Memories of the Brisbane Tied Test

Long serving Brisbane grade cricketer Tim Shipstone (Wests 1989-90 to 2006-07, and later Easts in Sydney, and St Kilda in Melbourne) inherited his love of the game from his father, Graham.

Graham himself was a 6ft 4 keeper, and left-hand batsman. He played a season of first grade for Colts in 1955-56 under the tutelage of Bill Brown (HS 53; 0 and 1 against a rampant Ray Lindwall at Norths), followed by years of Warehouse and country cricket, before returning for a final season with Easts in 1977-78, picking up a C grade premiership cap at the ripe old age of 42.

Tim had always known that his Dad was lucky enough to be there on the final day of the famous 1960 Brisbane Tied Test, described by E.M Wellings in the 1961 Wisden, with no hint of hyperbole, as:

“…The Greatest Test Match, the Greatest Cricket Match and surely The Greatest Game ever played with a ball. Australia v West Indies at Brisbane from December 9 to December 14 was already a great match before it bounded explosively to its amazing climax to produce the only tie in the history of test cricket.”

Tim remembers fondly too, the ABC cassette tape from the early 1980s with the superb call of the final over by Johnny Moyes. Largely unheralded and now forgotten, the call of the final run out that created the tie should go down as one of the great pieces of Australian sports commentary:

“And here’s the stolen single that wins the match, he’s out! Run out! RUN OUT! The stumps are thrown down…weelll…”

Now, on a rainy Brisbane Sunday morning, on the eve of that final day 60 years ago, Tim sat down with a now 85 year old Graham to relieve his memories of that day, and the famous Brisbane Tied Test.

What are your overriding memories of the day?

Just that it was such a great day of cricket. It was 14 December (a Wednesday), a week out from Christmas. I was a school teacher, so I was into my first week of holidays – a lovely time of year. It was a lovely sunny day in Brisbane and the play went right through until after 6pm and it was a beautiful sight as the shadows lengthened across the Gabba in those closing overs.

And it was such a treat to see this great West Indian side, with Sobers, Hall, Worrell and all the rest.

What made you go that day – did you have any inkling of what lay ahead?

No, not really. I was always keen to go to the cricket whenever I could and as I said I was now on school holidays.

From memory, at stumps on day 4 the West Indies were only ahead by about 200 with 9 wickets down, so I think I just assumed Australia could chase those runs, but then on the final morning Wes Hall and Valentine put on about 30 for the last wicket which pushed Australia’s target out to 233 to win in about 5 hours (no minimum overs in those days).

Did you go with anyone else?

Yes, I went with my younger brother, Don. He wasn’t anywhere near as interested in cricket as I was, but he was happy to go when I asked him. We were both living at home in Newmarket at the time and got the tram that morning into the Valley and then a bus from there to the Gabba.

Had you been to earlier days of the test?

Yes, I had been to every day of the test. I went on the Friday, the first day, and was lucky enough to see Gary Sobers make a hundred. He was a wonderful cricketer.

I was just sorry I didn’t get to see more his innings that day. I got there late because Friday was the last day of the school term so it was actually a work day for me, but that morning a message came through from the Education Minister Jack Pizzey that school would finish early to allow students and teachers who played or coached cricket to go to the Gabba if they wished.

On later days, a big hundred from Norm O’Neill (181) was the highlight.

Norm O'Neill ducks a bouncer from Wes Hall 

Turning to that final day, Australia was chasing 233 and suddenly mid-afternoon they were 5 for 57, and then 6 for 92 when Slasher Mackay was bowled by Sonny Ramadin. Simpson, Harvey, O’Neill were all out already. Did the test seem like it was all over?

I can’t recall exactly, but of course Richie Benaud and Alan Davidson came together at that point and they were a tremendous pair of cricketers, mainly remembered for their bowling, but they were also hard-hitting attacking batsman. I remember thinking that it was essential for the West Indies that they break their partnership fairly quickly.

Of course, there were the stories that came out later of certain journalists and former players, Alan McGilvray and Keith Miller, who were at the Gabba that day who did think it was all over at that point and they left early to catch their fight back to Sydney and missed the finish.

So, Benaud and Davidson ended up putting on 134 in about even time before Davidson was dismissed in the second last over for 80. This left Australia with 6 runs to win off the final (8 ball) over with three wickets left. 

What did you think with one over to go? Who was going to win? Did it ever cross your mind that the match could finish in a tie?

I didn’t think of a tie. There were so few runs necessary for Australia to win that it never crossed my mind that the game could be tied. A tie had never happened before so it wasn’t even really considered as an option.

But then Benaud got out early in the final over and it was just the tailenders left with Wally Grout the keeper.

I remember Wes Hall then dropped an easy caught and bowled chance  and when Ian Meckiff hit a ball deep out towards the leg side boundary fence with three runs to win it looked like they would be the winning runs. But as fate would have it, the grass near the boundary had not been mowed and this slowed down the ball. The result was the West Indian player Conrad Hunte was able to save the boundary and he threw accurately to Alexander, the wicket keeper, and Grout was run out attempting the winning run. 

 

Lindsay Kline then came in at number 11 and again Australia had a chance to hit the winning run but this time Joe Solomon hit the stumps with a direct hit from side on and the game had finished in a tie (Queensland Schoolboy cricketers of a certain era might remember this was the famous photo on the front of very junior club scorebook for many years)

Did you know straightway it was a tie?

It was obvious to me the result was tie. I have read years later that some of the players didn’t know at the time if they had won, lost, drawn, or tied, but the scoreboard has been accurate and up to date all along. The scorers knew it and I knew it. The scoreboard workers had not been rattled.

Because a tie had never happened before I think some people were calling it a draw, but no I definitely knew it was a tie straightaway

When the final wicket fell, what was the feeling in the crowd? What happened afterwards? Were there any post-match celebrations?

This was before the days of post-match presentations and interviews, so to be honest I can’t recall too much along those lines. The West Indies players were excited of course in getting those two final run outs to effectively save the game. The crowd was pretty small but made a lot of noise. It was such a momentous finish but I think in those days once the game was over, it was over, and it was time to go home. So within 10 minutes or so of the finish, my brother and I were on the bus back home. We enjoyed telling my mother and father all about that night when we got home. 

And of course now years later, I feel myself extremely lucky to have been that there that day to see the first ever tied test.

Richie Benaud and Wes hall in 2000 at the 40 year reunion of the Tied Test