Remembering Sir Garry Sobers: A Kid’s First Test Match and the Greatest Cricketer Ever

My First Ever Test Match

Imagine it’s 9:30 AM on Friday, August 24, 1973. Mum is fussing around, changing her dress and swapping fancy shoes for sensible ones. I’m stressed! We have to drive 40 minutes to Lord’s (a famous cricket ground) and find parking in St John’s Wood. It was the morning of my very first Test match ever.

• West Indies had Garry Sobers (a super cricket star).
• We (England) had Geoff Boycott (a careful batter).
• The referee was Dickie Bird.

We got there late, of course. We sat in a box in the old Grand Stand as guests. I was 15 and wore a tie and jacket to watch cricket, which felt silly.

The day before, Rohan Kanhai scored 100 runs (a “hundred”). At home, I copied his batting against my friend who tried to bowl like Bob Willis. Mum stopped us when the roses got squashed.

What Made Sobers So Special?

Nobody played cricket like Sobers. Here’s why:

• His bat looked like part of his arm.
• He threw the ball like a bullet.
• His finger-spin was okay; wrist-spin not as good.
• He caught balls easily and fielded like a hunting animal.
• He moved like water, was super fast, smiled warmly, and had big hangovers!
• He was cool. He was like a cricket god.

Important: Sobers was playing for West Indies that day, and Mum was still trying on shoes!

The Day Sobers Batted at Lord’s

Back at Lord’s, Sobers started slow, which was worrying. He was older and would retire within a year. But when Bernard Julien came in cheerful, Sobers woke up and hit the ball everywhere!

• All five England bowlers went for over 100 runs each.
• Tony Greig: 180 runs given, but took 3 wickets.
• Bob Willis: 4 wickets for 118 runs in 35 overs (that’s a lot of bowling!).
• Geoff Arnold, Derek Underwood, and Ray Illingworth were all hit around.

He made 150 runs; West Indies scored 652 for 8 (they stopped batting).

Bow in the presence of greatness: at Lord’s in 1973, Sobers, in the winter of his career, made 150 in a West Indies total of 652 for 8 declared © PA Photos/Getty Images

Sobers hit back-foot drives (shots while leaning back), lifting off his feet. His bat spun a full circle and hit his bottom! Wild to watch. Brian Lara later played like him but not as hard.

Seeing him live was thrilling. For every boring Boycott block, there was a Sobers smash. One made your heart race.

How He Played and a Famous Photo

During that innings, Sobers left briefly with a tummy upset (probably hangover) but came back same as before.

His rules:

• Play back (lean back) to fast bowling.
• Play forward to slow bowling.
• His eyes were so sharp he played with the ball’s movement.

There’s a photo at the Melbourne Cricket Ground of Dennis Lillee bowling and Sobers totally still, bat on ground. That was from his 254 runs in 1972, called the best innings ever by Sir Donald Bradman.

Important: Bradman said Sobers was the greatest cricketer. Better than Kallis, Miller, Imran, Botham, Kapil, Hadlee, Stokes. He played free, like on a beach, no helmet, tiny pad.

Sobers in an Australian dressing room with the antagonists of his day: Dennis Lillee, bottom left, and Doug Walters, first from right © Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Joining Nottinghamshire

In 1968, Sobers first played for Nottinghamshire on a cold morning.

1. Day before: teammates in nets, hadn’t met him.
2. Midday: slim Garry walks over in sheepskin coat, collar up.
3. Shook hands, offered drinks later.
4. They went pub; he stayed longer.

Next morning:

• He took 3 wickets with left-arm swing.
• Scored 75 not out to win.
• Said: “Well played all you fellas, who we got next round?” Room was amazed.

His Bowling, Fielding, and Records

• Could bowl very fast but often slower with late swing.
• Bowled Boycott with a great inswing (curve) ball.
• Loved fielding close, catching at backward short-leg.
• Started as left-arm spinner, then broke Len Hutton’s record.
• Test runs: 8032 at average near 58.
• Boycott and Ian Chappell called him best batter they saw.

He was one of Wisden’s five cricketers of the 20th century (with Hobbs, Bradman, Richards, Warne).

How He Saw the Ball

On a Barbados night, he told me:

• From the moment ball leaves hand: behind head = pitched up, beside head = good length, in front = short.
• He aimed at half the ball based on angles.

Most of us see a blur. Not Garry.

"Trying to hit the ball so damn hard": Sobers, with his trademark, back-threatening follow-through, circa 1969 © PA Photos/Getty Images

His Likes, Dislikes, and Passing

• Hated pad play and slow bowling.
• Liked flashy players: Ted Dexter, Richie Benaud, Ian Chappell.
• Only he and Bradman are in everyone’s greatest team.

Now, just before his 90th birthday, Sir Garry Sobers died aged 89.

Important: The night before, at Lord’s, Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards, Gordon Greenidge, Brian Lara raised money for cancer. Garry was missing and now missed forever.

Lloyd played in 1973 too. Mum who took me is also gone. That Test had a bomb scare (Dickie Bird sat on covers) and Boycott caught on boundary. I saw it all, but nothing beat Sobers making art from cricket.

Summary

Garry Sobers was a cricket genius: batted, bowled, fielded like no other. A 15-year-old’s first Test in 1973 showed his magic. He died at 89, leaving fans like the author, his mum, and fellow greats heartbroken. He turned cricket into art and made everyone weak at the knees.

FAQ

Q1: Who was Garry Sobers?
A: A West Indies cricket player many call the greatest ever—great at batting, bowling, and fielding.

Q2: What happened at the author’s first Test in 1973?
A: He saw Sobers score 150, West Indies hit lots of runs, a bomb scare, and Boycott caught out.

Q3: Why was Sobers so good?
A: He was natural, saw the ball early, played free, and had every shot and skill.

Q4: How did he die?
A: He passed away at home in Barbados just before turning 90.

Q5: Who thought he was the best?
A: Bradman, Boycott, Chappell, and many fans; only Bradman shares his “all-time team” honor.