Cricket's top allrounder Sobers celebrates 74th birthday

By A. C. De Silva

CRICKET: Sir Garfield Sobers will be 74 not out on Wednesday, July 28. Cricket lovers throughout the globe, especially in the West Indies and also in Sri Lanka will be happy with the news that he has come through all these years for the young cricketers of the present day to know what a fine cricketer he was during his playing days.

Sobers had a special place for Sri Lanka and he coached the Lankan cricketers at a certain time.

Indefatigable Sobers, was a top allrounder left hand batsman, left-hand bowler and a fine fielder. He made his Test debut for the West Indies against England at Kingston between March 30 and April 3 in 1954 and his last Test too was against England at Port of Spain between March 30 and April 5 in 1994.

The wonderful work done on the cricket field needs to be recognised and Queen Elizabeth knighted him for his services to cricket in 1975.

Sobers also figures in Wisden - the cricketers almanac as one of the five cricketers of the century in 2000. His name is somewhat of a magic name it conjures up all sorts of magnificent deeds on the cricket field, whether batting, bowling or fielding. Because of that, people argue about his greatness as a batsman and as a bowler of different styles as they compare him with the champions of the past.

No one, however, even entertain discussions if he claims of being the greatest allrounder of all times. Such have been his deeds that he could easily be known as the miracle worker.

Looking back at the career of the boy from Bay Street, Barbados, became Sir Garfield, one remembers 1963 at Leeds when the West Indies tottered at 71 for 3 before the left-hander walked to the wicket to face a fiery Fred Trueman and how, with an injured finger and in company with Rohan Kanhai, he flogged the best of England for a splendid 102 as the West Indies won by 221 runs.

Sobers engineers recovery

One remember Lord's 1966 when the West Indies, after facing a deficit of 86, were 95 for 5 wickets when Sobers and David Holford pulled off a fantastic recovery before the skipper declared the innings closed at 369 for 5 - Sobers 163 not out, Holford 105 not out.

In Brisbane 1960 when the West Indies floundered at 42 for 2 only for Sobers to do the rescue act again with a superb 132, the century coming in even time as he thrashed the likes of leg-spinners Ritchie Benaud in a manner which caused old men to wonder and pinch themselves to make sure that they were not in a dream where the ruthlessness of a Bradman and the artistry of a Kippax had been made into one.

That innings ranks as one of the greatest of all times for it had everything - timing, as it could not have come at a better moment for the West Indies, authenticity and power, not to mention elegance in strokeplay.

Before the start of what was the first Test of the series, the West Indies and in particular Sobers had floundered against the Australian attack, especially Benaud. Men claimed that the six-foot Caribbean left-hander could not play Benaud as they questioned his reputation. On that day he played, like a man possessed. They said that he could not 'read' Benaud but on December 9 he was like a schoolmaster and Benaud the student.

Facing up to what was the last ball of an over from Alan Davidson, Sobers tried to play the ball to leg and lobbed the full toss to a fielder for a disappointing end.

I wanted just a single because I had some un finished business at the other end with Mr. Benaud" Sobers said afterwards.

Batsman of Sabina

Many will swear on the Good Book that was the best of Sobers especially as a batsman. Probably it was, but to some others, to thousands of spectators the man who could well be called the batsman of Sabina, was at his best on February 12 and 13 1968, when he batted the West Indies out of trouble and then bowled them almost to victory in a fairy tale performance.

In the opening Test match at Port of Spain, the West Indies, thanks to Clive Lloyd and Rohan Kanhai and then Sobers and Wesley Hall, held England to a draw in a one-sided battle. And then they came to Jamaica for what must be known as the Miracle at Sabina.

Sobers lost the toss and England pounded to 376 with John Edrich (96) and Cowdrey (101) putting on 129 for the second wicket.

Sobers switched his batting order around from what it was in the first Test and Stephen Comacho and Deryck Murray opened the innings much to the chagrin of Seymour Nurse. In the twinkling of an eye it was five for two, both gone, leaving Kanhai and Nurse to make the fight.

For a while the two, with assistance from Lloyd, pushed back the swarming England, but when they were overcome and Sobers went LBW to the first ball from John Snow. The West Indies slumped to 143 the follow-on 233 runs behind.

Nurse, maddened by the first innings affront to him, defied his skipper and opened the innings with a huff and a puff. With the blood boiling in his veins, Nurse sailed into the England attack of Snow, David Brown and Jeff Jones and played it mercilessly for 73 before he was bowled, played on, by Snow early the following morning. The West Indies were 174 for 4 wickets when Sobers walked to the wicket, his ship still in deep waters. The score then became 204 for 5 when Basil Butcher was out, but the West Indies were able to pull themselves out for trouble and when they were 391 for 9 wickets with Sobers 113 not out, he declared. England needed 169 runs to win in almost even time.

Then Wesley Hall and Charlie Griffith fit and ready - the two most feared fast bowlers of the day, Sobers surprised all present when Sobers took the first over himself from the Northern End.

But the grumbling and fidegetting had hardly quietened before, with the second delivery Sobers bowled Geoff Boycott leg stump for zero and the cheers went up. The cheers echoed around the park and mounted again as Colin Cowdrey survived a confident appeal for LBW first ball.

England wickets tumble

The next delivery made Sabina Park a chanting, place as Cowdrey departed LBW for zero with England zero for two wickets after four deliveries.

It was a fine start by the West Indies and England never recovered. England's total then tumbled down to 39 for 4 wickets at the close, with the 75 minutes lost time to come the next day, the West Indies was cherishing hopes of victory.

For 75 minutes of the following day, England batted against hovering fielders before the Test ended with the West Indies on top, England falling at 68 for 8.

Sir Garfield Sobers spoke glowing about cricket in Sri Lanka. "Sri Lanka has enormous cricket talent and there seems to be no limit to its future development." Sobers said then. He was invited by the late Gamini Dissanayake to coach Sri Lanka after the country got Test status in 1981. Sobers coached the Sri Lanka team in 1982 to 1983. During his cricket career, Sir Garfield Sobers played 93 Tests, scored 8,023 runs at an average of 57.38 with 26 centuries. He took 235 wickets and held 110 catches.