Wednesday, 24th January 2007 at 8:55 am

Happy birthday Johnno

A few of the more dedicated cricketing anoraks out there may recall a moderately successful cricketer by the name of Neil Johnson - KwaZulu-Natal all-rounder, Zimbabwean superstar, and finally the elder statesman at Western Province. Johnno is best remembered by Zimbabweans for his World Cup hundred against Australia (a sparkling 132 not out that brought Harare to a standstill), and a total of three man of the match awards that had him dubbed ‘the poor man’s Klusener’ by the end of the tournament.

Today, Johnno is retired, working as bodyguard in Cape Town for controversial Zimbabwean businessman Roger Hawkins, in between managing his own burgeoning clothing chain. It’s also Johnno’s birthday today, and so, from all of us down at feverpitcher, a raised glass in the direction of the 37-year-old (who still has roads named after him in Banket, Chiredzi and Mutorashanga) - and who reminds one of the days of Flower, Flower, Whittal and Streak, and better times for the Zimbabwean game. Happy birthday, Neil Clarkson Johnson.