Barry Richards

For the cricketer who played for Boland, see Barry Richards (Boland cricketer).
For the professional dancer at basketball games, see Dancing Barry. For the American radio and TV personality,, see Barry "Reazar" Richards.

Barry Richards
Personal information
Full name
Barry Anderson Richards
Born (1945-07-21) 21 July 1945 (age 79)
Durban, Natal Province, Union of South Africa
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight arm off break
RoleBatsman
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 234)22 January 1970 v Australia
Last Test5 March 1970 v Australia
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1964–1983Natal
1965Gloucestershire
1968–1978Hampshire
1970/71South Australia
Career statistics
Competition Tests FC LA
Matches 4 339 233
Runs scored 508 28,358 8,506
Batting average 72.57 54.74 40.12
100s/50s 2/2 80/152 16/50
Top score 140 356 155*
Balls bowled 72 6,126 270
Wickets 1 77 7
Bowling average 26.00 37.48 26.42
5 wickets in innings 0 1 0
10 wickets in match 0 0 0
Best bowling 1/12 7/63 2/8
Catches/stumpings 3/– 367/– 106/–
Source: Cricinfo, 21 March 2008

Barry Anderson Richards (born 21 July 1945) is a former South African first-class cricketer. A right-handed "talent of such enormous stature", Richards is considered one of South Africa's most successful batsmen.[1][2] He was able to play only four Test matches – all against Australia – before South Africa's exclusion from the international scene in 1970. In that brief career, against a competitive Australian attack, Richards scored 508 runs at the high average of 72.57. Richards' contribution in that series was instrumental in the 4–0 win that South Africa inflicted on the side, captained by Bill Lawry. His first century, 140, was scored in conjunction with Graeme Pollock's 274 in a famous 103-run partnership.[1][3] Mike Procter, whose South African and English career roughly paralleled that of Richards, was prominent in that series as a bowler.

When the apartheid South African Government allowed for non-whites to play cricket with whites in 1974, Richards suggested that only one member of the side should be black, and the rest white. A sarcastic comment implying that the then selectors would just include one token black player to comply with the new regulations.[4]

With such limited international exposure, Richards plied his trade in first-class cricket between 1964 and 1983, becoming a prolific batsman with 28,358 runs. He scored 80 centuries, including a best of 356, at an overall average of 54.74. He also scored 8,506 one day runs, with 16 further centuries. Wisden Cricketer of the Year for 1969, Richards scored runs for Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Natal, South Australia, Transvaal and in World Series Cricket, and has been described as "one of the finest talents of the 20th century", and it is jokingly said that "the merest suggestion that he does not belong among the definitive all-time greats will spark violence in most bars in South Africa."[1][2]

In 2009, Richards was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.[5]

  1. ^ a b c Manthorp, Neil. "Player Profile: Barry Richards". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 19 November 2009.
  2. ^ a b "Barry, Biff, Bruce and Bunter". ESPNcricinfo. 19 November 2009. Archived from the original on 20 November 2009. Retrieved 19 November 2009.
  3. ^ "2nd Test, South Africa v Australia at Durban, Feb 5-9, 1970 Cricket Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
  4. ^ Gemmell, Jon (2007). "South African Cricket: 'The Rainbow Nation Must Have a Rainbow Team'". Sport in Society. 10/1: 55. doi:10.1080/17430430600989159. S2CID 144628152 – via T and F Online.
  5. ^ Cricinfo (2 January 2009). "ICC and FICA launch Cricket Hall of Fame". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 19 July 2019.