deliveries death_date columns catches/stumpings year birth_date tenfor bowling country death_place fivefor batting name lasttestyear fullname birth_place column international testdebutdate source date runs testdebutyear wickets lasttestdate s/s matches article_title
432 6581 16 november 2006 2 0 / - 19 / - 1960 12 june 1939 0 1 right-arm fast south african durban , kwazulu-natal , south africa 0 4 right-hand bat geoff griffin 1960 geoffrey merton griffin greytown , natal province , union of south africa tests first-class true 9 june http://www.cricketarchive.com/archive/players/1/1133/1133.html cricketarchive 1939 6 12 yes 25 895 1960 8 108 23 june 0/0 0/5 2 42 geoff griffin

geoff griffin

geoffrey merton `` geoff '' griffin -lrb- 12 june 1939 -- 16 november 2006 -rrb- was a cricketer who played two tests for south africa in 1960 .
in his second test appearance in 1960 at lord 's , he became the first -lrb- and , as of november 2014 , only -rrb- south african cricketer to take a hat-trick in a test match , and also the first and only cricketer to take a test hat-trick at lord 's .
he is best known for being no-balled for throwing in his second test and the exhibition match that followed , and he never played test cricket again .
griffin was born in greytown in the former natal province and was educated at durban high school .
he was tall and blond , and excelled in many sports , playing hockey for rhodesia and under-19s rugby for natal .
he was also natal champion in the high jump , long jump , triple jump and pole vault .
griffin suffered an accident in childhood which rendered him unable to straighten his right arm .
there was continuing controversy about bowlers `` throwing '' or `` chucking '' the ball -lrb- that is , flexing their elbow in the action of bowling the ball , which is contrary to the laws of cricket -rrb- .
the issue had been controversial since the editor of wisden , sydney pardon , claimed that australian fast bowler ernest jones was throwing in the tour of england in 1896 , and then jones and c. b. fry were both no-balled in the melbourne test in 1897 .
the issue achieved renewed prominence following the ashes series in australia in 1958 -- 59 , when australians ian meckiff and gordon rorke were suspected of throwing .
other fast bowlers , such as west indies ' charlie griffith and new zealand 's gary bartlett were also suspected .
the mcc was determined to stamp out the problem before the ashes series in england in 1961 , and english umpires were instructed to strictly enforce the rule against throwing in 1960 .
griffin made his first-class cricket debut for natal in the 1957 -- 58 south african domestic season , as a fast bowler .
despite being no-balled in south african provincial matches in the 1959 -- 60 season , griffin finished at the top of the averages , with 35 wickets at a bowling average of 12.23 , and was selected to tour england in 1960 , aged 20 .
griffin was no-balled 8 times during the tour match against the mcc at lord 's in may 1960 , the first time that a touring player was called for throwing , and no-balled again several times by various umpires in matches against the counties .
his tried to change his action at alf gover 's indoor school , and was not called once in the 42 overs that he bowled in the 1st test at edgbaston , although his pace was much reduced .
in the search for quicker deliveries , he fell back into his old faults , and was called in a tour match against hampshire .
english umpires frank lee and syd buller repeatedly called geoff griffin for throwing in the 2nd test , at lord 's , starting from his third over .
after being no-balled 5 times on the first day and 6 times on the second day , he returned for a final bowling spell on saturday 25 june and dismissed m. j. k. smith with the last ball of one over , caught behind by john waite for 99 , and then bowled peter walker and fred trueman with the first two balls of his next over .
this was the first test cricket hat-trick claimed by a south african cricketer .
england immediately declared their first innings for 362 with 8 wickets down .
england quickly dismissed south africa twice to win by an innings and 73 runs , just after lunch on the fourth day , monday 27 june , with brian statham taking 6 -- 62 and 5 -- 34 .
a 20-over exhibition match was arranged to fill the period until the scheduled presentation of the players to the queen at tea .
griffin was again repeatedly no-balled in the exhibition match for throwing , and was also no-balled for failing to notify the umpires that he was changing to bowl underarm to complete an over .
griffin later recounted that donald bradman came to the dressing room to console him , and let him know that the umpires were acting on order from mcc president gubby allen .
griffin remained on the tour as a batsman , but never played test cricket again .
many spectators could see no difference between his `` legitimate '' deliveries , and the ones that were no-balled : many concluded that he threw every delivery .
the public saw him as a martyr and scapegoat , and he was warmly applauded by the spectators at all of his subsequent tour matches .
none of the controversial australian bowlers from the 1958 -- 59 ashes series toured england in 1961 .
he moved to play for rhodesia , but his cricket career ended less than 2 years later , at the age of 23 , after he was no-balled playing in a currie cup match against north eastern transvaal at salisbury .
in retirement from cricket , he played club cricket , was as a cricket coach , and worked as a hotel manager for south african breweries in durban , at the argyll , and then at the congela hotel .
he married twice .
griffin died of a heart attack in durban .
