The great West Indies batsman Sir Gary Sobers was in Malaysia in 1964. At the time of this two-day fixture between a Commonwealth Touring Team and Malaysia, the West Indian all-rounder Gary Sobers was in the middle of a sensational 93-match Test career, which would see him average 57.78 with the bat, 34.03 with the ball and more than a catch a match in the field. Not only was Sobers a free-flowing left-handed batsman of grace and deceptive power, but he could bowl almost every variety of left-arm speed and spin and, as an added bonus, he was a close fielder with no betters.
No wonder a large crowd gathered in Kuala Lumpur with Gary Sobers the main attraction. Malaysia captain Mike Shepherdson won the toss and put the opposition in to bat. The Commonwealth opening pair put together a quick 68 before Ken Taylor, the Yorkshire stalwart, was bowled off his pads. This brought Sobers to the wicket, and the crowd waited, sensing that they would see some sparkling cricket.
Alex Delilkan flew the first ball, and Gary Sobers reached forward. The ball turned gently, breaking to the off, past the outside edge of the Sobers bat. The crowd gasped when they saw the ball hit the off stump and realized that the great West Indian was out first ball for nought. McLachlan prevented the hat-trick and the Commonwealth team reached 211 before the last wicket fell. In the middle of the afternoon, it was suggested to Gary Sobers that he might have something to make up to the spectators on the rare occasion they could watch him play.
What Sobers did was very special; with the fourth ball of his first over with the new ball, Malaysia still to score, Sobers had Houghton caught by Colin Ingleby-MacKenzie. Next ball, Sidek was leg before, and Sobers was on a hat-trick. The captain, Mike Shepherdson, faced the last ball of the first over. Up came Sobers with that distinctive loose-limbed twirl of his left arm, and there went another catch to Ingleby-MacKenzie close in. Malaysia were nought for three, and Sobers had his hat-trick.
Ranjit Singh, the other opener, and Martens took three from Richard Hutton’s. Martens was facing the first ball of the next Sobers over. It bowled him. Malaysia were three for four, and Sobers had four wickets in four balls. Nobody had taken five wickets in five balls in a first-class match, and very few were in a position to think about it. Gary Sobers came in to Gurucharan Singh and bowled him the first ball. Five wickets in five balls, and Malaysia were three for five.
Gary Sobers had certainly atoned for his first-ball ‘duck’ but his achievement would be eventually ‘lost’ to the record books because the Commonwealth-Malaysia fixture did not have first-class status, it being a two-day rather than a three-day game. John Wisden, who took six wickets with consecutive balls in the United States in October 1859, suffered the same fate. Malaysia recovered to make 108, with Ranjit Singh carrying his bat for 56 after watching Sobers’ display from the non-striker’s end. Early the next day, Sobers batted again, only to be caught at first slip for a single. No matter, the spectators had seen the star West Indian enhance his reputation with the ball. The Commonwealth team went on to win by 130 runs.
Ian Chappell, former Australia captain, said, A lot of people thought of Sobers as a natural who just played the game and did not think a hell of a lot about what he did. But he was very thoughtful. In fact, once, Mosman, the club in Sydney, was looking for a coach and the president had dinner with him and said, “Garry, we would love to have you as a coach, but you haven’t got the qualifications.” Garry said to him: “What did you think I got my knighthood for?”
