View source for Rex Sellers (cricketer)

{{Short description|Australian cricketer (born 1940)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2012}}
{{Infobox cricketer
| name              = Rex Sellers
| fullname          = Reginald Hugh Durning Sellers
| image             = 
| birth_date        = {{Birth date and age|1940|8|20|df=yes}}
| birth_place       = [[Bulsar]], [[Gujarat]], British India
| batting           = Right-handed
| bowling           = Legbreak googly
| testdebutdate     = 17 October
| testdebutyear     = 1964
| testdebutagainst  = India
| testcap           = 230
| onetest           = true
| columns           = 2
| column1           = [[Test cricket|Test]]
| matches1          = 1
| runs1             = 0
| bat avg1          = –
| 100s/50s1         = –
| top score1        = 0
| deliveries1       = 30
| wickets1          = 0
| bowl avg1         = –
| fivefor1          = –
| tenfor1           = –
| best bowling1     = –
| catches/stumpings1= 1/–
| column2           = [[First-class cricket|First-class]]
| matches2          = 53 
| runs2             = 1,089
| bat avg2          = 18.14
| 100s/50s2         = 0/2
| top score2        = 87
| deliveries2       = 9102
| wickets2          = 121
| bowl avg2         = 38.45
| fivefor2          = 4
| tenfor2           = 1
| best bowling2     = 5/36
| catches/stumpings2= 41/–
| international     = true
| country           = Australia
| source            = http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/7592.html Cricinfo
| date              = 19 November
| year              = 2022
}}
'''Reginald Hugh Durning Sellers''' {{post-nominals|country=AUS|OAM}} (born 20 August 1940) is a former Test [[cricket]]er (Australian test cap 230). He was the second Indian-born cricketer to have played a Test match for Australia and the first of [[Anglo-Indian people|Anglo-Indian]] descent.<ref>The first was [[Bransby Cooper|Bransby Beauchamp Cooper (1844-1914)]], born in British India, who played in the first-ever Test Match, contested at the [[Melbourne Cricket Ground]], in March 1877.</ref>

==Family==
The son of William Alfred Durning Sellers (1907-2005), and Irene Ethel Sellers (1915-2005), née Fremantle, Reginald Hugh Durning Sellers was born at Bulsar, now [[Valsad]], in [[Gujarat]], [[India]] on 20 August 1940.

Sellers is married to Ann and has three sons. His brother [[Basil Sellers]] is a businessman and philanthropist.

==Education==
Having migrated with his family to Australia in early 1948, and from the connexion with Cecil Charles Shinkfield (1891-1973), then the headmaster of [[Pembroke School, Adelaide#King's College|King's College, Adelaide]], established aboard [[RMS Strathaird|RMS ''Strathaird'']] during their voyage to Australia the two brothers attended King's College.<ref>Dhole (2016).</ref>

==Cricket==
A tall [[leg spin|leg-spinner]], and affectionately known as "Sahib" in cricket circles, he toured England with Bobby Simpson’s touring team in the summer of 1964 but did not play any of the test matches. He played one [[Test cricket|Test match]] for [[Australia cricket team|Australia]] in [[India]], in October 1964, in which he was bowled for a [[duck (cricket)|duck]], took one catch and bowled five [[over (cricket)|overs]] for 17 runs without taking a wicket.

His playing career was severely restricted when cysts developed under a tendon attached to his spinning finger; although he did return to the South Australian Cricket team as a batsman, where he made his highest score {{em-dash}} 87, caught [[Ian Brayshaw]], bowled [[Tony Lock]] {{emdash}} in his last innings, in the January 1967 match in Perth against Western Australia.<ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article106959413 Shield Record to Tony Lock, ''The Canberra Times'', Saturday, 28 January 1967, p.28.]</ref>

==Cricket administrator==
He retired after the 1966–67 season.<ref>Skene (2016).</ref> However Sellers has had a long career serving the [[South Australian Cricket Association]] (SACA) in both selection and administrative roles, was on the board of the [[Les Favell]] Foundation and was made a Life Member of the SACA. He was also a  long serving President at the [[Woodville-West Torrens Football Club|Woodville West Torrens Football Club]] in the [[South Australian National Football League|SANFL]].

==2013 Australia Day Honours==
He was awarded the [[Medal of the Order of Australia]] in the [[2013 Australia Day Honours#General Division 4|2013 Australia Day Honours]], for "service to the sport of cricket, particularly as an administrator."<ref>{{cite news|title=Australia Day 2013 Honours List|url=http://www.smh.com.au/national/australia-day-2013-honours-list-20130125-2dcrg.html|accessdate=2016-01-13|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=2013-01-25}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
* [https://www.cricketcountry.com/articles/rex-sellers-first-anglo-indian-to-play-for-australia-524428 Dhole, Pradip (2016), "Rex Sellers: First-Anglo Indian to play for Australia", Cricket Country, 16 September 2016.]
* [https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2016/jan/12/the-forgotten-story-of-rex-sellers-the-indian-australian-leg-spinner Skene, Patrick. (2016), "The Forgotten Story of ... Rex Sellers, the Indian-Australian leg-spinner, ''The Guardian'', Tuesday, 12 January 2016.]
* [https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=12687968 D400, SA1964/1238: Certificate of Registration as an Australian Citizen No.C(1)21780: Reginald Hugh Durning Sellers, ''National Archives of Australia''.]

==External links==
*{{cricinfo|id=7592}}
{{Australian first-class cricket season leading wicket-takers (1950–51 to 1999–00)}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sellers, Rex}}
[[Category:1940 births]]
[[Category:People from Valsad district]]
[[Category:Anglo-Indian people]]
[[Category:Indian emigrants to Australia]]
[[Category:Australian people of Anglo-Indian descent]]
[[Category:Australian sportspeople of Indian descent]]
[[Category:Australian cricketers]]
[[Category:Australia Test cricketers]]
[[Category:Australian cricket administrators]]
[[Category:Kensington cricketers]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People educated at Pembroke School, Adelaide]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia]]
[[Category:South Australia cricketers]]
[[Category:20th-century Australian sportsmen]]


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