ON THIS DAY
Follow UsBefore this historic innings, Barry Richards had faced Australia just once, which was, unfortunately, his last international outing against the side. Australia had toured South Africa in 1970 for four Tests, and Richards had scored two centuries and two half-centuries across seven innings, tallying a mammoth 508 runs at an average of 72.57.
However, the Durban lad was still a relatively unknown talent in Australia, a perception that had changed forever after the Sheffield Shield match between South Australia and Western Australia, which kickstarted on November 20, 1970. More than the tally, the venue of WACA made Richards’ knock iconic.
For the uninitiated, what makes Perth’s WACA a “furnace” is the superior amount of clay that constitutes its pitch, thus making it extremely fast and bouncy on a dry and hard track. However, that alone doesn’t make WACA a graveyard for batsmen. In addition to the clay, Perth's humidity also helps maintain the ball's direction when released from the hand, lending less swing but more after strike with the ball getting older.
The trouble doesn’t end there, though. The afternoon breeze that the southwest coastal areas of West Australia receive also makes WACA a delicious place for both swing bowlers. In case these weren't enough, the high temperature in Perth causes more cracks on the pitch, thus making it almost impossible for batsmen to adjust and sustain.
Hence, it wasn’t surprising to see Western Australia opting to bowl first. Recalling the pitch that day, Richards had said, “I realized during the practice nets before the match what a bouncy track it was - it was very shiny and your studs wouldn't go in. There was plenty of pace, and I had never experienced as much bounce as that before.”
Apart from the pitch and weather conditions that were almost unconducive for batting, a look at Western Australia’s bowling line-up had almost cemented the perception that South Australia would struggle for breath on the first day. However, what was a challenge for most 1960s batsmen was an opportunity for Richards. Perhaps this is why he was inducted into ICC’s Hall of Fame, having played just one Test series - four matches.
The right-handed batsman was widely recognized for his flawless technique and effortless strokeplay, which allowed him to precisely time the ball at nearly every part of the ground with devastating accuracy. Richards was never a powerful hitter and primarily relied on his footwork and movements to score runs as gracefully as possible.
Hence, WACA's feisty and bouncy pitch allowed him to get into his elements as Richards’ impeccable technique helped him find gaps with geometrical precision both while playing on the front foot as well as the back foot.
Opening the batting with John Causby, who made way for the great Ian Chappell soon, it was all Barry Richards throughout the day, despite Chappell tallying a gritty 129 on the first day as well. By the time Day 1 ended, South Australia were 513/3, with Richards unbeaten on 325 and Ken Cunningham on six.
Richards would fall to a controversial LBW decision the next morning, but he had already batted 372 minutes to tally a 356-run knock that had one six and a whopping 48 fours. He had brought his first 100 runs in 125 minutes, the next in 209 minutes and the third in 317 minutes.
Richards’ tally remained the highest score in first-class cricket in a single day’s play for almost 24 years until Brian Lara remained unbeaten on 501, scoring 390 of those in a single day in Birmingham while playing for Warwickshire against Durham. However, the bowling line-up of Western Australia, which had Dennis Lillee, Graham McKenzie, Ian Brayshaw, Tony Mann and Tony Lock, was way superior to what Lara faced.
However, the bowling line-up only made Richards better. “I think the quality of their attack, which also included Tony Lock, helped me maintain a higher than usual level of concentration. It all began with a quarter of an hour of reconnaissance before I got off the mark, a period of adjustment to the pace of that delightful wicket.”
The South African played like a possessed man on the day, with greats like McKenzie and Lillee conceding 101 and 117 runs, respectively. Summing up his innings, Richards would perfectly put these words in his autobiography, The Barry Richards Story, “That evening when Lillee bowled the last ball of the day, I simply walked down the wicket, drove the ball back past him to the sight screen for four and, without breaking stride, continued towards the pavilion: 325 not out,” Richards recalled in his autobiography.
South Africa’s isolation didn’t allow Richards to play internationally, but he would score 28,358 runs with an average of 54.74, a career that had 80 centuries and 152 half-centuries.
