The Golden Jubilee of the Brisbane tied Test of 1960 was celebrated by the Australian Cricket Society in Sydney yesterday
The Golden Jubilee of the Brisbane tied Test of 1960 was celebrated by the Australian Cricket Society in Sydney yesterday. Four Australian great cricketers - elegant left-handed strokeplayer Neil Harvey, all-rounders Alan Davidson and Bob Simpson and opening batsman Colin McDonald -- who had played in that famous Test were invited and interviewed.
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| Ian Meckiff is run out and the West Indian fielders celebrate Test cricket's first tie in Brisbane, 1960 |
Fast-medium bowlers Frank Misson and Des Hoare also played later on Tests in this electrifying series also joined the panel.
It was a night of nostalgia. What struck me was the photographic memory of the cricketers, two of them (Harvey and Davidson) in their eighties. They recalled each ball of the Test as if it was 50 days ago and not 50 years ago. Experienced interviewer Ronald Cardwell brought the best out of them with probing questions.
In that Brisbane epic Davidson became the first batsman to do the double of 100 runs (44 and 80) and 10 wickets (11-222). He recalled, "Just before the Test I had broken the top joint of my bowling finger and had to pass the medical. I had bowled with a broken finger throughout the match and still took 11 wickets. Don Bradman later remarked tongue-in-cheek, "Can you break your finger before every Test, Alan?"!
This was more than just an exciting Test, the players concurred. "After the series we just sat dazed at first and then chatted, the camaraderie between the rivals was amazing", added Davidson. "I am still in touch with some of the West Indies cricketers who played in that Test series."
According to Harvey, Frank Worrell was the best captain. Simpson thought that Sonny Ramadhin bowled doosras decades before the term was invented.
All were of the opinion that Garry Sobers was a sublime batsman and Wes Hall the fastest bowler they faced.
I asked Harvey, "How come in your time 100 eight-ball overs were bowled in a day? Now we need extra time to finish 90 six-ball overs per day?" "Captains take too long to set fields", he replied. "Also bowlers have exaggerated run-ups. In the 1948 Leeds Test against England as many as 128 six-ball overs were bowled on one day. Both captains did their bit to speed up the game. It takes two to tango."
Davidson recalled, "In the 1959 Kanpur Test against India, I bowled 53.5 overs in one day."
McDonald opined, "We did not carry on like current players. We were just as keen but didn't celebrate like now."
