Ian Meckiff
Ian Meckiff played 18 Test matches for Australia between 1957 and 1963. He was the batsman run out by Joe Solomon in 1960, causing the first Tied Test in cricket history. He had an unusual bent-arm action which involved a flick of the wrist. He took 200 wickets at a bowling average of only 4. 50 during his career. He died in a car crash in Melbourne in 1998.
About Ian Meckiff in brief
Ian Meckiff is a former Australian cricketer. He played 18 Test matches for Australia between 1957 and 1963. He was the batsman run out by Joe Solomon in 1960, causing the first Tied Test in cricket history. In 1963, he was called for throwing in the First Test against South Africa by Australian umpire Col Egar. He retired from all cricket at the end of the match. He had an unusual bent-arm action which involved a flick of the wrist. He took 200 wickets at a bowling average of only 4. 50 during his career with Mentone Cricket Club in the Federal District Cricket Association. He also played for South Melbourne Cricket Club, making his first-class debut for Victoria in 1956–57. His career was interrupted by requests from the military authorities for him to bowl as he could not bowl without the help of a teammate, so a teammate could bowl as well. He died in a car crash in Melbourne in 1998. He is survived by his wife and two children. He has a son and a daughter. He started his career as a spin bowler, but switched to fast bowling in 1951–52 when he started playing district cricket in Victorian Premier Cricket South Melbourne. At the time, Australia lacked fast bowlers of great pace, so he was advised to bowl without great pace. He reached his peak in the Second Test of the 1958–59 season against England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, taking 638 in the second innings as England were dismissed for 87, setting up an Australian victory. His achievement was engulfed by controversy, as English media and former players accused him of throwing Australia to victory.
The controversy over Meckiffs’ action persisted as throwing was in the spotlight in England, where it was regarded as a growing problem. The issue prompted numerous international discussions and meetings on amending the throwing law and the interpretation thereof. In 1961, he suffered multiple injuries in the preceding Australian summer and was omitted from the team to tour England, but was recalled by selectors to play in the Tests against South South Africa in 1963–64. The Victorian’s recall had occurred despite his being no-balled in two separate Sheffield Shield matches in the previous season. In his first over of the Test, Mecksiff was no- balled four times by umpire Egar, and Australian captain Richie Benaud chose to not bowl his paceman again. He later played in the Fourth XI for South Australia in the 1964 Australian Cricket World Cup. He won the Australian ODI title in 1966. He went on to play for Victoria and South Australia before retiring from cricket in 1968. He currently lives in Melbourne with his wife, Susan, and their two children, and their granddaughter, Sophie, and their niece, Kirsty, Tory, Beverley, Jill, Cameron, Elliott, Gareth, Lloyd, Mackenzie, Roxanne, David, Paul, Michael, James, Ian, Peter, Derek, Alfred, Robert, John, Stephen, Alan and Bryan, and Sally, Preston, Adam, Wade, Timothy, Holland.
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This page is based on the article Ian Meckiff published in Wikipedia (as of Nov. 03, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
