Henry Taberer

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = Henry Taberer

| image = Henry Taberer of South Africa.jpg

| fullname = Henry Melville Taberer

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1870|10|7|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Keiskammahoek, Cape Colony

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1932|6|5|1870|10|7|df=yes}}

| death_place = Colesberg, Cape Province, South Africa

| batting = Right-handed

| bowling = Right-arm fast

| columns = 2

| column1 = Test

| matches1 = 1

| runs1 = 2

| bat avg1 = 2.00

| 100s/50s1 = 0/0

| top score1 = 2

| deliveries1 = 60

| wickets1 = 1

| bowl avg1 = 48.00

| fivefor1 = 0

| tenfor1 = 0

| best bowling1 = 1/25

| catches/stumpings1= 0/–

| column2 = First-class

| matches2 = 11

| runs2 = 222

| bat avg2 = 13.05

| 100s/50s2 = 0/0

| top score2 = 47*

| deliveries2 = 960

| wickets2 = 22

| bowl avg2 = 20.27

| fivefor2 = 0

| tenfor2 = 0

| best bowling2 = 4/14

| catches/stumpings2= 5/–

| international = true

| country = South Africa

| testdebutdate = 11 October

| testdebutyear = 1902

| testdebutagainst = Australia

| onetest = true

| source = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/0/265/265.html CricketArchive

}}

Henry Melville Taberer (7 October 1870 – 5 June 1932) was a South African cricketer who played in one Test match in 1902, when he captained South Africa.{{Cite web |title=Player Profile: Henry Taberer |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/0/265/265.html |access-date=23 February 2014 |publisher=www.cricketarchive.com}} He was the son of the Revd C. Taberer and was born at a mission station in Keiskammahoek, Cape Colony.

Career

Taberer attended St. Andrew's College, Grahamstown, from January 1883 to June 1892. He played in St. Andrew's cricket XI and rugby XV. At Keble College, Oxford, he attained a B.A. (Hon) in Theology.{{sfn|Laurie|1914|p=185}} His brother was Bill Taberer, an international rugby player.

Taberer represented Oxford University in 1891 and 1892 but did not gain a Blue, which is awarded to those selected for the annual intervarsity match against Cambridge at Lord's. The South African Review remarked that "favouritism of the grossest kind robbed [Taberer] forever of the great, trebly great, honour of a triple blue". He appeared for Oxford against Cambridge in both athletics (long jump) and rugby union.{{Cite news |date=23 June 1932 |title=Obituaries: Mr H. M. Taberer |page=14 |work=The Times |issue=46167 |location=London}} He played for Essex in 1892 and 1893, before the county achieved first-class status.

Taberer had an intermittent cricket career in South Africa, appearing for Natal, Transvaal and Rhodesia. On his one Test appearance he captained the side, but he scored only two runs and took just one wicket, that of Victor Trumper. The match was his last first-class cricket appearance, with a gap of more than seven years to his previous first-class appearance.{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/ask-steven-how-many-bowlers-have-over-1000-international-wickets-1249737 |title=How many bowlers have over 1000 international wickets? |work=ESPN Cricinfo |access-date=2 February 2021}} He was later prominent in South African cricket administration.

=Career in colonial administration=

Taberer was born on a mission station and was a fluent speaker of the languages used by the local population: he claimed to speak them more fluently than he did English. He was able to use this talent effectively when he became manager of the South African government's Native Labour Bureau and adviser to the Native Recruiting Corporation for the Chamber of Mines at a time of increasing industrial unrest. It has been suggested that because of Taberer's role "it was no surprise, therefore, that the NRC also sponsored the new Native Recruitment Cup played for by provincial African cricket teams, once the earlier 'Barnato' competition, which had included cricketers of all ethnic groups, had folded."{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1050448400 |title=Cricket and society in South Africa, 1910-1971 : from union to isolation |others=Murray, Bruce K., Parry, Richard, 1956-, Winch, Jonty. |date=September 2018 |isbn=978-3-319-93608-6 |location=Cham, Switzerland |oclc=1050448400}}

Taberer was the Secretary for Zululand in 1894, an acting magistrate in Eshowe, Zululand, in 1895. From April 1896 to 1900 he was Controller of Cattle in Southern Rhodesia from April 1896 to 1900; He was also the Chief Native Commissioner in Mashonaland in 1895. He was a captain in the Umtali Volunteer regiment and served through the Mashonaland rebellion (1896–97), he was twice mentioned in despatches.{{sfn|Laurie|1914|p=185}} He died at Colesberg, Cape Province in 1932.

References

{{Cite book |last=Laurie |first=K. W. J. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a4_yGwAACAAJ |title=Register of S. Andrew's College, Grahamstown, from 1855 to 1914 |publisher=Slater & Co. |year=1914 |location=Grahamstown }}

Category:1870 births

Category:1932 deaths

Category:People from Keiskammahoek

Category:South Africa Test cricketers

Category:South African cricketers

Category:KwaZulu-Natal cricketers

Category:Oxford University cricketers

Category:Oxford University RFC players

Category:South Africa Test cricket captains

Category:Alumni of St. Andrew's College, Grahamstown

Category:Alumni of Keble College, Oxford

Category:Essex cricketers