Full name Robert William Barber
Born September 26, 1935, Withington, Manchester, Lancashire
Current age 85 years 117 days
Major teams England, Cambridge University, Lancashire, Warwickshire
Batting style Left-hand bat
Bowling style Legbreak googly
Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | 100 | 50 | 6s | Ct | St | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tests | 28 | 45 | 3 | 1495 | 185 | 35.59 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 21 | 0 |
First-class | 386 | 651 | 52 | 17631 | 185 | 29.43 | 17 | 90 | 210 | 0 | |
List A | 37 | 36 | 1 | 977 | 114 | 27.91 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 0 |
Mat | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | 10 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tests | 28 | 42 | 3426 | 1806 | 42 | 4/132 | 6/139 | 43.00 | 3.16 | 81.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
First-class | 386 | 31798 | 16176 | 549 | 7/35 | 29.46 | 3.05 | 57.9 | 12 | 0 | |||
List A | 37 | 213 | 117 | 5 | 2/11 | 2/11 | 23.40 | 3.29 | 42.6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Test debut | England v South Africa at Birmingham, Jun 9-14, 1960 scorecard |
Last Test | England v Australia at Manchester, Jun 6-11, 1968 scorecard |
Test statistics | |
First-class span | 1954 - 1969 |
List A span | 1963 - 1971 |
At the end of 1962, the distinction between amateurs and professionals was abolished, and everyone just became a cricketer. At the same time Bob Barber, a cautious amateur with Lancashire, changed counties and became a carefree cricketer with Warwickshire. At Edgbaston Barber blossomed into a feisty attacking left-hander, strong on the drive and pull. He enjoyed a good tour of South Africa in 1964-65, and a tremendous trip to Australia the following year. The highlight was a stroke-filled 185 on the first day of the third Test at Sydney, which set up a thumping win. Sadly for England, that was almost the end of the story. Business claimed Barber increasingly afterwards - he made lots of money out of those blue tablets you put in your loo cistern to cleanse the water - and he faded out of first-class cricket in 1969. Barber was also a big-turning if somewhat erratic legspinner who averaged one and a half wickets per Test - but his 42 victims is still in the most by any England wrist-spinner since the Second World War apart from Doug Wright (81).
Steven Lynch
Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1967