Seervi Stats Centre: Garfield Sobers' indelible achievements on a cricket feat

Garfield Sobers

Sir Garry Sobers is considered to be one of the greatest batsmen after Sir Don Bradman and the greatest All Rounder of all time. He was born on 28 July 1936  at Barbados. Having made his Test Debut at a very young age of 18 in 1954, he went on to pile up many world records to his name in all departments of the game – Batting, Bowling and Fielding. Following are all Records of Sir Garry Sobers:

Batting Career of Sir Garry Sobers

Format	Mat	Inns	Runs	Avg	100s	50s	Best
Test	93	160	8032	57.78	26	30	365*
First Class	383	609	28314	54.87	86	121	365*

 

Bowling Career of Sir Garry Sobers

Format	Mat	Wickets	BBI	BBM	Avg	S/R	Eco	5WI	10WM
Test	93	235	6/73	8/80	34.03	91.9	2.22	6	0
First Class	383	1043	9/49	-	27.74	67.8	2.45	36	1

 

All Records of Sir Garry Sobers

* Garry Sobers is the youngest player to score a Triple Century in Tests. He scored 365* vs Pakistan at Kingston in 1958 at Age of 21 years and 213 days.

He overcame Sir Don Bradman’s record who scored his 334 vs Eng at Leeds in 1930 at Age of 21 years and 318 days.

* Garry Sobers holds the record for the Highest Maiden Test Century. His 365* was his maiden Test century. Only other player to score a triple century as his maiden Test century is Bob Simpson of Australia who scored 311 vs Eng at Manchester in 1964.

* Garry Sobers’ 365* was then the highest score in a Test Inning. He broke the 20 year old record of 364 by Sir Len Hutton. Hutton scored his 364 gainst Australia at The Oval in 1938.

* Garry Sobers’ 365* stood as the world record for more than 36 years until his countryman Brian Lara overcame it with his 375 against England at St.John’s, 1994.

* Garry Sobers was the first player to complete 8000 runs in Test Cricket. He was also the fastest to score 8000 Test runs in 157 innings in 1974. His record of fastest to 8000 runs was beaten by Sachin Tendulkar in 2002 when he did it in his 154th inning. Kumar Sangakkara is now the fastest to do it in 152 innings.

* Garry Sobers overcame Colin Cowdrey’s 7459 Test Runs in March 1972 to become leading run scorer in Test Cricket. This stood a record for 9 years and 275 days until England’s Geoff Boycott overcame it in 1981.

* Garry Sobers’ 26 Test centuries were a record for West Indies until Brian Lara eclipsed it in 2005 with his 196 against South Africa at Port of Spain.

* Garry Sobers is the only player to score 300 runs and take 20 wickets in a Test series thrice. Sir Ian Botham achieved the feat of scoring 250 runs and taking 20 wickets in a series on 3 occasions.

* Garry Sobers was the 3rd player after Wally Hammond and Colin Cowdrey to complete 100 catches as a fielder in Test Career.

* Garry Sobers scored 722 runs, took 20 wickets and caught 10 catches in a series of 5 Test matches against England in June 1966. No one else have managed even a combination of 500 runs, 10 wickets and 10 catches in a series.

* Garry Sobers was the second player after Richie Benaud to complete 2000 Runs and 200 Wickets in Test career.

* Garry Sobers was the first to score 3000 Runs, take 200 wickets and grab 100 catches in Test Career. Only 3 others have managed to do it after him - Sir Ian Botham, Shane Warne and Jacques Kallis.

* Garry Sobers’ batting average of 57.78 is the best by any batsman who has aggregated more than 8,000 career runs.

* Garry Sobers’ batting average of 58.80 as captain is bettered only by Sir Don Bradman (101.51) and Mahela Jayawardene (59.11) among the players with 3000 or more runs as Test captains.

* Garry Sobers took 117 wickets of his 235 Test wickets as captain. They are the 3rd most behind Imran Khan’s 187 and Richie Benaud’s 138. 

* Garry Sobers holds the record for bowling most number of balls as a captain in Tests. He bowled 10860 balls as a captain. Only other captain to bowl 10000 or more balls is Richie Benaud who bowled 10720 balls. 

* Garry Sobers scored 490 runs between his 2 dismissals (365* + 125). It was a record for more than 45 years until Sachin Tendulkar broke it. Sachin Tendulkar scored 241*, 60*, 194* & 2 between his two dismissals in 2004, which sums to 497.

* Garry Sobers’ 86 First Class centuries were a record for West Indies. Only 3 other West Indies scored more - Sir Viv Richards (114), Gordon Greenidge (92) and Alvin Kallicharran (87).

* Garry Sobers became the first batsman to hit Six Sixes in an over in First Class Cricket. He achieved it while batting for Nottinghamshire vs Glamorgan at Cardiff on August 31, 1968 off the over bowled by Malcolm Nash.