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We knew it has to end sometime. I knew that too. I was no longer in the West Indies, but a short-wave radio was at hand and I took in as much of as I could.

It was an innings to remember and, it could only have come from the greatest, complimented with a rare long partnership with someone of equal stature.


And, here for a taste.

291..Viv..just beautiful, powerful, batting at its best

The best century I ever followed was on radio, although I saw the highlights a few weeks later. That was when Fredericks scored 169 against Thommo and Lillie at Perth in 1975. It was a brutal demolition of the world's fastest bowlers on the world's fastest wicket.

In reply to ProWI

Sobers easily the greatest cricketer.

In reply to Baje

At 12 yrs old - the awsome test century I jave seen was none other than Brian Lara's 153 not out at Kensington Oval. That century have been etched in my Brain forever.

I was there when Sobers said: I have seen enough - "this could give me a heart attack"- it was that good and the way he protect the tail.

Awsome batting is all I could say!

The video


153 not out

In reply to ProWI

They said that the 132 in the tie test in Aussieland was a gem, 25 four in 132 run, 132 minutes of batting .

In reply to tc1

He was the greatest stand and deliver batsman. Looking at the videos on his batting, I have not seen any time when he left his crease to play a shot. He stood and hit or he stepped back and hit the ball to all parts of the ground. I never see him skipped down the wicket to play the spin. I wonder if he was ever stumped by any wicket-keeper.

In reply to jelfew


If you are speaking about the 150 n.o, I noticed it too, he could not move as his knees were in very bad shape.I saw him got mis- stumped against Guyana as Gibbs drew him out, he was about 26 and when on to score 200 plus. Gibbs cuss the wicket keeper all the way back to Guyana

In reply to tc1
Oh yes, he was recovering from knee surgery, but the other videos I have seen was the same stance and play. His hands were so quick and he was able to play so free around the wicket. He was my favourite batsman until Lara came.

I remember going to Sabina Park specially to see him bat. Watched him walk to the crease with his collar up (his swagger is better than Viv) face one ball and is walking back to the pavilion. I cried. I was not brave enough to go back and lost out on that magnificent 133. Almost the same thing happenned to me when Lara and Adams batted the whole day against Australia after the Windies had lost three quick wickets the previous day. I missed out on Lara great double century.

In reply to jelfew

I miss a lot of cricket due to migrating at an early age. the one element that stood out to me is the bond between him and all the WI players that played with him, they loved him and always spoke about what a genius he was, very humble. His bonding with Collie Smith was great.
Lara and Adams seem to have had a special bonding

Dukes soon come to give us his tributes

My test century to remember apart from Lara's 153 was Gordon Greenwich's masterful 220 in Barbados. Who remembers Carlisle Best 166? That was also a masterpiece. His first scoring shot/first ball? in test cricket was a 6.