D’Oliveira honoured at Middleton Cricket Club

Basil D'Oliveira plaque

A plaque has been unveiled at Middleton Cricket Club in honour of a giant of the game who also became an icon of the anti-apartheid movement.

South African born Basil D’Oliveira, who died last year, represented the club between 1960 and 1963.

As a non-white, opportunities in his homeland had been severely restricted but he relished his opportunity at Middleton before going on to play with great success for Worcestershire and his adopted country England.

Controversy erupted in 1968 when the South African Government banned him from touring the country with England.

The furore that followed resulted in South Africa’s sporting isolation, an act which played an important part in the eventual downfall of the apartheid regime.

D’Oliveira's wife, Naomi, and son, Shaun, were guests of honour at a special ceremony where Mayor, Councillor Alan Godson, unveiled both the plaque and the board.

Other guests at the event included the Mayoress, Gillian Brown; Jim Dobbin MP; Councillor Colin Lambert, Leader of Rochdale Borough Council; Councillor Peter Williams, Deputy Leader of Rochdale Borough Council; Councillor Neil Emmott, Chair of Middleton Township Committee; Roger Whitworth, Chairman of Middleton Cricket Club; Alan Wright, Secretary of the Central Lancashire Cricket League; Neville Fletcher, Chairman of the Central Lancashire Cricket League and Tom Williams, also of the Central Lancashire Cricket League.

Councillor Neil Emmott said: “Basil D’Oliveira was a wonderful man who achieved great things both on and off the field.

“Everyone in the town is very proud of Middleton’s links with Basil and I am delighted that we have been able to honour him in this way.”

Roger Whitworth said: “Basil was always totally committed to the team. He learned to adapt to the conditions here which were very different to the ones he was used to in South Africa and made a huge contribution during his time with us.

“On a personal level he was a true gentleman and showed the qualities of decency and integrity which were to help inspire so many people in the struggle against apartheid.”