Famous Cricketers No 42 - Gary Sobers

more than 33 runs each. His solitary century against New Zealand saved the West Indies from embarrassment at Bridgetown and they would certainly have lost this match had Terry Jarvis held a relatively simple chance early in his innings. Profiting from such good fortune, Sobers and Charlie Davis (183) proceeded to add 254 runs for the sixth wicket which has remained a West Indian record against New Zealand. It was during the course of this century that Sobers became the all-time leading scorer in Test cricket, surpassing the world record individual aggregate of 7,459 runs previously held by Cowdrey (who was destined to finish his career with 7,624). Sobers ended the series with 7,626 runs (ave 58.66) in Test cricket. He extended his individual record aggregate at Sabina Park to 1,297 runs (ave 108.08) in 10 Tests. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 333. WEST INDIES v NEW ZEALAND, Kingston, February 16, 17, 18, 19, 21 (Match drawn) not out 13 508/4d 11 3 20 0 386 1 did not bat - 218/3d 13 5 16 0 236/6 334. WEST INDIES v NEW ZEALAND, Port-of-Spain, March 9, 10, 11, 12, 14 (Match drawn) c K.J.Wadsworth b B.E.Congdon 19 341 26 7 40 2 G.T.Dowling c M.C.Carew 348 G.M.Turner c M.C.Carew b J.C.Alabaster 9 121/5 20 3 54 1 G.M.Turner b 288/3d 335. WEST INDIES v NEW ZEALAND, Bridgetown, March 23, 24, 25, 26, 28 (Match drawn) c K.J.Wadsworth b B.E.Congdon 35 133 29 6 64 4 M.G.Burgess c R.C.Fredericks 422 B.F.Hastings lbw G.E.Vivian b B.R.Taylor b c G.E.Vivian b B.R.Taylor 142 564/8 336. WEST INDIES v NEW ZEALAND, Georgetown, April 6, 7, 8, 9, 11 (Match drawn) c M.G.Burgess b B.R.Taylor 5 365/7 42 15 76 0 543/3d did not bat - 86/0 337. WEST INDIES v NEW ZEALAND, Port-of-Spain, April 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26 (Match drawn) c B.F.Hastings b H.J.Howarth 28 368 11 5 17 2 G.E.Vivian b 162 1 B.R.Taylor b b B.R.Taylor 2 194 29 12 45 1 B.E.Congdon b 253/7 SEASON’S AVERAGES Batting and Fielding M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct Tests 5 8 1 253 142 36.14 1 - 2 Career 337 535 83 25530 365* 56.48 79 106 362 Bowling O M R W BB Ave 5i 10m Tests (6-ball) 181 56 332 10 4/64 33.20 - - Career (6-ball) 8143.4 2320 } 26372 952 9/49 27.70 36 1 (8-ball) 1921 243 1972 A serious knee injury restricted Sobers to a mere six games with Nottinghamshire this summer. He achieved little of substance either with the bat or the ball and his county could finish no higher than fourteenth in the championship. Complaining also of fatigue, Sobers relinquished the captaincy at the beginning of the season but was reappointed at the end of it when Nottinghamshire refused to re-engage the veterans Brian Bolus and Mike Taylor. There was only one bright spot in an otherwise dismal season: Sobers finally broke the West Indian record of 955 wickets established by Sydney Smith in 1926. His 956th victim was Graham Burgess of Somerset. 61