Former EP cricketer Celestine Hutton dies

A captivating individual with a spontaneous smile and manners beyond reproach.

That was how Port Elizabeth Sports Legends trustee Devdas Govindjee described former EP cricketer Celestine Hutton, who has died at the age of 75.

Born, raised and later schooled in South End, Hutton had been a prominent cricketer in the area but more so “an incredible human being”, Govindjee said.  

“When you place the word South End behind the name of someone it is equivalent to and possibly even more significant that having a string of degrees behind your name.

“It immediately indicates that here is someone who was born into and nurtured in a family and a community free of constraints and prejudices despite the era in which he lived.

“This is the environment that moulded our dear Celestine Hutton like nothing before and like nothing since. It helped individuals and communities learn how to care and share,” Govindjee said.  

Hutton played for a number of clubs, including South End United, before joining Aryans and later Albany Cricket Club.

Here he played alongside other household names including Surendra and Jaysukh Vaghmaria at Aryans, and later the Frans brothers, Garth Cuddumbey, Bravo Jacobs and George Koen.

Govindjee said his former teammate had continued to show his class at club level, remaining one of the leading all-rounders of the time.

“Celestine did not represent EP on too many occasions once the SA Cricket Board changed to the two-day home-and-away format, but it was certainly not due to a lack of ability,”

“He continued to show at club level that he remained a leading all-rounder.

“He was elegant in everything that he did on the field of play, from his immaculate dress code to his stylish batting, coupled with his effective medium-pace bowling.

“A genuine team player who performed optimally and played without ever showing disrespect to players or to the ethos of the game,” Govindjee said.

Hutton is survived by his wife Kamala, daughters Vanessa and Malanee, son Thirushan, grandchildren and extended family.

“He was a very family orientated man, not only to those immediately close to him, but also to his extended family,” his son, Thirushan said at the weekend.

Thirushan said that because of the Covid-19 regulations, a small, intimate funeral ceremony with family had been held last Wednesday.