The latest journey takes in two Test titans and a hat-trick of one cap wonders.
Matthew Hayden
…was, according to Gus Fraser, something of a riddle. Hugely popular with teammates, the former England and Middlesex seamer described the Aussie opener as “a pig to play against”. Fraser and Vic Marks also note the paradox of his deep religious faith and “ruthless” (Marks) and “nasty” (Fraser) sledging. But Hayden’s impact on Test cricket is unquestionable; he would set the tone for an innings time and again by bullying the opening bowlers and Australian teammate Jason Gillespie suggested “a few of them might have thought about wearing a helmet when they were bowling to him. I did”. Ricky Ponting questioned whether there has even been a better opening batsman in the history of the game, while Glenn McGrath concluded that “his career stands alone”, describing Hayden as “an amazing person and an amazing player”. Prominent on his diamond-studded CV is the second highest individual Test score. The only player to top his 380 against Zimbabwe at Perth in 2003 is…
Brian Lara
…who scored the third highest too, against England in 1994. “He deals in numbers beyond the imagination, comprehension and reach of almost every batsman who has lived,” screamed The Sun as he cruised past Hanif Mohammad’s 499 against Durham for Warwickshire in 1994 to achieve the highest first-class score in the history of the game. “We’re still a good outfit,” mused makeshift Durham skipper John Morris afterwards; the four hapless bowlers who each went for over 150 were probably too busy tending to their bunions to concur. When Lara eclipsed Garry Sobers’ 365 against England in 1994, The Independent noticed that early in the series Lara appeared to squint nervously when facing Devon Malcolm, only for it to transpire that “he has a film-like impediment on both eyes, which will shortly require a minor operation. So there it is. Once Lara can see properly, he should develop into a fairly handy player”. No batsman since Bradman had dipped his bread in the gravy so relentlessly. As a boy, Lara lived in Port of Spain, the birthplace of….
Andy Ganteaume
…who is the only batsman in the history of the game to boast a higher Test batting average than Don Bradman. Granted he only batted once, scoring a debut ton against England in 1948 on his home ground at Port of Spain, but his innings was so sluggish than West Indies skipper Gerry Gomez sent out a note: “I want you to push on now. We are behind the clock and need to score more quickly.” Ganteaume was dismissed immediately, and cricket sociologist Keith Sandiford reflected years later that “Gomez and the majority of contemporary West Indians apparently had not yet learnt the value of occupying the crease. Ganteaume was destined to pay the supreme penalty for his so-called pedestrian approach: he was never selected again”. It did little for what the Trindiad and Tobago Express described as Ganteaume’s “utter contempt” for the cricketing “Establishment”, noting that thereafter he referred to them “in a manner that would not be out of place were it Luke Skywalker or Hans Solo commenting on Darth Vader’s evil Empire”. At the time of writing, Ganteaume is the fourth oldest surviving Test player. On his 85th birthday in 2006, another one-Test wonder died. His name was….
Alec Coxon
…an opening bowler who made his solitary appearance against the Australian Invincibles at Lord’s in 1948. Fellow Tyke Len Hutton pouched Sid Barnes at slip in Coxon’s second over, and though his match figures of 3-172 were unspectacular, nobody collared him and he stubbornly hung around with the bat for 85 minutes in the first innings – no mean feat against Ray Lindwall and co. Like Ganteaume, perhaps other reasons led to his exile. Former teammate Brian Close suggested Coxon had a “harsh and grating manner” and despite his lifelong protestations to the contrary, there was a widespread belief he had clouted Denis Compton during a row. However, while he admitted to disliking the Brylcreem Boy, it almost certainly never happened – but the damage was done. Coxon also turned out for Bradford City, and followed the game keenly until he passed away four days after his 90th birthday. Clive Crickmer, in Wisden, recalled that “…he lifted his pint glass – he only ever drank beer – and said: ‘Here’s to my family, my friends and sport, which have given me such a wonderful life.’ He died the next day.” Another destined to play just one Test was…
Stuart Law
…the Aussie batter who stacked up the runs in county cricket for Essex and Lancashire. Perhaps his biggest misfortune was to be born in Brisbane, for had it been Brighton, Bristol or Bracknell his Test career for England would likely have been long and prolific. 79 first-class hundreds and more than 27,000 first-class runs tell their own story. Perhaps too, his acquisition of British citizenship was a mischievous attempt to prolong a Test career in Blighty. “It would be worth getting a pair just to walk out against the Aussies and hear what they had to say,” he reflected. As it was, his pomp coincided with a golden age for Australia’s middle-order batting and an uncharacteristically stodgy 54 not out against Sri Lanka at Perth in 1995 proved not enough for a second outing. On the other hand, while he may at least have a baggy green, he doesn’t have a Test average. Never short of a quote, when Mongoose launched their MMi3 bat specifically for Twenty20, Law dubbed it “a half-brick on a stick”. Mongoose’s brand ambassador in India is none other than….. Matthew Hayden!
Words: Richard H Thomas
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