Jimmy Sinclair

Biography

Jimmy Sinclair was one of South Africa’s great all-round sportsmen. Born in Swellendam on 16 October 1876, he played as a forward for Transvaal and won a rugby cap in the 10–10 draw with the British Isles in Johannesburg in 1903. He was versatile enough to play anywhere in the scrum.

He was even better known as a cricketer. He scored South Africa’s first Test century, against England at Newlands in 1899, and played 25 cricket Tests between 1896 and 1911 as a hard-hitting batsman and leg-spinner. He died on 23 February 1913, aged 36.