Lives in Cricket No 32 - Eric Rowan

100 The injuries were severe. Eric had suffered second and third degree burns to fifty percent of his body. In addition his skull was fractured in two places. Eric’s son believes the most likely explanation is that his father was on the top level of the baths when he slipped and fell down the wet stairs, ending next to the outlet pipe. Others put a more sinister twist to the event, believing he may have been attacked. Eric certainly knew the less desirable elements involved in the racing industry. Di remembered her father being very incoherent and confused when he first regained consciousness, mumbling about racing hoodlums and a lot of money. However, she was more concerned about her father’s recovery and never bothered to pursue the matter with the police. Years later Di remains unsure, especially after a chance meeting. ‘A leading lady racehorse trainer who had previously been shot at her stables approached me at a race meeting in Germiston. I had not been back to the races for many years. It was a pastime I really enjoyed with my father and had been going with him since I was a young girl. She asked if I was Eric’s daughter and then her following words were, “Whoever tried to kill me tried to kill your father.” According to her my dad had very important information regarding racing irregularities and that he, as chairman of the club, was due to give evidence at a meeting at the end of that August and that he just knew too much and would not hold back as was his nature! For me this too is very possible!’ Accident or crime, it remains unresolved. Most expected Eric to die, but they did not take into account his incredible toughness, and a courage that exceeded anything he had shown in dealing with the world’s fastest bowlers. He survived, enduring several operations for skin grafts, and it was discovered that his eyesight had also been damaged. In spite of many operations, the damage was too extreme and his sight remained significantly impaired. After months in hospital it was obvious he would no longer be able to look after himself and he went to live with his daughter and her family in their Bedfordview home. The final decade of Eric’s life proved difficult. His damaged eyesight meant that he could no longer drive, and his loss of confidence after the removal of his independence was sad to see. His frustration made him difficult to live with. One of Di’s regrets is that her son Rowan has only these memories of his grandfather, never having had the A Life Beyond Play