Test Cricket: The unauthorised biography by Jarrod Kimber

Author:Jarrod Kimber [Kimber, Jarrod]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: ebook
Publisher: Hardie Grant Books
Published: 2015-11-30T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter 35

THE ONE AND ONLY VIV

But my hand was made strong

By the ’and of the Almighty.

We forward in this generation

Triumphantly.

– Bob Marley

VIV RICHARDS DIDN’T walk like other men. Like John Wayne’s walk, on another man it would look ridiculous. His hips went out to the side. His shoulders looked too large for his body. His head would stay out of rhythm with the rest of him.

The way he held his bat wasn’t like other batsmen either. He would often hold it up near his shoulder, shadow-boxing an invisible enemy. But when it was in his left hand, it was almost dainty. Like he didn’t need his whole hand to hold it.

Batsmen from the beginning of time have gone down the wicket to do some gardening. A pat at the wicket. Out of all of them, only Viv Richards made it a declaration of war. Staring into the bowler’s eyes, letting him know only one of them will survive this. Then the turn and strut. Even his arse moved aggressively.

At the crease, just before the ball, that was the respite. Other than some chewing of gum, he was serene. Just a man in cap. Chewing gum. About to kick your arse.

Then the bowler would arrive and his front leg would go across the stumps. You are not good enough to get me out, to beat me, so I’m going to plant my leg across the stump and then smash the shit out of you.

Bowlers were beaten as he walked out. Bowlers were beaten as he gardened. Bowlers were beaten by his mastication. Bowlers were beaten.

On his own he was aggressive as four of the strongest, quickest and brutish fast bowlers the West Indies could find. Yet he said, ‘I felt I was an artist.’

Batsmen have been as good as Viv Richards. Batsmen have batted as fast. Batsmen have scored as much. Batsmen have been as confident. No batsman can be him. They want to. They all want to. But it’s not a job you can apply for. Or something you can learn. That walk looks camp on another man. On him, it was gladiatorial.

Don Bradman averaged 103 batting at three. Wally Hammond averaged 74 there. Viv Richards averaged 61. The first two struggled with real quick short bowling. Viv ate it. The faster they were, the faster they went. The more aggressive they were, the harder he hit them.

In an era when batsmen evolved new protection to save them, Viv chewed gum. In 1976 Richards made 1710 runs in a year of Test cricket. He could not have made a bigger impact if he’d beheaded a bowler and dropped it in the Lord’s long room.

Viv Richards faced Dennis Lillee, John Snow, Bob Willis, Ian Botham, Jeff Thomson, Kapil Dev, Waqar Younis, Imran Khan and Richard Hadlee. No mean list.

On the secret to batting he said:

Keep it simple, stay still, watch the ball. These fellas these days, they want to over-complicate this thing which is batting. Come forward, come at the face of the man against you and spring back if you must, to show him who’s boss.

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