Vintcent van der Bijl

Who is Vintcent van der Bijl?

Vintcent Adriaan Pieter van der Bijl, known as Vince or Pieter, was a South African cricketer. He was born in Rondebosch, Cape Town, where his father, Pieter van der Bijl, was headmaster of the Diocesan College Preparatory School after retiring from playing first-class cricket for Western Province and South Africa. His grandfather, V.A.W. van der Bijl, and great-uncle, Voltelin van der Bijl, also played first-class cricket for Western Province.

He was educated at the Diocesan College Rondebosch, where he not only excelled at cricket, but, owing to his size and strength, was a useful rugby union player and outstanding shot putter and at the University of Natal. While at university he came under the influence of Trevor Goddard. After graduating, he became a teacher at Maritzburg College in Pietermaritzburg and played first-class cricket as an amateur for Natal from 1968/69 to 1979/80. He was South African Cricket Annual Cricketer of the Year in 1971. He was appointed captain of Natal in 1976/7 in which year the team won the Currie Cup and Datsun Shield.

He gave up teaching in 1979 and went to work for Wiggins Teape, but he was given leave to play for Middlesex in 1980.