Biography.guide
Home › People › Cricketer › John Waite
Portrait of John Waite

John Waite

1930 – 2011

Cricket player of South Africa.

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About John Waite

Lived 1930 – 2011 (aged 81). John Waite was a South African cricketer.

John Henry Bickford Waite (19 January 1930 – 22 June 2011) was a South African cricketer who played in fifty Tests from 1951 to 1965.

He was born in Johannesburg, Transvaal, and educated at Hilton College and Rhodes University. A right-handed batsman and wicket keeper, he was the first South African to play 50 Tests for his country and is generally acknowledged to be one of South Africa's finest wicket keepers. His total of 141 dismissals in Test matches stood as a record for his country until it was overtaken by Dave Richardson. In 1953–54 he set a new Test best of 23 dismissals in a single series, against New Zealand and broke his own record in 1961–62, with 26, also against New Zealand. He was also a solid batsman, scoring 76 on debut against England at Trent Bridge, and averaging over 30 in Tests with four Test centuries.

In addition to his Test career, he played first class cricket for Eastern Province and Transvaal, making his debut in 1948 and retiring in 1966. His highest first-class score was 219 for Eastern Province against Griqualand West.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Education
Hilton College
Also known as
John Henry Bickford Waite

People in John Waite's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped John Waite's

Frequently asked questions

Who was John Waite?

Cricket player of South Africa. (1930-2011)

When was John Waite born?

John Waite was born on 19 January 1930 in Johannesburg.

When did John Waite die?

John Waite died on 22 June 2011.

What was John Waite's occupation?

John Waite was a cricketer.

What nationality was John Waite?

John Waite was South African.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: John Waite

· Wikidata: Q3520676

· DBpedia: John Waite (cricketer)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Waite. https://biography.guide/john-waite/

MLA: "John Waite." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-waite/.

Chicago: "John Waite." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-waite/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:15 UTC