- Ask Steven
A cricket and rugby double over Australia
John Griffiths
August 25, 2013
Roy McLean in action during South Africa's 1960 tour of England © Getty Images
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Who was the South African who scored winning cricket runs and rugby points against Australia in the same year? asked D Smith
Roy McLean of Natal performed this unusual feat in 1953.
In the final Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in February 1953 he contributed a swashbuckling 76 not out to a match-winning stand of 106 with Headley Keith that enabled South Africa to share their series with Australia 2-all.
Then, in June, in the opening rugby match of the tour of South Africa made by John Solomon's Wallabies he dropped the winning goal to provide Natal with a 15-14 victory.
He never played in a rugby Test for the Springboks, giving up the game soon after his annus mirabilis in order to concentrate on his cricket career.
