Christopher Peter Wilkins (31 July 1944 – 1 October 2018) was a South African

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

er who played for

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from 1962/63 to 1970/71, for

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, from 1970 to 1972, for Eastern Province from 1972/73 to 1977/78 and for Natal from 1978/79 to 1982/83.

Biography

Wilkins was born at King William's Town, Eastern Cape, South Africa. His cricketing career started with Border in 1962, when he represented them for the first time in the season's

Currie Cup The Currie Cup is South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, played each winter and spring (June to October), featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces. Although it is the premier ...

tournament. He was the South African Cricket Annual Cricketer of the Year in 1966. He continued playing for Border through to the 1969/70 season, and represented them for the last time when visited by the travelling

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in February 1970. In 1970, Wilkins moved to England, making his debut for Derbyshire in May against

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. Wilkins spent October to February in his homeland before moving back to England to play for Derbyshire again in the 1971 season, though he stayed in England over the winter and was a first-team choice once again in the 1972 season. At the end of the 1972 season, Wilkins moved back to South Africa, but this time played for Eastern Province, having agreed a deal with Border to play for them. Eastern Province over the next few years had slightly better fortunes in their half of the Currie Cup draw than Border in theirs. He did not appear for an English county side again. Wilkins continued to play in South Africa for Natal from 1978 to 1984. Wilkins was a right-handed batsman and played 357 innings in 198 matches with an average of 32.63 and a top score of 156. He also played 91 innings in 91 one-day matches. He was a right-arm medium-pace bowler and took 142 first-class wickets at an average of 35.50 and a best performance of 4 for 19. In the one-day game he took 80 wickets with a best performance of 5 for 40. He was also an occasional wicket-keeper. Wilkins' brother

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and uncle

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also played first-class cricket in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

, Andrew also appearing for Border at the same time as his brother's early career was taking off.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilkins, Chris 1944 births 2018 deaths South African cricketers Border cricketers Derbyshire cricketers KwaZulu-Natal cricketers Eastern Province cricketers Cricketers from Qonce White South African people