- CHS 1949 – 1950
- An outstanding sportsman; excelled at football and cricket
- Captain of football and cricket teams at CHS
- Left arm spin bowler for Victoria and Australia
- Achieved the rare feat of a hat trick vs South Africa in 1957
- Played 13 Tests and 88 First Class games
It was evident from Lindsay’s days at Camberwell Central School and Camberwell High School that he was an outstanding sportsman. He excelled at football and cricket and while at CHS he was captain of both the football and cricket teams. What is less well-known about him is that he was a very good boxer and won a Junior Golden Gloves award.
Despite receiving an invitation to try out at Hawthorn Football Club, he decided that he wanted to concentrate on his cricket. At that stage he was a punishing batsman with bowling only a secondary consideration. After a brief career at Camberwell Cricket Club, Lindsay moved on to the Melbourne Cricket Club where he soon earned a reputation as a canny left-arm unorthodox spinner whose deliveries included a pronounced ‘bunny-hop’ before bowling the ball.
When promoted to the Victorian team, his performances took the eye of the Australian selectors and he soon found himself in the Test team to play South Africa. He made his test debut at Johannesburg on December 23rd 1957. His first test was wicket-less but in the Second Test he managed to snare five South African wickets. However, in the Fourth Test, on February 12th 1958, Lindsay achieved the rare feat of a hat trick in South Africa’s second innings.
Although playing two tests against England in the 1958/59 series he had little success, but was picked to play in Pakistan in 1959. Troubled by illness, as were most of the touring team, in the Second Test Lindsay had the marvellous figures of 7 for 75 in Pakistan’s Second Innings. Soon after he was invalided home due to recurring illness.
The name Lindsay Kline will forever be associated with the wonderful series in Australia against the West Indies. In the famous Brisbane Tied Test, Lindsay was left not out when Joe Solomon ran out Ian Meckiff to tie the game. He again fell out of favour with the selectors, but was recalled for the Fourth Test in Adelaide. Despite not taking a wicket, it is for his batting that he is remembered. As last man in, with Australia trailing by 252 runs with 109 minutes to play, he and Ken ‘Slasher’ Mackay defied the West Indies attack to be not out at the end, and drawing the game. Despite travelling to England with the Australian team in 1961, Lindsay was not selected for any of the tests.
After retiring from cricket, Lindsay was free to pursue his interest in Australian football and he had a new lease of life as a valuable player for the Burwood United Football Club.
Cricket was not the lucrative business it is today and, as with other sportsmen of his day, Lindsay had to pursue a career at the same time as he was playing cricket.
Lindsay worked for the Wormald company before branching out and establishing his own fire protection and alarm systems business Lindsay Kline Pty Ltd, later renamed Klinefire.
Lindsay died in 2015 at the age of 81.
Addendum
Tribute in the November 2015 Chess News
https://camhigh.exstudents.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/chess-newsletter-november-2015.pdf
Cricket Australia’s Chief Executive Officer, James Sutherland, paid tribute: “he was a wonderful man, a great character and a fine contributor to our game. Throughout his cricket career he was involved in some extraordinary moments that have become part of the rich history of our game. In later years Lindsay was an annual guest at Adelaide and Melbourne Test matches and those occasions won’t be the same without his great company. He will be dearly missed”.
Lindsay was a keen member of the Ex-Students Society ( CHESS) for many years. His encouragement and support was greatly appreciated. Updated 2020
Sincere thanks to Ken Mansell and Ian Tinetti for allowing us to use this copyright picture of Lindsay holding his tied Test Match bat at Shepherds Flat in 2010.
