Northern Cape Cricket and the sporting community of Kimberley mourned the passing of one of its favourite sons Cecil Jacobs on 4 August.
Jacobs was an attacking right-handed batsman who had gone through all the ranks as a youngster to finally represent the South African Coloured Cricket Association National Team in 1967.
In this team he was joined by Abe Williams, Roland Kader (vice-captain) and Tommy Gertze from Kimberley.
He played most of his club cricket for the Kimberley Wanderers and represented Griqualand West at provincial level.
Jacobs was also an English teacher at the William Pescod High School and later an English lecturer at the Perseverance Training College where he had a huge influence on an academic level on students from all over South Africa. He played numerous rugby games for the Griqualand West Rugby Union with the likes of A.R. Abass, Bunny Hermanus, Jackie Lewis, Tommy Musson, Miley Barnes and many other iconic Northern Cape sportsmen of that golden era.
Rihan Richards, chairperson of Northern Cape Cricket, says Jacobs was an exceptional sportsman and an astute educator.
“It was a privilege for me when I joined Max Jordaan of Cricket South Africa to hand over his Heritage Blazer to him in 2016. Cricket gave recognition to a truly versatile sportsman who sacrificed so much towards non-racial sport in the country. Had the playing fields being levelled, he might have achieved so much more.”
Richards says Jacobs will be missed by all whose lives he impacted.
