ON THIS DAY
Follow UsOne can't think of many, or perhaps any, names in world cricket who needed just four international matches to be inducted into the prestigious ICC Hall of Fame club. But, such was the talent of South Africa's Barry Richards that one series and four Tests were enough for him to convince everyone about his greatness.
Known for his impeccable technique and effortless strokeplay, the right-handed batsman could exquisitely time the ball to almost all parts of the ground with devastating precision. Not known for his power-hitting, Richards would bank mostly on his footwork and movements to score runs with utmost grace.
Such flawless was his technique that he could score runs with equal proficiency on both his back and front foot. His batting exhibition on the international and domestic circuits had the world in awe of his strength on the off-side. Richards’ cover drives were a sight to behold, and his temperament was tailor-made for Test cricket. However, it was his journey that was more interesting.
Born on July 21, 1945, Richards was an ardent lover of cricket since childhood. However, he couldn’t focus on it in a full-fledged manner as he had to provide a livelihood for his family. He worked as a clerk in a South Africa Mutual Insurance Company in his early days before his game was finally noticed by Gloucestershire Club, who offered him a playing spot in the Second XI.
While Richards did well for Gloucestershire, it was for Hampshire that he would play his best county cricket. Prior to the 1968 season, 22-year-old Richards had famously stated his intent to garner 2000 runs for the team. While it was labelled ambitious by many, the young kid would end that season with a whopping 2395 runs at an average of 47.90, scoring five centuries in the process.
Though Barry was included to play in the South Africa national cricket team in 1966, two years before his majestic season with Hampshire, his involvement in a brawl in an Australian hotel led him to miss out from the playing XI. However, the rate at which he scored runs couldn’t be ignored for long, and he was selected again for a home series against Australia in 1970.
Unfortunately, it was the only series Richards would ever play internationally but somehow, he seemed to have known this. The four-match Test series saw Richards garner an astonishing 508 runs at an average of 72.57, hitting two centuries and two fifties, as the visitors were handed a 4-0 whitewash.
His best display, however, had come in the fourth and final Test match at the Wanderers Stadium. Chasing an uphill target of 398 runs given by Australia, Richards would go on to score an unbeaten 140-run knock, thus making a literal mockery of bowlers like Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thomson, and Max Walker.
This would be the last time Richards had graced international cricket as South Africa went into sporting isolation during the apartheid era. Richards, however, would go on to play more First-class cricket, scoring 28358 runs in 339 matches at an average of 54.74, where he had 80 centuries and 152 half-centuries.
