Diminutive and scintillating Everton Weekes, scourge of Indian spinners. Excerpt from Indra Vikram Singh’s book ‘Don’s Century’

The diminutive Everton Weekes was a scintillating strokeplayer, quick on his feet and particularly strong on the off-side.

He scored hundreds in five consecutive Test innings, beginning with the fourth and final match of his first series, as he hit up 141 against England at Kingston in 1947-48. Then during the tour to India in 1948-49, Weekes scored 128 at Delhi, 194 at Bombay, and a century in each innings - 162 and 101 - at Calcutta. In his next outing at Madras, he was run out for 90, the West Indies winning the only Test that produced a result in the series.

For good measure, Weekes scored 56 and 48 in the final Test, back at the Brabourne Stadium. He set the pattern as the West Indies won the toss in all five matches and batted first on easy-paced wickets. The bulk of the bowling was done by the spin twins, left-armer Vinoo Mankad and off-spin exponent Ghulam Ahmed, with one medium-pacer of some quality being Dattu Phadkar. It was, nevertheless, a triumph of concentration, patience and brilliant strokeplay, as Weekes logged up 779 runs in the series at an average of 111.28.       

When it was the turn of the Indians to make a return tour of the Caribbean islands four years later, Weekes was just as severe on their hapless bowlers. By now leg-spinner Subhash Gupte had joined Mankad. Again the West Indies triumphed 1-0, with the lone win coming at Bridgetown. Weekes scored 207 at Port of Spain, 47 and 15 in the relatively low-scoring game at Bridgetown, 161 and 55 not out again at Port of Spain, 86 at Georgetown, and 109 and 36 at Kingston. That was a total of 716 runs at 102.28 per innings.

Weekes scored three centuries in the 1955-56 series in New Zealand. But, like Neil Harvey, he did not replicate such successes when confronted by the stronger attack of England, as also Australia, never scoring more than one century in any series against them.

On his first tour of England in 1950, though, in first-class matches Weekes scored a triple century and four double centuries. Only Bradman had six scores of 200 or more on an English tour two decades earlier.

In 48 Tests Weekes scored 4455 runs at an average of 58.61, notching up 15 hundreds.

(Author Indra Vikram Singh can be contacted on email singh_iv@hotmail.com).

Don’s Century

Published in India by Sporting Links

ISBN 978-81-901668-5-0

Fully illustrated

Paperback French Fold 11 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches

188 pages

Neil Harvey, one of the most delightful left-handed batsmen. Excerpt from Indra Vikram Singh’s book ‘Don’s Century’

In Bradman’s penultimate Test series against India in 1947-48, a short-statured brilliant left-handed batsman, Neil Harvey, made his debut. At 19 years he became Australia’s youngest Test player as well as centurion. He went on to notch up the highest aggregate as well as centuries for the country - after Bradman, that is - 6149 runs (average 48.41) and 21 hundreds in 79 Tests. Statistics, though, neither interested him unduly, nor told his real tale.

Not surprisingly for a small man, Harvey was quick on his feet, at the crease as well as in the field. He would regularly skip down the wicket to the spinners, and these attributes made him a wonderful player on turning tracks. He was not loath to advance forward at times even to the pacemen. A terrific strokeplayer on the off-side, Harvey was not one to leave alone too many deliveries outside his off-stump. To short-pitched bowling, he employed the Bradman method of Bodyline vintage, of stepping away, allowing himself a free swing of his arms and smashing the ball through the covers.

Doubtlessly a joy to behold, Harvey was extremely swift between the wickets and in the covers. He prowled around a vast expanse of turf, darting to the ball and making lightning right-handed returns bang on top of the stumps. During the later stages he excelled in the slips. Neil Harvey was a thrilling sight on the field.

So abundantly talented was he, that he scored a century in his first club match, first outing for Victoria and second Test, a brilliant 153 at Melbourne. On the 1948 Invincibles tour, Harvey got his chance only in the fourth Test at Leeds after Sidney Barnes dropped out due to injury. The youngster promptly hit up a hundred on first appearance against England. With Australia reeling at 68 for three, Bradman having been dismissed for 33, Harvey and Miller launched a terrific counter-attack on the English bowling. Harvey scored 112, and never looked back thereafter.

