On this day in 1958: Garry Sobers turns his maiden Test century into 365*
Described as a ‘five in one cricketer’ by Donald Bradman, West Indies swashbuckling batsman Garry Sobers was a legend in the truest sense of the world. Hailed as the greatest all-rounders of all time to grace the gentleman’s game, Garry was a technically sound batsman who could deliver left-arm orthodox spin as well as left-arm swing and was nothing less than a live wire on the cricket field.
After some stunning performances in the domestic circuit, Garry Sobers was handed his maiden Test cap for the Caribbean nation at the tender age of 17 in a game against England on March 30, 1954. However, the coming four years were frustrating for the all-rounder as he was yet to score big. Till the beginning of the 1957-58 winter, his highest score stood at 66.
The epic knock
The Pakistan tour of West Indies for a five-match Test series in 1957-58 changed things for Garry Sobers and he was finally able to script his maiden hundred in the purest format of the game. The third Test at Sabina Park in Kingston began with visiting Pakistan winning the toss and electing to bat first. In the first innings, the Men in Green managed to post an above-par total of 328 runs on the board.
In reply, the Caribbean batsman took the match field by a storm as they launched an assault on the opposition bowlers. Garry Sobers, who had come to bat at Number 3, along with opening batsman Conrad Hunte scripted a memorable partnership as the two together took West Indies to a mammoth total of 533. Hunte departed after scoring 260, but this was not the end as Clyde Walcott and Sobers entered into another partnership to shift the momentum completely towards their side by racking up a humongous total of 790 runs on the board.
Sobers reached his much-awaited hundred after 197 minutes at the crease. It took him just 58 minutes to further add 50 more runs to his scoreboard. Finally, after a hustle of four minutes short of ten hours, the batsman touched the golden figure of 300 runs. He is the youngest cricketer to date at the age of 21 years and 216 days to smash a triple hundred in the international circuit.
Garry Sobers’ career-defining knock of not out 365 runs finally came to an end after the skipper declared their innings at 790/3. The heroics of Sobers ensured that West Indies won the game and went up by 2-0 in the Test series against Pakistan.
