Sir Garfield Sobers RIP

[Ken Gargett]

very sad to hear of the passing of Garry Sobers, one of the absolute elite sportsmen in history. no doubt bradman was the greatest batsman but Sobers was a brilliant batsman, superb quick, wonderful spinner, could field in slips as well as anyone, or in the outfield. and a very good captain. 

met him a  few years ago. had a very quick chat. lovely man.

my old man always said that his 130 odd in the tied test was the greatest innings he ever saw played. 

RIP. 

[JohnS]

Your dad never saw the 254 that Sobers hit for a World XI team against Australia in 1971-72 at the MCG (the World XI toured that year to compensate for the cancelled South African tour)? I think there weren't enough fielders on the cover boundary to stop him that day.

https://playinstatscricket.substack.com/p/the-day-sobers-silenced-lillee-a

Vale Sir Garfield Sobers. You will be missed!

[Ken Gargett]

27 minutes ago, JohnS said:

Your dad never saw the 254 that Sobers hit for a World XI team against Australia in 1971-72 at the MCG (the World XI toured that year to compensate for the cancelled South African tour)? I think there weren't enough fielders on the cover boundary to stop him that day.

https://playinstatscricket.substack.com/p/the-day-sobers-silenced-lillee-a

Vale Sir Garfield Sobers. You will be missed!

john, he certainly did and he raved about it. it was a brilliant innings. i remember it. he spanked Lillee - and just where one ranks Lillee amongst the great fast bowlers, and personally, if not top then certainly top two or three - all over the MCG. but Dad still ranked Brisbane higher (i told Sobers that). 

i saw him play at the Gabba on that tour against Queensland in the warm up game (too young to be allowed into the members for tests which pissed me off enormously). he came out late on the first day and was clearly a bit bored with the game. he cracked five fours in an over or two - all brilliant shots - and then got hit in the pads (members at the Gabba is behind the bowlers arm so we had a great view). pretty certain he was out but he did not wait. walked. only time i have seen a bloke walk on an LBW.

a day or two later, the last session was washed out. mates and myself were waiting for our fathers to collect us. we just about lived at the Gabba. used to play our cricket under the stands. out came gavaskar, bishen bedi (one more i can't recall) and we had a great chat with them. terrific blokes. so kind of them to come over to 3-4 kids and chat. made our day, for sure. i think i was 11 or 12 and already taller than gavaskar. 

one thing about that 3rd test. Lillee still picked up something like 8 or 9 for 180 for the match. 

[Ken Gargett]

john, apologies. that 20 from Sobers was the warm up game for the 68/69 series against the west indies, not the rest of the world.