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Obituaries index: T-Z

A-E - F-J - K-O - P-S - T-Z

Tamim Bashir, who died of cerebral malaria on June 18, 2004, aged 19, was a promising left-arm spinner who had already played 15 first-class matches for Bangladesh's Khulna Division. He had been training with the Bangladesh highperformance unit, and his father criticised the coaching staff there after his death, claiming they had forced his son to keep training even though he was feeling ill. This was denied by Richard McInnes, the Bangladesh Under-19 coach, who said he only knew Tamim was ill when he was in hospital. Tamim Bashir, who was nicknamed "Tushar", took 44 wickets at 24.52, and was also a handy batsman, being stranded on 98 not out against Chittagong at Jessore in January 2004. His best bowling, six for 41, came against Dhaka at Jessore in 2001-02, when he was only 16.

Tresidder, Pjillip Lyle, died on October 19, 2003, aged 75. Phil Tresidder was one of Australia's most prominent sports writers. In the 1960s he covered cricket extensively for Sydney newspapers, but was later more identified with golf. His passion was the Randwick Cricket Club, where he was a member for more than 60 years.

Turner, Alfred Louis, died on April 29, 2004, aged 82. Alf Turner umpired six first-class matches in Otago, and also stood in two games in the women's World Cup in New Zealand in 1981-82. But his main claim to fame was as father of Glenn Turner, the leading New Zealand batsman of the 1970s and later the national coach. Another son, Brian, played international hockey, and became a well-known writer and poet, while the youngest, Greg, was a well-known golfer. Asked once what he himself was good at, Turner indicated his children and said: "I would have thought that was fairly obvious."

Uluiviti, Nacanieli Mataika, died in Fiji on May 6, 2004, shortly before his 72nd birthday. A big-hitting batsman who once smote a 35-minute century in a minor game, Nat Uluiviti appeared in eight first-class matches, the first four on Fiji's tour of New Zealand in 1953-54. He went to university in New Zealand, and played four matches the following season for Auckland, hitting 48 not out in his first match for them, at Wellington. Back in Fiji, he was called up for the national rugby side and scored 59 points from full-back on their tour of New Zealand in 1957, including six conversions in a famous victory over the Maori All-Blacks.

Vigar, Frank Henry, who died on May 31, 2004, aged 86, was a tall, Somerset-born leg-spinner who turned into one of Essex's most reliable batsmen in the decade after the war. Vigar's batting came to the fore when he went in as night-watchman against Gloucestershire at Westcliff, and scored 121 the next day after Jack O'Connor, the man he had been promoted to protect, was out for a duck. When cricket resumed after the war, he was a regular and made 1,735 runs in the golden summer of 1947, with five hundreds. One of those came in an extraordinary match at Chesterfield, when Essex were up against it - 104 for seven, then 199 for nine when last man Peter Smith came in to join Vigar, who was just past his half-century. Vigar tried to protect Smith at first but then, noticing how well he was playing, let him have his head. The result was that Smith clattered 163 - the highest score by a No. 11 in first-class cricket - and, with Vigar making 114 not out in five hours, the last pair put on 218, to set up an unlikely fivewicket victory. Trevor Bailey remembered him as: "a very unusual mix - a very sound batsman, solid and stubborn, and a useful leg-spinner." But Essex had a better leggie in Smith, so Vigar rarely got the most helpful end. His highest score of 145 also came in 1947 - oddly, in the only one of his 257 first-class matches that wasn't for Essex: he was playing for a combined Middlesex and Essex XI against Surrey/Kent in a festival match at Kingston-upon-Thames. Vigar also took 64 wickets in 1947, but both his batting and bowling fell away later, and he was released in 1954.

Walter, Kenneth Alexander, died on September 13, 2003, aged 63. Ken Walter was a fast bowler from Transvaal who played two Tests for South Africa, both against New Zealand in 1961-62. Walter, a notable dragger of the back foot through the bowling crease, had come to prominence the previous season, claiming 44 wickets at 15, and in the first innings of his Test debut, he took four for 63. But Walter managed only one wicket in his second Test, and was dropped.

West, Gordon Harry Sinclair, who died in December 2002, aged 79, was an opener who played two matches for Essex, in 1949 and 1953.

White, Edmund, who died in February 2004, aged 76, was a right-hand bat who played a match for Northamptonshire in each of the three seasons after the war.

Wight, George Leslie, died in Toronto on January 4, 2004, aged 74. Leslie Wight was a member of a famous cricketing family from British Guiana (now Guyana): three of his brothers also played first-class cricket, and one, Peter, had a long career in England, firstly with Somerset and then as an umpire. Leslie's most famous innings came when he batted nearly 12 hours to amass 262 not out for British Guiana against Barbados at Georgetown in 1951-52, putting on 390 with Glendon Gibbs, who also made a double-century. The stand remained a West Indian first-wicket record for 49 years. Wight was on the field throughout that match, which British Guiana won by an innings, and early in 1953 he was called up for the Fourth Test against India at Georgetown. He batted as slowly as he did against Barbados, but less effectively: his first dozen runs took two hours, and he was out for 21. Although he helped Clyde Walcott put on 71, he was never selected again. But his first-class average remained outstanding: 1,260 runs at 66.31.

