Barber Hits 104 Before Lunch

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30512, 6 August 1964, Page 18

Barber Hits 104 Before Lunch

(N.Z. Press Association-Copyright)

BIRMINGHAM, August 5

The Warwickshire left-hand opening batsman, R. Barber, hit 104 before lunch in the first day’s play against Australia at Edgbaston today. At lunch, the county had scored 168 for one in two hours.

Barber, who should have been caught when 42, had another escape at 98—both chances went to first slip. Barber reached his 100 in 118 minutes with 15 fours. In one of the most substandard bowling displays ever given by an Australian touring team, the Warwick-

shire openers. Barber and N. Horner, thrashed the attack to put on 97 at better than a run-a-minute for the first wicket. Then Horner played a short ball from R. M. Cowper straight into W. M. Lawry’s hands at mid-wicket. Nearly Run Out

At 99, and with only four deliveries remaining to lunch. Barber dropped a ball only a yard or two in front of him and set off for a run. Seeing the danger as N. C. O’Neill closed in he dived to the crease and in doing so lost his grip on the bat.

He was still outside the crease, with the bat handle about a yard out of his reach, and had the Australian fieldsmen been aware of the fact they could easily have run him out.

But it was ail so friendly, and K. D. McKenzie’s next delivery was a full toss on the leg which Barber gratefully hit to the boundary. Scores:— WARWICKSHIRE First Innings N. Horner, c Lawry. b Cowper .. <2 R. Barber, not out .. 104 W. J. Stewart, ret. hurt .. 12 M. J. K. Smith, not out .. 4 Extras .. .. « Total (lor 1 wkt.) .. 108 Fall of wicket: one for 97 Bowling.—McKenzie. 0/44: Connolly, 0/33; Cowper; 1/59; Martin, 0/26.