Brian Statham - Helped By Higgs To Incomparable Heights

Helped By Higgs To Incomparable Heights

With Ken Higgs providing the support Statham had been yearning for since he began, 1958 marked the beginning of Statham's greatest period. Despite England's "old guard" of May, Laker and Lock collapsing in the Australian tour of 1958/1959 and England losing four-nil, Statham bowled as beautifully as ever. His 7 for 57 at the MCG was regarded as some of the best bowling ever seen at the ground, and represents his best figures against Australia.

In the following two seasons, though pitches in England were covered after play began for the first time, Statham carried all before him both at county and Test level. So good was he that in 1960 his speed and accuracy gave him an average of 10.91 from 19 county matches, and in the Tests against the South Africans he was equally formidable: taking 11 for 97 at Lord's and inflicting only the third "king pair" (out first ball in each innings) on "Tich" Wesley in the third match. The previous year, in an exceptionally dry summer, Statham's consistency was shown by the fact that, with only one haul of six in an innings, he still took 97 wickets for 16.49 each despite missing seven games with a strain. By 1960, Higgs' assistance, gave Lancashire so formidable an opening attack that until mid-August, they looked like winning the Championship. In many games, such as that against Gloucestershire at Bristol, they dominated proceedings so completely that Lancashire won with little support from their batting. Against the West Indies in 1960/1961, Statham confirmed his position as the best bowler in the world with 27 wickets for 20 runs each on pitches offering bowlers very little.

Read more about this topic:  Brian Statham

Famous quotes containing the words helped by, helped, incomparable and/or heights:

    God is not necessary to create culpability, or to punish. Our fellow men are enough for that, helped by ourselves.
    Albert Camus (1913–1960)

    It is remarkable how easily and insensibly we fall into a particular route, and make a beaten track for ourselves. I had not lived there a week before my feet wore a path from my door to the pond-side; and though it is five or six years since I trod it, it is still quite distinct. It is true, I fear, that others may have fallen into it, and so helped to keep it open.
    Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)

    Has the art of politics no apparent utility? Does it appear to be unqualifiedly ratty, raffish, sordid, obscene, and low down, and its salient virtuosi a gang of unmitigated scoundrels? Then let us not forget its high capacity to soothe and tickle the midriff, its incomparable services as a maker of entertainment.
    —H.L. (Henry Lewis)

    Forgetting: that is a divine capacity. And whoever aspires to the heights and wants to fly must cast off much that is heavy and make himself light—I call it a divine capacity for lightness.
    Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)