Buck Divecha, also known as Ramesh Vithaldas "Buck" Divecha, was an Indian cricket player who was primarily active in Test cricket. He was a right-arm bowler who bowled fast-medium or off-breaks. He also contributed to the Indian team as a batsman and was regarded as an enthusiastic middle-order batsman. He could swing the ball both ways at a brisk and accurate medium-pace. This skill of his was polished under the tuition of Alf Gover. He later added off-breaks to his skills and used both bowling methods to bring about remarkable effects.
Early Life of Buck Divecha
Buck Divecha was born on 18th October 1927 in Kadakvadi in Maharashtra. He studied at Wilson College. In the year 1942, during his college days, he was arrested for being associated with the Quit India Movement. However he was not charged and afterwards he did not actively get involved in politics. His father V. J. Divecha was also associated with the profession of cricket and was a club cricketer, President of the Bombay Cricket Association and the Vice President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India. Buck Divecha earned a Master of Arts degree from Oxford and also worked as an executive with Burmah Shell and Mahindra and Mahindra.
Career of Buck Divecha
Buck Divecha, while studying in Oxford, he played four seasons of cricket for the university, earning blues in the years 1950 and 1951. In 1948 he played for Northamptonshire against the Australians. He also appeared in minor counties cricket for Oxfordshire. In the year 1952 he toured England in which he took 50 wickets. He took a hat-trick against Surrey. In the subsequent match he had his best performance by taking 8 for 74 against Glamorgan. In 1951-52 he played in the Tests against England while in 1952-53 he was a part of the Tests against Pakistan but he achieved a little in the same.
Buck Divecha had a far shorter career in the Indian domestic cricket than in England. He appeared in one Ranji Trophy match representing Bombay in 1951-52. He played one match for Madhya Pradesh in 1954-55 and four for Saurashtra in 1962-63. He grabbed 22 wickets at an average of 27.50 in these six matches. He took an early retirement from cricket and later became a prominent golf player.
Death of Buck Divecha
Buck Divecha died on 19th February 2003 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, at the age of 75, after suffering from Alzheimer"s disease for a prolonged time
