Little Joe Solomon run-outs helped Windies to 'tie' Test with Aussies

The match that held cricket fans spellbound

By A. C. de Silva

CRICKET: There is a popular belief in cricketing circles around the world that the game at the highest levels in the days gone by were more popular and interesting than the game in the present day. There is some truth in this statement when comparing the results of matches played in the old days when compared to the results obtained in the matches played these days.

Take for instance Test cricket. Talking of Test cricket, one game that comes to mind in a flash is the one and only "tied" Test between Australia and the West Indies played in Brisbane, Australia from December 9, 10, 12, 13, 14 in 1960.

After Alan Davidson - the Australian paceman tied down the West Indian batsmen in the second innings and restricting them to a score of 284 runs in the second innings, the Windies had a overall lead of 232 runs and this was by no means a match-winning total.

But this total turned out to be a match winning one towards the closing stages of the Test match as Australia's second innings somewhat collapsed with 6 wickets falling for just 92 runs and West Indian speedster Wesley Hall was on 'fire'. Hall had shot out the top-order of Australia's batting and the match was well on the way to a Windies victory. It was at this stage that Aussie paceman Alan Davidson who had a match bag of 11 wickets for 222 runs, once again came to the rescue of his side with an effervescent knock of 80 runs and with his skipper Richie Benaud (52) raised the score to 226 for 7 wickets after being in the hopeless position of 92 for 6 wickets.

So, there was still some hope for the Aussies, but more than hope, they somewhat held the upper hand as they had to score just seven more runs for victory with three wickets in hand.

Solomon - the man

Then came that little man Joe Solomon of the West Indies and Australia lost three wickets - all through run-outs it was Joe Solomon who ran out Australia's last man with the second last ball of the last over of the match. The Australians in the second innings indulged in frantic hitting, but the West Indians ran out three of the last four Australian batsmen in the last 13 minutes of the game and so, the match ended in a 'tie'.

Batting first, the West Indies made 453 runs in their first innings with that legendary Garfield Sobers scoring a sparkling 132, Sobers put a stop to a sequence of small scores with one of the greatest Test match centuries on this occasion. His power-packed knock included 21 fours and runs seem to flow off his bat on that occasion as he compiled his knock in less than three hours.

Sobers literally tore into the Australian attack on that December day in 1960 and scattered the Ausie bowlers all over the field. That epic innings of Sobers is fit to be bracketed with any of three which made Stan McCabe's name famous and surpasses all that Australians ever seen since the war.

Sobers sparkles

Sobers' first shot of the day was a magnificent controlled leg glance to the boundary off Alan Davidson. Sobers set a standard of excellence that he rarely failed to sustain throughout his masterly display.

This was Sobers' second good showing in recent times as earlier at the age of 21 years and 216 days, that's before game against Australia he became the world's youngest triple centurian making 365 not out against Pakistan at Kindston in the 1957-58 series. That paved the way for Sobers to go from strength to strength and his showing against Australia was great in deed.!

Then there was Frank Worrell who played a captain's knock of 65 and so did Joe Solomon. That was not all - the Windies' 9th wicket pair consisting of F. Alexander (60) and big man Wesley Hall (50) put on 86 blistering runs to take the score from 366 for 8 wickets to 452 runs when the pair was separated. West Indies were all out in their first innings for 453.

The Aussies got cracking from the start and their 'star' Norman O'Neill really set the pattern with an effervescent of 181 runs and with other top-order batsmen like Bob Simpson (92), Colin McDonald (57) doing well in the top-order, it was plain sailing for the Aussies and they ran up the majestic total of 505 runs in their first innings.

Wesley Hall - the giant paceman, had the best bowling figures for the West Indies with 4 for 140 in the first innings.

Came the second round and the Australians swung back the game in their favour with their ace paceman Alan Davidson bowling an immaculate length to reap a rich haul of 6 wickets for 87 runs and it looked as if he had paved the way for a Australian victory as he had a match-haul of 11 wickets for 222 runs.

