Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is saddened to announce that former captain and Cricket Manager Clive Rice has passed away aged 66.
The South African was one of the shining lights in Nottinghamshire’s side in the late 1970s and 1980s, helping the county secure the County Championship title in both 1981 and 1987.
On his debut season with Nottinghamshire, the all-rounder took 53 wickets and registered 1,128 runs in the Championship, and along with Sir Richard Hadlee, who arrived at Trent Bridge in 1978, forged a ten-year partnership which secured many honours for the Club.
Clive Edward Butler Rice was born in Johannesburg on 23 July 1949. Educated at St John's College he played in that school's XI in 1965 and 1966. In 1969 he made his first class debut for Transvaal and, as has been noted, just missed out on Test honours. In 1973 he came to England as a professional for Ramsbottom.
In South African domestic cricket he captained Transvaal to the Currie Cup title - in fact Transvaal won the Currie Cup ten times in 20 years whilst Rice represented the side.
He played for South Africa in a number of Unofficial Tests, latterly as captain, and captained South Africa in their first ODI. His first-class cricket continued until 1993-94, his final years being with Natal.
He returned to Trent Bridge as the newly appointed Cricket Manager in 1999, a position he held until 2002.
Rice, the brilliant all-rounder and inspirational captain, retired to South Africa.
Our thoughts are with his family and friends.