Gary Newbon: I’ll bet all-round cricket star Garry Sobers had SIX appeal

The first time I met the world’s greatest ever all-rounder Garry Sobers was to place a horse racing bet while he was captaining the West Indies.

The date was late May 1966. The match was Cambridge University versus West Indies at Fenner’s in Cambridge. I was 21 years old and a journalist with Jeacock’s News and Sport Agency in my home city.

I was reporting in the press box when I had as message to say the legendary groundsman Cyril Coote wanted to see me in the pavilion straight away. I raced over to the great old pavilion that no longer exists and Mr Coote took me to the top floor and the West Indies dressing room.

“Do you know where the nearest betting shop is, kid?” I was asked by the West Indian captain. “Yes, Mr Sobers,” I replied.

Sobers then pulled a roll of high tenners out of his pocket and peeled off £100 for me to place on an odds-on shot that was running in the evening meeting at the now defunct Alexandra Park. I was on £8 a week before deductions. So I thought this must be a racing certainly so I put my £5 on.

Lesson learnt – the selection was unplaced and is probably still running! Early setback for young Newbon.

The bank of family Newbon had to rescue me!

For the record, the West Indies won by 174 runs. They made 345 with Sobers batting at five scoring 83. Rohan Kanhai (Warwickshire) scored 45 as first wicket down.

And 169 for 6 declared in their second innings with Kanhai scoring 38 and Sobers deciding not to bat.

The university had top players in those days. They made 220 with future England captain Mike Brearley scoring only nine and West Indian star Deryck Murray out for a duck.

They only made four and 11 respectively in the second innings with Cambridge all out for 120.

As a bowler, Sobers took three wickets for 56 runs in the first innings and then two for 38 in the second.

Many years later, I interviewed Sobers at a Lords Taverners Charity Dinner at the Worcestershire ground in New Road. I reminded Garry about the £5 I had lost on his odds-on selection in Cambridge in 1966. He peeled off a £5 and paid me (no interest but hey!).

Sobers is now 87 and those passing his Barbados home still hear the horse racing commentaries on his home television. Sir Garfield St Aubrun Sobers, known as Sir Garry, played 93 full Tests for the West Indies from 1954 to 1974.

He batted left-handed and scored 8032 runs with Test average of 57.78 runs, notched 26 centuries and thirty half centuries. His top score was 365 not out against Pakistan in 1958. It was also his maiden century!

His bowling was left arm medium and as well slow left arm spin.

He took 235 Test wickets at an average of 34.03. Six times he took five wickets in an innings. His best bowling figures were six wickets for 73 runs.

He was an aggressive batsman and he was a brilliant catcher holding 109 in total. He was 17 years old when he made his Test debut.

He even took an England wicket in his debut over!

In this country he is remembered when on August 31, 1968, he became the first batsman to hit six boundary 6s in a single over off consecutive balls in the first class game.

The first four went straight out the ground and although he was ‘caught’ on the fifth delivery by Glamorgan’s Roger Davis on the long-off boundary the umpire ruled that Davis had carried the ball over the line. Sobers was captaining Nottinghamshire in Swansea. The ‘victim’ bowler was Malcolm Nash.

Garry was one of the many subjects in my Sky Sports series Sporting Heroes. I was delighted to include him in my hour-long shows when I examined the careers of the biggest names in sport.

I had checked with Sobers before if he was prepared to discuss the fatal car accident which resulted in the death of his talented West Indian team mate Collie Smith in September 1959.

I could tell he was not keen so I tried to word the question carefully so that he did not have to answer it by saying: “After looking at your great cricketing career do you have any regrets?”

Sobers said: “I know what you are getting at,” and in fairness went on to talk briefly about playing for Ratcliffe Cricket club in the Central Lancashire League. He was driving the car on the A34 near Stoke on Trent when it was involved in an accident.

Collie died three days later from his injuries.

Sobers found it so difficult to get over this trauma.

Eventually he did and decided not just to play for Garry Sobers but for Collie Smith as well.

Sobers was a proper man on and off the cricket field. It is a pleasure to include him in my memories and experiences.