50 years today, on Saturday, August 31st, 1968, Garfield Sobers became the first player in the history of cricket to hit every ball of an over for six. I was lucky enough to have been there. Sobers was captaining Nottinghamshire that day, in a county game against Glamorgan. His feat, which no other batsman had… Continue reading
Garfield Sobers – genius on a Swansea cricket pitch
Garfield Sobers, by any estimation, was a genius. England fast bowler Fred Trueman described him as a “sublime left-hand batsman” who was “one of the greatest cricketers ever to have graced the game, certainly the greatest all-rounder”. This is the sixth in a series of extracts I am publishing in the lead up to the 50th… Continue reading →
Sobers’ six sixes ground – where tide tables dictated the bowling
“The incoming tide was said to favour the bowlers [at St Helens]. Glamorgan captains of the past such as Wilf Wooller and Maurice Turnbull would consult the tide tables for Swansea Bay before going out to take the toss.” How Garfield Sobers beat cricket’s ultimate record. Extract 5. This is the fifth in a series… Continue reading →
Swansea the setting for cricket history
How Garfield Sobers beat cricket’s ultimate record. Extract 4. This is the fourth in a series of extracts I shall be publishing in August in the lead up to the 50th anniversary of the day, Saturday, August 31st, when Garfield Sobers became the… Continue reading →
Ferry force – two villages linked by swift boat across the Towy
The ferry Glansteffan has begun regular services across the Towy Estuary in West Wales. For years Llansteffan has been a tantalising prospect for people in Ferryside and the many tourists who pass through on the railway that hugs the coast. So close, with a line of prettily coloured waterside houses and the magnificent ruined Norman… Continue reading →
So few subsequent six sixes. That adds lustre to Sobers’ achievement
How Garfield Sobers beat cricket’s ultimate record. Extract 3. This is the third in a series of extracts I am publishing in August in the lead up to the 50th anniversary of the day, Saturday, August 30, when Garfield Sobers became the first player in the history of cricket to hit every ball of an… Continue reading →