Earlier the Windies had a fine knock of 54 by Rohan Kanhai, 65 from Frank Worrell - the captain and an effective 47 by Joe Solomon. Hunte made 39. The West Indies made 284 runs in their second innings which gave them an overall lead of 232 runs.

Scoreboards of historic Test match

WEST INDIES 1ST INNINGS 

C. C. Hunte c Benaud b Davidson		24
C. W. Smith c Grout b Davidson	 	 7
R. B. Kanhai c Grout b Davidson		15
G. A. Sobers c Kline b Mekiff          132
F. M. Worrell c Grout b Davidson	65
J. S. Solomon hit wkt b Simpson 	65
P. D. Lashley c Grout b Kline		19
F. C. M. Alexander c Davidson b Kline 	60
S. Ramadhin c Harvey b Davidson 	12
W. W. Hall st. Grout b Kline		50
A. L. Valentine not out	 		 0
Extras 	 				 4
Total                                  453
Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-42, 3-65, 4-239,
 5-243, 6-283, 7-347, 8-366, 9-452

Bowling: A. K. Davidson 30-2-135-5, I. Meckiff 18-0-129-1, 
K. Mackay 3-0-15-0, R. Benaud 24-3-93-0, R. B. Simpson 8-0-25-1, 
L. Kline 17.6-6-52-3.

AUSTRALIA 1ST INNINGS 

C. C. Mcdonald c Hunte b Sobers 	57
R. B. Simpson b Ramadhin 		92
R. N. Harvey b Valentine 		15
N. C. O’neill c Valentine b Hall       181
K. L. Favell run out 			45
K. D. Mackay b Sobers 			35
A. L. Davidson c Alexander b Hall	44
R. Benaud lbw b Hall			10
A. T. W. Grout lbw b Hall		 4
I. Meckiff run out 			 4
L. F. Kline not out 	 		 3
Extras  				15	
Total                                  505

Fall of Wickets: 1-84, 2-138, 3-194, 4-278, 
5-381, 6-469, 7-484, 8-489, 9-496

Bowling: W. Hall 29.3-1-140-4, F. Worrell 30-0-93-0, G. Sobers 32-0-115-2, 
A. L. F. Valentine 24-6-82-1, S. Ramadhin 15-1-60-1

WEST INDIES 2ND INNINGS 

C. C. Hunte c Simpson b Mackay 		39
C. W. Smith c O’neill b Davidson 	 6
R. B. Kanhai c Grout b Davidson		54
G. A. Sobers b Davidson			14
F. M. Worrell c Grout b Davidson	65
J. S. Solomons lbw b Simpson		47
P. D. Lashley b Davidson		 0
F. C. M. Alexander b Benaud 	 	 5
S. Ramadhin c Harvey b Simpson 	 	 6
W. W. Hall b Davidson			18
A. L. Valentine not out	 		 7
Extras 					23
Total                                  284
Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-88, 3-114, 4-127, 5-210, 6-210, 7-241, 8-250, 9-253

Bowling: A. L. Davidson 24.6-4-87-6, I. Meckiff 4-1-19-0, 
K. Mackay 21-7-52-1, R. Benuad 31-6-69-1, R. B. Simpson 7-2-18-2, 
L. Kline 4-0-14-0, N. O’Neill 1-0-2-0

AUSTRALIA 2ND INNINGS 

C. C. McDonald b Worrell 		16
R. B. Simpson c sub (Gibbs) b Hall	 0
R. N. Harvey c Sobers b Hall	 	 5
N. O’Neill c Alexander b Hall		26
L. Favell c Solomon b Hall	 	 7
K. D. Mackay b Ramadhin			28
A. K. Davidson run out			80
R. Benaud c Alexander b Hall		52
A. T. W. Grout run out	 		 2
I. Meckiff run out	 		 2
L. F. Kline not out	 		 0
Extras 					14
Total                                  232

Fall of Wickets: 1-1, 2-7, 3-49, 4-49, 5-57, 6-92, 7-226, 8-228, 9-232

Bowling: W. Hall 17-7-63-5, F. Worrell 16-3-41-1, G. Sobers 8-0-30-0, 
A. L. Valentine 10-4-27-0, S. Ramadhin 17-3-57-1.