Cecil was an attacking right-handed batsman who had gone through all the ranks as a youngster to finally represent the South African Coloured Cricket Association National Team in 1967. In this team, he was joined by Abe Williams, Roland Kader (vice-captain) and Tommy Gertze from Kimberley. He played most of his club cricket for Kimberley Wanderers and also represented Griqualand West at provincial level.

Jacobs is the brother of Dennis” Eier” Jacobs. The Northern Cape Province are extremely proud and privileged to have had such a superbly talented sporting family within our midst. They grew up close to the swimming pool in Lyndhurst Road near the Malay Camp. Cecil also excelled in other sports such as rugby, tennis and swimming, captaining the Griqua team.

He was an Educational doyen, being an English teacher at William Pescod High School and later English Lecturer at Perseverance Training College where he had a huge influence on an academic level on students from all over South Africa.

Edmund Geduld, a rugby legend in his own right and fellow lecturer, paid tribute. “The education fraternity will always be filled with veneration for this leading educator who brought pride to scores of teachers, students and learners during his tenure and are deeply appreciative of the example that he has set for future generations. Cecil’s immense legacy to sport in Kimberley and across the country was devastated by the pernicious Apartheid Laws of the day. His contribution as a sportsman, administrator and a leader speak for itself and cannot be relegated to obscurity and hidden in forgotten archives.”

Cecil played numerous rugby games for Griqualand West Rugby Union with the likes of A.R. Abass, Bunny Hermanus, Jackie Lewis, Tommy Musson, Miley Barnes and many other iconic Northern Cape sportsmen of that golden era.

A huge honour for Cecil, his family and all of us at Northern Cape Cricket was when Cricket South Africa bestowed on him the prestigious Heritage Blazer for his achievements on being selected for the South African Coloured Cricket Association National Team.

This honour was bestowed on him on 7 December 2016.

Rihan Richards, Chairperson of Northern Cape Cricket, expressed his sincere condolences to his wife, Freda, his children Glenn, Carol, David and grandchildren and extended families. “Mr. Jacobs was an exceptional sportsman and an astute educator, who was well-loved. He will be sorely missed by all whose lives he impacted. It was a real privilege for me when I joined Max Jordaan of Cricket South Africa to hand over his Heritage Blazer to him in 2016. Finally, cricket gave recognition to a truly versatile sportsman who sacrificed so much towards non-racial sport in the country. Had the playing fields being leveled he might have achieved so much more.”