The death of `Okey' McCabe in Durban as far back as November 19 has only recently come to light. He was 73. A first-class umpire from 1948 to 1957, he stood in one Test against New Zealand at Durban in 1953-54. There were remarkable coincidences concerning his first and last Currie Cup matches. In his first he stood with the late Dan Draper, a Test umpire, whose last Currie match this was. When McCabe in turn came up to his last Currie match the umpire at the other end was Dan Draper's son, Gordon (also to become a Test umpire) who was making his first Currie Cup appearance.
The Cricketer