Tayfields family consisted of many cricketers, his uncle Sidney Martin played for Worcestershire, his two brothers Arthur and Cyril both played for Transvaal, so did his two cousins. Tayfield was an off-spinner who didn't turn the ball much but relied on varying his pace. He was not in the same league as Jim Laker or Lance Gibbs but he had more wickets per Tests than either of those two legends. When he was 18 years old, Hugh picked up a hat-trick while playing for Transvaal, that achievement got him a ticket to the Test side and he was named as a replacement for injured Athol Rowan.

Hugh played in all five Tests against Australia, took 7/23 at Durban and reduced the visitors from 31 for no loss to 75 all out. He did not have a good tour of England in 1951 but made up for that on the 1952-53 tour of Australia. Hugh took 30 wickets, 13 at Melbourne and helped South Africa beat Australia after 42 years. During the 1955 tour of England, Tayfield scalped 26 wickets which also included a 9-wicket haul in Headingley. The Times said the batsmen treated him as respectfully as if he were a bishop on a diocesan visit.

Tayfield ended his career with 170 wickets in 37 Tests. His career best figures of 9/113 came against England at Durban. He bowled 137 consecutive dot balls and bowled unchanged for 35 eight-ball overs from one end. At the end of the day Tayfield was chaired off the field.

Hugh was well known as "Toey" because before bowling every delivery he used to stub his toes into the ground, he also used to kiss the badge on his cap before handing it over to the umpires. Hugh was a handsome and charismatic guy, also considered as a playboy. He married and divorced for five times. Life after cricket was not very successful, he was very ill for years before he died in 1994.


by Akshay Maanay
As of May 2014