Sobers Was “Goldmine” For Notts Cricket

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31781, 11 September 1968, Page 19

Sobers Was “Goldmine” For Notts Cricket

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) LONDON. He has been called the Nottinghamshire goldmine—the West Indian who lifted the county cricket club from last to fourth in a season and started the Notts turnstiles clicking again.

Garfield Sobers, Nottinghamshire’s $10,714 a year investment, has made the county a force again in English cricket.

In 11 seasons, Nottinghamshire finished ninth once, fifteenth three times, sixteenth twice, and five times bottom of the table.

In the 1967 season, Notts did not win a single county championship match. But this

season it has finished fourth with seven wins to its credit. The Notts batsman, B. J. Bolus, a former England player, and the only teamriiate to score more runs than Sobers during the season, said: “The biggest lesson Gary has given to county cricket is that he has played every minute of every game for his side. He has never played for himself, otherwise he would have got many more runs and wickets.”

Sobers, a year-round cricketer, topped th Notts batting averages with 1570 runs at 44.85, and was second in the bowling with 81 wickets, costing 23.23. He has taken more catches—2s—than anybody else, apart from the wicketkeeper, D. Murray. After a dynamic season against England in the West Indies, followed by his splendid English county season, Sobers will lead the West Indies against Australia later this year. Notts membership shot up by 1500 during the season to 5600 and the total of spectators doubled on the 1967 season.

Bolus said: “It has taken a West Indian who had never before played county cricket to show us all how it should be played. “He is a wonderful cricketer with great qualities as

a player and a leader, and he was bound to succeed. The committee could hardly have realised what a goldmine they had obtained.” The Notts chairman. Mr R. Milnes, said: “Results show Sobers’s ability and leadership. He is a magnificent cricketer, a great character and the team has responded wonderfully to his captaincy.” While the accountants work out how much Sobers has meant to Notts in hard cash, a Notts spectator summed it up: “He is worth every penny. He has brought joy to cricket. He has salvaged our lost pride.”