Harvey’s best, though, came in two Test series against South Africa. In 1949-50 he hit up 660 runs at an average of 132, with 4 hundreds. He was even more prolific when the South Africans made a return visit three years later. Amassing 834 runs at an average of 92.66, Harvey again logged up four centuries, including his top Test score of 205 at Melbourne. Only Bradman had hit four hundreds in a series thrice. Clyde Walcott became the lone batsman to slam five tons in a rubber in 1954-55, a series in which Harvey too thrived. Herbert Sutcliffe and Sunil Gavaskar are the only other batsmen to score four hundreds in a series twice. Harvey’s aggregate of 834 in 1952-53 was the third-highest ever after Bradman’s 974 in 1930 and Hammond’s 905 in 1928-29. Australia’s Mark Taylor amassed 839 in the 1989 Ashes series.

When Frank “Typhoon” Tyson decimated Australia in 1954-55, Harvey was one batsman who stood up to the frightening pace. He scored a superb 162 at Brisbane, and then in the Sydney Test battled for four-and-a-half hours in adversity, grinding out a courageous and skillful 92, rated as one of his best knocks.

The tour to the Caribbean islands that followed would then have been a big relief. Harvey scored 650 runs at an average of 108.33, with 2 centuries and a double century as Australia continued their dominance of the West Indies.

Like Everton Weekes, Harvey was rarely at his best when facing England, barring the flying start in 1948 and the gutsy displays against Tyson. In 37 Tests over 15 years, he never scored more than one hundred in any of his eight series against the Old Enemy. As if to emphasise the point, Jim Laker handed him a pair in that famous Test at Old Trafford in 1956. Neil Harvey, nevertheless, was one of the most delightful left-handers the game has seen.

(Author Indra Vikram Singh can be contacted on email singh_iv@hotmail.com).

Don’s Century

Published in India by Sporting Links

ISBN 978-81-901668-5-0

Fully illustrated

Paperback French Fold 11 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches

188 pages

The finest left-handed batsmen in cricket's annals

Clem Hill (Australia) ….. Tests span: 1896-1912, Matches 49, Highest Score 191, Runs 3,412, Average 39.21, 7 Hundreds, 19 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1892-1923, Matches 252, Highest Score 365*, Runs 17,213, Average 43.57, 45 Hundreds, 83 Fifties.

Frank Woolley (England) ….. Tests span: 1909-1934, Matches 64, Highest Score 154, Runs 3,283, Average 36.07, 5 Hundreds, 23 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1906-1938, Matches 978, Highest Score 305*, Runs 58,959, Average 40.77, 145 Hundreds, 295 Fifties.

Arthur Morris (Australia) ….. Tests span: 1946-1955, Matches 46, Highest Score 206, Runs 3,533, Average 46.48, 12 Hundreds, 12 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1940-1955, Matches 162, Highest Score 290, Runs 12,614, Average 53.67, 46 Hundreds, 46 Fifties.

Bert Sutcliffe (New Zealand) ….. Tests span: 1947-1965, Matches 42, Highest Score 230*, Runs 2,727, Average 40.10, 5 Hundreds, 15 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1941-1966, Matches 233, Highest Score 385, Runs 17,447, Average 47.41, 44 Hundreds, 83 Fifties.

Neil Harvey (Australia) ….. Tests span: 1948-1963, Matches 79, Highest Score 205, Runs 6,149, Average 48.41, 21 Hundreds, 24 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1946-1963, Matches 306, Highest Score 231*, Runs 21,699, Average 50.93, 67 Hundreds, 94 Fifties.

Gary Sobers (West Indies) ….. Tests span: 1954-1974, Matches 93, Highest Score 365*, Runs 8,032, Average 57.78, 26 Hundreds, 30 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1952-1974, Matches 383, Highest Score 365*, Runs 28,314, Average 54.87, 86 Hundreds, 121 Fifties.

Graeme Pollock (South Africa) ….. Tests span: 1963-1970, Matches 23, Highest Score 274, Runs 2,256, Average 60.97, 7 Hundreds, 11 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1960-1987, Matches 262, Highest Score 274, Runs 20,940, Average 54.67, 64 Hundreds, 99 Fifties.

Allan Border (Australia) ….. Tests span: 1978-1994, Matches 156, Highest Score 205, Runs 11,174, Average 50.56, 27 Hundreds, 63 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1976-1996, Matches 385, Highest Score 205, Runs 27,131, Average 51.38, 70 Hundreds, 142 Fifties.

Brian Lara (West Indies) ….. Tests span: 1990-2006, Matches 131, Highest Score 400*, Runs 11,953, Average 52.88, 34 Hundreds, 48 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1987-2008, Matches 261, Highest Score 501*, Runs 22,156, Average 51.88, 65 Hundreds, 88 Fifties.

