Famous Cricketers No 42 - Gary Sobers

proved to be the highest score he was ever destined to achieve outside of the Caribbean. In his 329th match, during his innings of 46 against a Combined XI at Hobart in December, Sobers became only the second West Indian (after Marshall) to surpass 25,000 runs in first-class cricket. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 324. A World XI v Victoria, Melbourne, November 5, 6, (7), (8) (Match drawn) retired hurt 7 156 218/5 325. A World XI v Australia, Brisbane, November 26, (27), 28, 30, December 1 (Match drawn) not out 20 285/4d 23 2 94 1 I.M.Chappell c F.M.Engineer 389/4d not out 15 108/4 4 1 7 1 B.C.Francis lbw 220/3d 326. A World XI v Western Australia, Perth, December 4, 5, 6, 7 (A World XI won by 72 runs) c and b T.M.D.MacGill 34 320 - - - - 255 c R.W.Marsh b G.D.Watson 0 288/9d 8 0 45 1 D.Chadwick b 281 327. A World XI v Australia, Perth, December 10, 11, 12 (Australia won by an innings and 11 runs) c R.W.Marsh b D.K.Lillee 0 59 16 1 69 2 K.R.Stackpole b 349 B.C.Francis c R.A.Hutton c A.P.Sheahan b G.D.McKenzie 33 279 328. A World XI v Tasmania, Launceston, December 22, 23 24 (A World XI won by eight wickets) not out 134 226/6d 6 0 14 1 P.R.Gatenby b 208 2 did not bat - 149/2 - - - - 164 1 329. A World XI v Combined XI, Hobart, December 26, 27, 28 (Match drawn) c G.S.Chappell b I.M.Chappell 46 397/6d 8 0 21 1 P.R.Gatenby c R.S.Cunis 258/9d 5 1 13 2 K.Ibadulla c R.A.Hutton 112/5 K.B.Badcock lbw 330. A World XI v Australia, Melbourne, January 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 (A World XI won by 96 runs) c K.R.Stackpole b D.K.Lillee 0 184 14.6 0 67 3 T.J.Jenner c F.M.Engineer 285 R.A.L.Massie c F.M.Engineer D.K.Lillee c B.S.Bedi c K.D.Walters b G.S.Chappell 254 514 8 0 48 0 317 3 331. A World XI v Australia, Sydney, January 8, 9, 10, 12, (13) (Match drawn) c R.W.Marsh b R.A.L.Massie 15 277 6 1 33 0 312 b R.J.Inverarity 2 173/5 13 0 63 1 K.R.Stackpole b 546 1 332. A World XI v Australia, Adelaide, January 28, 29, 31, February 1 (A World XI won by nine wickets) c G.S.Chappell b R.A.L.Massie 2 367 8 0 30 0 311 did not bat - 146/1 9 1 24 1 A.J.Woodcock c R.W.Taylor 201 SEASON’S AVERAGES Batting and Fielding M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct Season 9 14 4 562 254 56.20 2 0 7 Career 332 527 82 25277 365* 56.80 78 106 360 Bowling O M R W BB Ave 5i 10m Season (8-ball) 128.6 7 528 14 3/67 37.71 - - Career (6-ball) 7962.2 2264 } 26040 942 9/49 27.64 36 1 (8-ball) 1921 243 1971/72 This was the last series in which Sobers led the West Indies and once again his teams failed to win a single Test, extending their winless streak to 15. He established a West Indian record by serving as captain in 39 consecutive Tests. Among all previous West Indians, John Goddard (22) had captained most often. Still rebuilding after the retirement of Butcher, Griffith, Hall, Hunte, Nurse and Solomon, the West Indies could no longer depend on their ageing skipper to conceal their weaknesses. Sobers, in fact, seemed far below his best, averaging only 36 runs per innings and capturing only 10 wickets at 60