About Eddie Barlow
Edgar John Barlow (12 August 1940 – 30 December 2005) was a South African cricketer (an all rounder). Barlow was born in Pretoria, Transvaal, South Africa, and played first-class cricket for Transvaal and Eastern Province from 1959–60 to 1967–68 before moving to Western Province for the seasons from 1968–69 to 1980–81. During this time he also played three seasons with Derbyshire in the English County Championship from 1976 – 1978. He completed his first-class career in Boland in 1982–83. Barlow was named as one of the six South African Cricket Annual players of the year in 1962. The bespectacled Barlow was both a popular and easily recognisable figure in South African cricket from the 1960s onwards. A prodigious run-maker and frequent wicket-taker, he was one of the leading all-rounders on the world stage in the 1960s. According to Louis Duffus, Barlow "did more than anyone else to break down the timid defensive tactics which for so many years kept South Africa a second-rate cricket country". He was nicknamed "Bunter" because of his supposed resemblance to Billy Bunter. A stand at Newlands Cricket Ground was to have been named after Barlow but due to opposition from some of the voting clubs it has been "put on hold". He made his first-class debut for Transvaal B against Griqualand West in 1959–60, scoring 72 batting at number four and not bowling. He hit his first century that season, 110 not out against North-Eastern Transvaal in the final match of the season, a match in which he also took five wickets.
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