Northamptonshire CCC is sad to note the death of former County and South Africa all-rounder David Pithey.

The batsman/off-spinner passed away recently aged 81.

Born in Zimbabwe – then Rhodesia – Pithey made three Championship appearances for Northamptonshire in 1962, one of the last amateurs to represent the club before the distinction was abolished the following winter.

An Oxford blue, he turned out in the last ‘Gentlemen versus Players’ match at Lord’s in July 1962 – and subsequently played for the County against Glamorgan, Warwickshire and Lancashire.

His figures with bat and ball in those games were modest – but at the end of 1963 he won the first of his eight Test caps for South Africa, selected for the tour of Australia and New Zealand along with his elder brother Tony.

In all first-class cricket he scored 3,430 runs in 99 matches with a highest score of 166 for Rhodesia against North-East Transvaal, and claimed 240 wickets including 7-47 for Oxford against the touring Australians in 1961.

NCCC offers sincere condolences to David Pithey’s family and friends.