Don Bradman, Col Egar linked in claims over conspiracy set up in Adelaide for noballing of Ian Meckiff in 1963

Ian Meckiff (bottom right) bowling during the first Test against South Africa in Brisbane in 1963 when he no balled four times in his first over for throwing by South Australian umpire Col Egar (top right).
Main image by Clive MacKinnon, courtesy The Age

Don Bradman and Col Egar were two Adelaide figures linked in one of Australian cricket's most controversial cricket episodes: the noballing of fast baller Ian Meckiff for a throwing action, during the Test match against South Africa at the Gabba ground in Brisbane in 1963.

Egar was the umpire who no balled Meckiff and Bradman was Australian cricket supremo as head of the cricket board and Test team selectors. Bradman had concluded during the 1962-63 season that “chucking” was still the most urgent issue afflicting cricket, largely influenced by his exchanges with English administrators, including his former opponent “Gubby” Allen and Marylebone Cricket Club’s president Harry Altham. They were anxious about the 1963-64 Ashes tour in England and what they saw to be illegal Australian bowling actions, with Meckiff and Gordon Rorke in the spotlight.

Before the summer, Bradman lectured umpires in South Australia about illegal bowling actions. Egar, who was the most senior umpire there, had started his umpiring in forthright style in Australian rules football before switching to Adelaide district cricket where he noballed bowlers eight times. Before being selected to make his Test debut against the West Indies, with some notoriety, in 1961, he made his first throwing call against a bowler at first-class level in a match against Victoria.

Bradman also had a private audience at his Kensington home in Adelaide for cricketers including Australia’s skipper Richie Benaud about the illegal bowling action issue, in January of the summer preceding 1963-64, during the Adelaide Test match against England. Meckiff also dined at Bradman’s home and been shown film footage of bowling actions, including Harold Larwood's reverse to look like a left armer. But Meckiff said Bradman never anything about changing his action.

Bradman and Egar shared part of the journey from Adelaide to Brisbane for the first Test of the 1963-64 series – a point for later conspiracy claims. Meckiff had been picked for the match with a hostile reaction in England where he’d been unequivocally called a thrower. The Australian media speculated that the Meckiff was being chosen so that he could be noballed as a public relations effort to promote Australia's anti-throwing credentials.

Adding to the drama, Egar and Meckiff were close friends. But, in the first over of the Test, Egar ­– standing at square leg – called Meckiff for throwing four times. Benaud immediately removed Meckiff from the bowling attack and didn’t recall him for the rest of what became his final Test match. A shocked Meckiff was told by Bradman on the Test’s rest day that his career was over. Egar always denied any conspiracy or setup had occurred or that he agreed to a premeditated move against Meckiff.

After later leaving umpiring, Egar rose to be on the boards of the South Australian Cricket Association, the Australian Cricket Board, and ultimately chairman from 1989 to 1992. He had been team manager on the controversial tour of Pakistan in 1988, where Egar was as much a participant in the ill feeling about umpiring decisions as any of the players.