Matthew Hayden (Australia) ….. Tests span: 1994-2009, Matches 103, Highest Score 380, Runs 8,625, Average 50.73, 30 Hundreds, 29 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1991-2009, Matches 295, Highest Score 380, Runs 24,603, Average 52.57, 79 Hundreds, 100 Fifties.

Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) ….. Tests span: 2000-2015, Matches 134, Highest Score 319, Runs 12,400, Average 57.40, 38 Hundreds, 52 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 2000-2015, Matches 235, Highest Score 319, Runs 18,134, Average 50.51, Hundreds 53, Fifties 77.

Excerpts from Indra Vikram Singh's book 'Don's Century' ..... 15 - Chapter 7 : PEERLESS RUNGETTER AND OTHER MASTERS OF THE WILLOW (17. Australian left-hander Neil Harvey)

In Bradman’s penultimate Test series against India in 1947-48, a short-statured brilliant left-handed batsman, Neil Harvey, made his debut. At 19 years he became Australia’s youngest Test player as well as centurion. He went on to notch up the highest aggregate as well as centuries for the country - after Bradman, that is - 6149 runs (average 48.41) and 21 hundreds in 79 Tests. Statistics, though, neither interested him unduly, nor told his real tale.

Not surprisingly for a small man, Harvey was quick on his feet, at the crease as well as in the field. He would regularly skip down the wicket to the spinners, and these attributes made him a wonderful player on turning tracks. He was not loath to advance forward at times even to the pacemen. A terrific strokeplayer on the off-side, Harvey was not one to leave alone too many deliveries outside his off-stump. To short-pitched bowling, he employed the Bradman method of Bodyline vintage, of stepping away, allowing himself a free swing of his arms and smashing the ball through the covers.

Doubtlessly a joy to behold, Harvey was extremely swift between the wickets and in the covers. He prowled around a vast expanse of turf, darting to the ball and making lightning right-handed returns bang on top of the stumps. During the later stages he excelled in the slips. Neil Harvey was a thrilling sight on the field.

So abundantly talented was he, that he scored a century in his first club match, first outing for Victoria and second Test, a brilliant 153 at Melbourne. On the 1948 Invincibles tour, Harvey got his chance only in the fourth Test at Leeds after Sidney Barnes dropped out due to injury. The youngster promptly hit up a hundred on first appearance against England. With Australia reeling at 68 for three, Bradman having been dismissed for 33, Harvey and Miller launched a terrific counter-attack on the English bowling. Harvey scored 112, and never looked back thereafter.

Harvey’s best, though, came in two Test series against South Africa. In 1949-50 he hit up 660 runs at an average of 132, with 4 hundreds. He was even more prolific when the South Africans made a return visit three years later. Amassing 834 runs at an average of 92.66, Harvey again logged up four centuries, including his top Test score of 205 at Melbourne. Only Bradman had hit four hundreds in a series thrice. Clyde Walcott became the lone batsman to slam five tons in a rubber in 1954-55, a series in which Harvey too thrived. Herbert Sutcliffe and Sunil Gavaskar are the only other batsmen to score four hundreds in a series twice. Harvey’s aggregate of 834 in 1952-53 was the third-highest ever after Bradman’s 974 in 1930 and Hammond’s 905 in 1928-29. Australia’s Mark Taylor amassed 839 in the 1989 Ashes series.

When Frank “Typhoon” Tyson decimated Australia in 1954-55, Harvey was one batsman who stood up to the frightening pace. He scored a superb 162 at Brisbane, and then in the Sydney Test battled for four-and-a-half hours in adversity, grinding out a courageous and skillful 92, rated as one of his best knocks.

The tour to the Caribbean islands that followed would then have been a big relief. Harvey scored 650 runs at an average of 108.33, with 2 centuries and a double century as Australia continued their dominance of the West Indies.

Like Everton Weekes, Harvey was rarely at his best when facing England, barring the flying start in 1948 and the gutsy displays against Tyson. In 37 Tests over 15 years, he never scored more than one hundred in any of his eight series against the Old Enemy. As if to emphasise the point, Jim Laker handed him a pair in that famous Test at Old Trafford in 1956. Neil Harvey, nevertheless, was one of the most delightful left-handers the game has seen. 

(Author Indra Vikram Singh can be contacted on email singh_iv@hotmail.com).