over a decade of Springbok cricket during the 1950s and '60s, as he became the first man to represent his country in 50 Tests - and the only one to do so in the pre-isolation era. First selected in 1951 as a 21-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman, Waite showed he was no shrinking violet by joining his uncle, Eric Rowan, in a remarkable display of protest when both sat down on the pitch while batting against Lancashire after being slow-handclapped. Waite's pugnacity as a batsman, the strength of his character and his skill with the gloves meant that he displaced first-choice keeper Russell Endean and played in the first four Tests of the series. Waite was chosen as Endean's understudy once more for the 1952-53 tour of Australia, but again rose quickly to the top forcing Endean to reinvent himself, successfully, as a specialist batsman. Most of Waite's long list of national records have now been surpassed by Dave Richardson and Mark Boucher, although he still holds, with Boucher, the record for the most dismissals in a five-Test series - 26.
Neil Manthorp

John Waite Career Stats

Batting & Fielding

FormatMatInnsNORunsHSAve100s50s6sCtSt
Tests50867240513430.44416112417
FC19931434981221935.042345-42784

Bowling

FormatMatInnsBallsRunsWktsBBIBBMAveEconSR4w5w10w
Tests50------------
FC199-2080---2.40-000
John Henry Bickford Waite

Explore Statsguru Analysis

Test

Debut/Last Matches of John Waite

Recent Matches of John Waite

MatchBatWktDateGroundFormat
South Africa vs England62c/0s & 1c/0s12-Feb-1965GqeberhaTest # 578
South Africa vs England642c/0s & 0c/0s22-Jan-1965JohannesburgTest # 575
South Africa vs New Zealand28 & 41--13-Mar-1964AucklandTest # 560
South Africa vs New Zealand41c/0s & 0c/0s28-Feb-1964DunedinTest # 559
South Africa vs New Zealand300c/0s & 0c/0s21-Feb-1964WellingtonTest # 558

Photos of John Waite

John Waite keeps wicket for South Africa against England
Peter Walker of the MCC is stumped by John Waite
The 1951 South African tour party to England