18 Facts About Geoff Griffin

Geoffrey Merton Griffin was a Test cricketer who toured England with the South African cricket team in 1960, appearing in two Test matches.

Geoff Griffin was born in Graytown, Natal, on 12 June 1939.

Geoff Griffin received his education at Durban High School, where he excelled at many sports: cricket, athletics, and Rugby football.

Geoff Griffin was duly selected, at 20 the team's youngest player.

Geoff Griffin took three wickets in his side's easy victory.

Langridge was one of the umpires, but the match passed without official incident, Geoff Griffin taking two wickets in each of England's innings in a game comprehensively lost by the tourists.

In three successive balls, Geoff Griffin had Mike Smith caught behind for 99, Peter Walker bowled for 52, and Fred Trueman bowled for 0, to record the first-ever hat-trick in a Test at Lords.

Bowling at half-pace from a shortened run, Geoff Griffin was no-balled by Buller for throwing on four occasions.

Geoff Griffin was allowed to finish the over by bowling underarm, but was then pedantically no-balled again by Lee, standing at square leg, for failing to notify him of the change of action.

Geoff Griffin remained with the team, and played in a number of subsequent matches as a specialist batsman, generally in the lower order, but on a couple of occasions as an opener.

Geoff Griffin was praised in The Cricketer magazine for "the superb manner in which he has taken [his] misfortune".

Geoff Griffin returned to South Africa, and attempted to revive his cricket career there.

Geoff Griffin continued his involvement with the game at club level and as a coach, while pursuing a new career in hotel management.

Geoff Griffin died on 16 November 2006 at the age of 67, after collapsing while attending a dinner held at his old school, Durban High.

Not everyone was convinced that Geoff Griffin threw rather than bowled the ball.

Against this, the South African commentator Charles Fortune was convinced that Geoff Griffin threw, as were his team-mates Waite and Adcock.

Some believed that Geoff Griffin had been deliberately scapegoated, as part of a conspiracy to ensure that Australia's suspect bowlers were excluded from the forthcoming 1961 tour of England.

Geoff Griffin then retired from all forms of the game.