Lives in Cricket No 10 - John Shepherd

on, for 275 to lose by ten wickets, Shepherd scored 9 and 13 batting at No.8. Later in June, at Lord’s in the Second Test, the West Indies fared better, winning the toss and like England in the First Test grinding out a total – 380 in 158 overs. Shepherd batted for nearly two hours scoring 32 off 114 balls – including a six off a bouncer from David Brown, the bowler who had hit him such a blow on the face back in Barbados in December 1967. Jim Swanton recorded that Shepherd hooked Brown ‘magnificently into the drinking populace on the site of the old Tavern’. 50 The sixth-wicket stand of 77 between Shepherd and Charlie Davis consolidated the West Indies’ position and helped them to a decent total. When England batted, Shepherd played his part in reducing them to 61 for five by getting Boycott caught behind and taking a spectacular slip catch to dismiss D’Oliveira for nought off Sobers. England, however, recovered and reached 344 with Shepherd taking three for 74. The match was eventually drawn. During the England second innings Shepherd was fielding at slip when he felt a burning sensation in his back which was soon to need a visit to Harley Street and rest to get it right. But before that the West Indies were off to Testing Times 47 The West Indies side in Shepherd’s first Test match. Standing (l to r): John Shepherd, Maurice Foster, Vanburn Holder, Clive Lloyd, Charlie Davis, Roy Fredericks. Seated: Joey Carew, Jackie Hendriks (wk), Garry Sobers (captain), Lance Gibbs, Basil Butcher. 50 E.W.Swanton, in The Daily Telegraph , 28 June 1969.