Paul Hibbert

Paul Hibbert was a tall, dark, stodgy opening batsman who played once for Australia, against India at Brisbane in the opening Test of the troubled 1977-78 summer, making a 77-ball 13 and 2. "He was a bit unlucky to make his debut on a greentop at the Gabba," former Victoria captain Ray Bright said. "If it had been a flat deck at Adelaide, who knows how he would have gone? It's all a matter of opportunity." His call-up came on the back of a remarkable feat of self-denial at Melbourne, where he made a century against the touring Indians without hitting a single boundary, only the second batsmen to make a hundred without finding the rope (the other was former Derbyshire batsman Alan Hill, who made 103 for Orange Free State v Griqualand West in 1976-77). For his state he was reliable, improving with age as he passed 800 runs in 1983-84 and finishing his career with 725 runs in 1985-86. He was also a useful medium pace seamer. His later years were troubled and dogged by alcoholism.
Martin Williamson