Ewie Cronje, the former Free State cricketer, administrator, and father of the late South African cricket captain, Hansie Cronje, died at his home in Bloemfontein on Monday after a long battle with cancer.
His son, Frans Cronje, said on Monday, ‘My dad went to be with Lord at 2:05 pm this afternoon. He was at peace and we are so thankful for the full life he had and wonderful dad that he was. From my mom, my sister and me, thank you so much for all the wonderful messages of the last few months.’
Ewie Cronje was credited as the driving force behind the success of Free State cricket over many decades. Those who knew him remembered his great kindness and how stoically he bore the pain around the suspension and later banning of his son, Hansie, for match fixing at the beginning of the century. Hansie had predeceased his father, dying in a plane crash in 2002.