Buster Nupen Explained

Buster Nupen
Fullname:Eiulf Peter Nupen
Birth Date:1902 1, df=yes
Birth Place:near Ålesund, Norway
Death Place:Johannesburg, South Africa
Batting:Right-handed
Bowling:Right-arm fast-medium
Role:Bowler
Club1:Transvaal
International:true
Country:South Africa
Testdebutagainst:Australia
Testdebutdate:5 November
Testdebutyear:1921
Lasttestdate:15 February
Lasttestagainst:Australia
Lasttestyear:1936
Columns:2
Column1:Test
Matches1:17
Runs1:348
Bat Avg1:14.50
100S/50S1:0/2
Top Score1:69
Deliveries1:4,159
Wickets1:50
Bowl Avg1:35.75
Fivefor1:5
Tenfor1:1
Best Bowling1:6/46
Catches/Stumpings1:9/–
Column2:First-class
Matches2:74
Runs2:1,635
Bat Avg2:17.96
100S/50S2:0/8
Top Score2:89
Deliveries2:14,210
Wickets2:334
Bowl Avg2:18.19
Fivefor2:33
Tenfor2:12
Best Bowling2:9/48
Catches/Stumpings2:34/–
Source:https://www.espncricinfo.com/southafrica/content/player/46594.html CricInfo
Date:17 November
Year:2020

Eiulf Peter "Buster" Nupen (1 January 1902 – 29 January 1977) was a cricketer who played in 17 Test matches for South Africa between 1921–22 and 1935–36.[1] He was born in Norway, lost an eye in a childhood accident, and was shot through both knees during the Rand Rebellion when he was 20.[2] [3]

A deadly force for Transvaal against lesser batsmen on matting wickets during the late 1920s – by which time his bowling on these wickets had been developed into a fine art – in 1930–31 Nupen was, owing to the absence of South Africa's former captain Nummy Deane due to poor form, chosen to captain the Test team against England. He did so with considerable skill and accomplished the best bowling of his Test career. He took 5 for 63 and 6 for 87 in the First Test to give South Africa victory by 28 runs,[4] and 3 for 148 and 6 for 46 in the drawn Fourth Test.[5] However, Nupen was thought so badly of on turf pitches that he was left out of the Third and Fifth Tests, the first two played on turf in South Africa. He achieved his best-ever domestic figures the following year with 43 wickets for 434 runs (including 9 for 48 and 7 for 88 in a match against Griqualand West).[6] In 28 Currie Cup matches for Transvaal he took 190 wickets at an average of 12.92, nine times taking 10 or more wickets in a match.[7]

He was educated at King Edward VII School (Johannesburg) and practised as an attorney in Johannesburg for 45 years.[7]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Buster Nupen . CricketArchive . 17 January 2012.
  2. Web site: Mayhem in Queenstown . ESPNcricinfo. 26 April 2018.
  3. Burnton, S., "Buster Nupen, cricket's great survivor who bewitched Hobbs and Hammond", The Guardian, 17 November 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  4. http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/13/13742.html South Africa v England, Johannesburg, 1930–31 (I)
  5. http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/13/13773.html South Africa v England, Johannesburg, 1930–31 (II)
  6. http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/14/14118.html Transvaal v Griqualand West, 1931–32
  7. Obituary, The Cricketer, April 1977, p. 69.