Lives in Cricket No 32 - Eric Rowan

45 Others, like ‘Dooley’ Briscoe, paid the ultimate sacrifice, including ‘Chud’ Langton, Eric’s comrade from the 1935 tour and many other contests. He joined the South African Air Force, and made his final appearance against Western Province in January 1942 in the only provincial match staged between 1940 and 1945. He scored 50 and 39, and took four wickets. Before the year was out he was killed on active service, when the Ventura aircraft he was piloting crashed about one mile from Maiduguri in Nigeria in West Africa, and not near Accra, Ghana, as a number of references state. By the time the summer of 1945/46 came around the War was over and first-class cricket was back on the agenda. Eric had moved to Eastern Province and represented them in five matches, although it is not known why he made the move. He was appointed to lead the side and began with a ten-wicket victory over Orange Free State, then scored 284 against Griqualand West at Port Elizabeth. Given his long break from the first-class game a return of 470 runs at 67.14 was a good effort, but one must remember that many of them came in one innings. The 1946/47 season was to be followed by an England tour. At the outset Eric, now back with Transvaal, must have been considered a likely candidate for selection, given his experience and his success in England on the famous 1935 tour. However, the selectors saw it differently and left him out of the side. In a later interview Eric was asked if he was disappointed. ‘Disappointed? I was bloody Lost Years Off-spinner Athol Rowan, Eric’s youngest brother, toured England in 1947, but the home series against England in 1948/49 was the first time the brothers had played together in a Test. [Bassano Collection]