The greatest moments ....:

Sydney Barnes - a terror at 65

by A.C. de Silva

Flashback: Australia and England produced the best of friends and keen competitors in the game of cricket in the glorious past. In the good old days Australian Captain Warwick Armstrong was once asked to describe the technique of England's ace bowler Sydney Barnes. "He's the best bowler who ever lived," stated Armstrong flatly.

And that seemed a pretty fair summing up of a man who took 6,225 wickets at an average cost of 8.31 apiece.For over 20 years, the best batsmen in the game feared him as they feared no other. Yet it would have been hard to judge him on figures alone because he played much of his cricket in second-class arenas. There was a very good reason for this. Barnes was notoriously difficult to handle, a man of many moods, and one constantly at war with officialdom.

As a result, the most admired bowler of at least two decades played in only 27 Test matches, a fact for which rival international batsmen were eternally grateful. Although only of brisk military pace and primarily a spinner of the ball, he was a predatory bowler, lean and sinister, who could chill the heart.

Deadly delivery

The Australian left-hander, Clem Hill, described one ball he received from Barnes thus: "He sent it down medium pace and it came straight until halfway, then it swung in across my pads, I thought I could tickle it away to leg for a single. But the ball pitched a shade shorter than I'd anticipated and, believe it or hot , it came back from the pitch and hit my off-stump. Three ruddy balls in one!"

His fast leg break was said to be his most deadly delivery and became known simply as the "Barnes ball".

He was so aggressive, such an 'avowed enemy of all batsmen, that Australians would threaten their children, "If you don't behave, we'll fetch Syd Barnes."

He had brief spells for Warwickshire and Lancashire, but looked upon himself as a Staffordshire man. As the team played only the second elevens to the major counties, the appearance of Barnes caused considerable alarm.

On one such occasion, the two opening batsmen of Lancashire's Second Eleven had just walked out somewhat nervously to face the great man.

In a hurry

One of the lower-order batsmen was leaving the pavilion when his captain asked, "Where are you going, Tom?"

"Well, I thought I'd go behind," said Tom," and have a look at Barney. I've never seen him before."

"Put on your pads," ordered the skipper.

But I'm down in the order at number seven," said Tom.

"Put on your damn pads now", retorted his captain who had a healthy respect for the great man.

So there, in the dressing room, five Lancastrians sat padded up and feerful. As it happened, the Captain's pessimism was amply justified. They were all in and out within half an hour, at which point Barnes had taken six for eight. Like so many of sport's major heroes, Barnes achieved his stardom in a hurry. He had played two matches for Warwickshire and two for Lancashire when the England captain, Archie McLaren chose him as his opening bowler for 1901-02 tour of Australia.

Not the end

The selection was ridiculed by the critics. Barnes answered them in his own way by taking 19 wickets in the first two Tests and looked all set for a record. Then he broke down and played no more on that tour.

During the next 10 years, England played 32 Tests and Barnes appeared in only nine of them something that tells you more about the selectors than the bowler who was already king among his fellows. But it was very far from being the end. At the age of 55, he look 12 for 118 against the West Indies, and 8 for 87 against Lancashire.

In his 60th year, as professional for Rowtenstall, his haul was 113 wickets at seven runs apiece. And at 65, playing for Bridgenorth, he did even better, taking 126 wickets at an average of 6.94. But he didn't really need this span of time to prove his greatness. Just one day at Melbourne in the hot summer of 1912 would have sufficed.

Barnes began that day a sick and moody man. He still hadn't forgiven his captain, Johnny-Won't-Hit-Today. Douglas, for opening the bowling himself in the previous Test - a position that Barnes considered belonged to him and him alone.

Brief respite

Now on a batting paradise. Barnes had been given the ball. But it made no difference to his mood. "Just upon watch," he muttered, "I'll show him."

And show him, he did Barns on that historic morning bowled for an hour and 10 minutes without rest or change nine overs, six maidens, three runs and four wickets. His victims were Warren Bardsley, Charles Kelleway, Clem Hill and Warwick Armstrong legends all.

At that point, Barnes told Douglas, "Every thing's going round and round, I'll have to chuck it. I can hardly see the other end." He had caught some sort of fever the day before and tried to cure it overnight with brandy.But the respite for Australian was brief, Barnes returned at lunch and had them realing at 38 for six.After 11 overs, Barnes had taken five for six - and this on a wicket that should have been a nightmare for bowlers.

Afterwards, Armstrong summed it all up. "Just imagine what would have happened," he said, "if he'd been feeling well."