NEW DELHI: Ron Draper, the oldest living Test cricketer, passed away at 98 years and 63 days in Gqeberha, as confirmed by his family on Friday.
Draper played two Test matches for South Africa against Australia in 1950 as a top-order batsman and occasional wicketkeeper.
Australian Neil Harvey, aged 96, now holds the distinction of being the oldest living Test player.
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South Africa previously had two oldest Test cricketers – Norman Gordon, who lived to 103 before passing in 2016, and John Watkins, who died at 98 in 2021.
Draper, born on December 24, 1926, marked his first-class debut with a century for Eastern Province against Orange Free State on his 19th birthday.
His selection for the national team came after scoring 86 runs against touring Australians in 1949/50. However, he managed only 25 runs in three innings during his Test career.
In contrast, Harvey, then 21, scored centuries in both matches.
Draper continued his first-class cricket career until 1959-60, maintaining a solid average of 41.64.
He achieved a remarkable feat in the 1952-53 season by scoring a century before lunch on the opening day of his first two matches.
Draper passed away on Tuesday at a retirement home in Gqeberha, with his son-in-law Neil Thomson confirming the news on Friday.
