James Albanie is turning 55 later this year, but you would never say it when you see him bowling – a beautiful, languid, right-arm bowler who still sends it down at a fair rate of knots.
A journeyman cricketer who started his career in the small railway town of Touwsriver, he also represented two Universities – Western Cape and Stellenbosch – obtaining three degrees while doing so.
He has 10 First-Class matches for Boland to his name, taking 24 wickets at an average of 28.12, with best figures of 4/37.
Over and above his skills as a cricketer, Albanie has served as a youth coach, player-coach and chairman at various clubs, and he is still donning his boots every week for Rondebosch and Vikings veterans, and the Scorpions social team.
Nickname: Jimbo
Favourite cricketer: Viv Richards
Favourite delivery: Outswinger nicked off to slips
Toughest batsman bowled to: “Any club guy who just ‘mangs’ you all over. No technique but lots of guts!”
Picture courtesy of Goolam Taliep