Our next Cult Hero is regarded as one of the Club’s greatest Overseas players with over 500 appearances and a host of trophy wins during our ‘Golden Era’.
Relive some of the best moments from South African, Ken McEwan as we look back on his career at the Club.
This series is supported by Allen Ford and we thank them for their continued support.
Essex Career Stats (1974-1985)
Debut: 1 May 1974 v Nottinghamshire (County Championship)
Appearances: 556
Runs: 26,439
First Class Average: 43.37
Highest Score: 218 – 1977 v Sussex
Centuries: 65
Fifties: 129
Born in Cape Province, South Africa in 1952, the exceptionally talented batsman arrived in England in 1972 intending to play for Sussex after Tony Greig had recommended him to that county having coached the young right-handed schoolboy.
McEwan played several Second XI matches for Sussex after a brief experience with Northamptonshire but surprisingly neither of those counties pursued his services.
It proved a bad error of judgement on their part.
Essex were looking to recruit another batsman following the decision of opener Bruce Francis to remain in his Australian homeland and McEwan was invited to play in a friendly against Scotland in Perth in July 1973. His only innings in that match brought 45 runs against a far from hostile attack but the way he made them prompted Essex to offer him a contract.
He made his championship debut the following season against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge although a duck and 4 masked the wealth of talent and runs that were to subsequently become unfurled. The catalyst came with his first hundred, 119 not out against Middlesex at Ilford, and from thereon he never looked back ending the season with 1,056 runs at an average of 30.58.
In 1976 he scored 1,821 runs averaging just under 50 and was justly recognised as one of the most exciting and stylish of batsmen, entertaining crowds around the shires and having become a warm favourite with Essex followers. In 1977, his ranking went up to world-class during an astonishing run which brought him five successive centuries.
He began stealing the headlines on June 26 at Edgbaston against Warwickshire, taking 104 in a John Player League game. The following day, at Chelmsford, he scored 218 Sussex attack that ironically included Greig in its ranks who was able to admire his protégé at close quarters. It was the first time in nine years that an Essex player had scored a double-century.
He then scored a century in each innings of the match against Warwickshire at Edgbaston (102 and 116) before he completed the sequence with an unbeaten 106 not out at the expense of Gloucestershire at Southend.
Talking of style, was there ever a better exponent to have donned an Essex sweater than Ken McEwan who was sadly denied the opportunity to play Test cricket for South Africa because of the country’s political problems? A wonderful player who had the gift of making batting look so easy, his unbeaten 100 in 1977 in the Australian tourists match still ranks as one of the most outstanding innings with Test spinner Kerry O’Keefe subjected to a merciless onslaught.
McEwan eventually finished the season with eight first-class hundreds and a first-class aggregate of 1,702, an average of 51.57.
In 1979, Ken recorded his highest score, 218, against Warwickshire during a marvellous period that saw him amass 836 runs in 13 innings that helped take the county to the top of the Championship table, a position they never relinquished on their way to completing their first-ever Championship title.
He was also a wonderful one-day player and in that same year, he featured in a 124 runs partnership in 95 minutes with Graham Gooch with the South African stroking ten boundaries in his 72 helping Essex to achieve their first piece of silverware as they lifted the Benson & Hedges Cup.
McEwan always chose to dictate the bowling from the start, stylishly gathering runs rather than concentrating on defensive strategy to play himself in. Majestic at the crease and timing the ball superbly against all types of bowling, he would send it racing to the boundary particularly through mid-wicket and cover, apparently with the minimum of effort. His ability to use his feet allowed him to prove the mastery of the wiliest of spin bowlers illustrating his rich vein of talent to contend with any form of attack.
Those fortunate enough to witness McEwan at the crease will never forget his pomp and imperious presence in his successful quest of accumulating a plethora of runs for the county.
It was tragic that McEwan was unable to showcase his prowess to a wider audience via the international arena as his native South Africa were banned for Test cricket because of their political stance although their loss was Essex’s benefit for 12 summers.
He played 282 first-class matches scoring 18,088 runs at an average of 43.37 that included 52 centuries and 197 half-centuries. Ken also played in 180 Sunday League matches scoring 5531 runs at 34.78 (9 hundreds) whilst in 63 Benson & Hedges appearances he posted 1925 runs at 35.64 whilst 27 Knockout Cup matches brought him 842 runs at 35.08
His last match in an Essex sweater was against Yorkshire at Chelmsford on 15th September 1985 when he top-scored with 62 helping the county to a two wickets victory with one ball to spare that clinched their second successive Sunday League title.
Then at a relatively young age, Ken decided to go back to South Africa to return to farming leaving a wealth and host of outstanding memories for those fortunate to witness his aesthetically delightful batting prowess.
