Sir Garfield Sobers - a naturalized citizen of Australia!

by A.C. de Silva

Australians have always harboured a 'healthy' stand about the value of importing overseas players into the Sheffield Shield competition.

It wasn't until 1961-62 that the doors were opened and that was only as a result of the remarkable "Tied Test" series between Australia and the West Indies the year before.

Frank Worrell's troupe of gifted entertainers hand woken up cricket in Australia after a decade of slumber of fans right across the country wanted a further taste of calypso magic. The two bastions of cricket tradition in Australia, New South Wales and Victoria, kept the bolts on the door securely fastened, but the younger, more entrepreneurial cricketing States-Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia took a part on contracting three of the most successful and charismatic West Indians (Wes Hall, Gary Sobers and Rohan Kanhai) and their gambles paid high dividends.

All three played memorable cricket, with both Hall and Kanhai returning for a second for a second summer in Australia. Perhaps only those who have had the chance of being face to face with Sobers on the field can fully appreciate his greatness.

Sobers - the star

A moment to remember was that January day back in 1972 when Sobers clobbered a faultless 254 for the Rest of the World against Australia, spearheaded by the fiery Lillee, still further back, in that 'tied Test' at Brisbane in 1960, didn't he make a magnificent 132, described by Jack Fingleton as an innings that ranked with Stan McCabe's 187 against the Englishmen at Sydney in 1932, hailed as the greatest piece of batting ever!

While Sobers not only spent three seasons playing for South Australia and breaking record after record, he also married an Australian girl and became a naturalised citizen.

The success of this venture opened the doors for other imports, not only Englishman looking for employment during the nothern winter.

Tony Lock helped Lillee

The cause was made easier by the arrival of Tony Lock in Perth. The tough and brash Surrey spinner appeared to be as much Australian in spirit as the locals. His loud appealing and never-say-die attitude during his eight seasons of duty to the State (seven as captain) rubbed off an his charges in particular one Dennis Keith Lillee. "He led the team and his personal dedication set a standard which was hard to follow," Lillee recalled in a biography.

Lock was always uncompromising in attitude, which proved a vital factor in Lillee's development. "The old compaigner was like a father to me, encouraging me to bowl fast and never criticising me for inaccuracy as long as I was fast."Australian off-spinner Ashley Mallett, had equal respect for Lock's ability, both as captain and bowler, but his mortgage on the WA spinner's berth (especially as Mallett had no batting pretensions) meant that he had to move to Adelaide), where (this time, fortunately) he had no opposition and quickly developed into a Test-class spinner.

Sandgopers

Lock himself established a West Australian bowling record of 316 wickets (at 24.5 per victim) but even more importantly for his adopted home he took the 'Sandgropers' to only their second Shield title on 1967-68.

Lock's success proved to Australian cricket administrators that English players could be as valuable as West Indian players, even if they were less flamboyant.

Milburn's 181 - the talk of the town

But in Colin Milburn they got both success and flamboyance. The rotund Northants opener won his way into the hearts of all Australian cricket fan with his fire approach to batting, and his wonderful sense of humour. He joined 'Locky's Mob' - as the Western Australian team became known in 1966-67 and made his intentions known from his very first match as the Adelaide Oval. His 129 came in just 95 minutes, with the majority in boundaries, as he never enjoyed the sharp single.However, it was an innings of 243, including 181 between lunch and tea, against Queensland at the Gabba which remains in the minds of Australian Cricket followers. A crowed of 3,000 watched the ruddy-faced Melbourn smash 38 fours and four sixes against the hapless Queensland captain Peter Burge congratulated him in the dressing room on behalf of all fat men.