Peter van der Merwe, South African cricketer, dies

Peter Laurence van der Merwe was born on 14 March 1937 in Paarl, Cape Town. He began playing first-class cricket for South African Universities as a left-side spinner. Though he began as a bowler, over time his batting became better than his bowling leading him to become a dependable middle-order batsman. He captained South Africa in eight test matches and was the first Afrikaner cricketer to do so. After retirement, van der Merwe continued working in the cricket world as an administrator; becoming the first national convener of selectors and the first president of the Eastern Province Cricket Board (EPCB). He also served as an International Cricket Council (ICC) match referee for eight years. He died in Port Elizabeth on 23 January 2013. He was 75 years old and had been in poor health for a while.