Wilmot, Anthony Lorraine, shot himself on his farm near Grahamstown, South Africa, on February 29, 2004. He was 60, and was facing a jail term after being convicted of raping a 13-year-old girl. Lorrie Wilmot was a powerful batsman whose first-class career lasted 28 years - from his debut at 17 for Eastern Province in January 1961, via a couple of short-lived retirements, to his final match for Border in March 1989, when he was almost 46. There were early signs of the big-hitting that was to become his trademark: when New Zealand toured in 1961-62, Wilmot blasted the off-spinner Jack Sparling for a six at Port Elizabeth that carried about 120 yards, bouncing on top of the 60ft-high stand beyond mid-wicket, and vanishing into the pine trees. Wilmot put on 136 that day with his old school-mate Graeme Pollock, who was a year younger at 17. They were to share many a rip-roaring stand for Eastern Province, several notable for tragicomic running between the wickets. The largest was a partnership of 338 against Natal at Port Elizabeth in January 1976, when they came together at 15 for four. Pollock scored 194 and Wilmot 152. At Salisbury in 1965-66 Wilmot reined in his attacking instincts and grafted to 222 not out, the first of his two double-centuries. It was not the last time he annoyed Rhodesia. In 1972- 73, by then Eastern Province's captain, he led his team off the field at Bulawayo when Rhodesia - with Mike Procter in full flight - were six short of the victory that would probably have given them their only Currie Cup title. Wilmot argued that the compulsory last 20 overs had already been bowled, and refused to resume. At first the match was forfeited, but then the South African authorities ruled that it should be considered a draw. Wilmot never played an official Test, but in 1975-76, to mark his 100th firstclass match, he was made captain of a Board President's XI that took on a strong International Wanderers side skippered by Greg Chappell. Wilmot's explosive hitting would have made him a natural for one-day cricket, which was in its infancy in South Africa when he was at his peak. In the South African Gillette Cup final at the Wanderers in 1972-73 he landed another famous blow, smashing Eddie Barlow into the nearby golf course. The Eastern Province Herald summed him up: "He plundered runs off the bowlers the way the old Caribbean pirates sacked a town." His last years were shadowed by the case against him, which dated back to 1998, and he was on bail pending an appeal against his seven-year sentence. His counsel had argued that Wilmot, who was divorced, had lost "everything" during the trial, including the farm which had been in the family for many years.

Wilson, Lt-Gen Sir James Alexander KBE, MC, died on December 17, 2004, aged 84. Jim Wilson was an effective all-rounder for Winchester immediately before the war and also played for Oxford in wartime matches, including the 1940 12-a-side game when they beat the British Empire by ten wickets. During a long military career he commanded the UN force in Cyprus, and rose to be GOC South-East District, but he was best-known for combining this with a sideline as a football reporter: he covered matches for the Sunday Times for 33 years.

Wilson, Owen Neville, who died on January 26, 2004, aged 77, kept wicket in six matches for Orange Free State in 1958-59 and 1959-60.

Wilson, Richard, died on December 3, 2004, aged 90. Dick Wilson was a member of the Wrea Green club, near Preston, for 75 years, 20 as captain of the First XI. He was brought up in his father's pub, next to the village green, and first played for their colts side in 1922. More recently he was Wrea Green's chairman, then president, and had been hoping to take part in their centenary celebrations in 2005.

Wolton, Michael John, died on March 20, 2004, after being knocked down by a car on his way to work at Lord's the day before. He was 39, the father of twins, and had been personal assistant to the curator in the MCC library for more than seven years. Always helpful to researchers, and less serious browsers, he took a particular interest in MCC's revamped publishing programme, helping to promote the books by arranging for signing sessions at big matches. An MCC member who was a regular on the real-tennis court, he was also the secretary of London's Britain-Australia Society. Journalist Murray Hedgcock, a regular at the library, said: "I know 'nice' is seen as a silly word these days, but he was a genuinely nice bloke."

Woollett, Anthony Frank, died on January 26, 2004, aged 76. Tony Woollett was a left-hand batsman who joined Kent in 1950. He played 44 matches for them over the next five seasons, without ever quite establishing himself, and without ever quite scoring a century, although he did make 96 against Yorkshire at Dover in 1953 - his best season. After leaving Kent he played and coached at the Wokingham club in Berkshire for more than 40 years.

Wrede, Neil Albert, who died on May 8, 2004, aged 61, was an accurate left-arm spinner who played 13 matches for Border in the 1960s, taking 38 wickets at 27.52. He was rarely collared, and his best figures were four for 61 against Natal B at Pietermaritzburg in 1967-68, when his victims included the future Test umpire Dave Orchard.

Younger, Alan Christopher Wyrill, who died in May 2004, aged 71, was in the same Alleyn's School side as Micky Stewart, and was described in Wisden 1952 as "a useful off-spinner and sound opening batsman". He became one of the most famous stained-glass artists in Britain, and was responsible for work at several cathedrals, including Westminster Abbey, where he designed a window in the Henry VII Chapel.

© John Wisden & Co