Bert Sutcliffe - a profile in courage

``If I had to pick a model left-hander for a young player to emulate, it would be Bert Sutcliffe.''

- Ted Dexter

THE former England captain could not have made a better statement in his life. For Bert Sutcliffe, who passed away on April 20, was indeed like a role-model for budding batsmen. There was a virtual toss-up between Sutcliffe and Neil Harvey as to who was the best left-hand batsman in the world. But no other southpaw of his generation could approach Sutcliffe in class, charisma and character.

Graeme Pollock and Clive Lloyd came on the scene much later. Sutcliffe was one of the first New Zealand cricketers to make an impact at the highest level. He was close to being a perfect batsman. He was an effortless striker of the ball and everything about him appeared so natural. The aggressive streak in him made him unleash forceful shots from his large repertoire. And he would execute them with elegance and grace usually associated with those who bat left-handed. Although he played all the strokes in a copy-book fashion, his cover-drive, pull and hook in particular were worth going miles to see.

``Nobody had stood taller and played the fast bowlers with more skills and courage. In fact, I would go so far as to say that Sutcliffe's command of all the strokes, each one under perfect control, was the equal of the best of batsmen. He was a hard enough hitter with a complete range of strokes, good footwork and splendid poise throughout,'' said Ted Dexter.

Born in Auckland on November 17, 1923, Sutcliffe always gave the impression of being a big-innings player. He became world-famous overnight when he scored 197 and 128 for Otago against Wally Hammond's MCC side at Dunedin in 1946-47. It paved the way for him to make his New Zealand debut the following week which he celebrated by scoring 58 and 46 in the Christchurch Test.

Representatives of the Fleet Street took Sutcliffe to their hearts as he spread his lustre on the playing fields of England and warmed the summer of 1949. Just before the tour got underway, Sutcliffe was seen batting in the nets at Lord's. Watching him with rapt attention, as he smashed the bowlers, was Patsy Hendren. So impressed was the former England batsman that he did not move an inch till Sutcliffe returned to the green- room. Then he made a spontaneous prediction about the Kiwi: ``Watch out this man. And mark my words - he is going to score 2,500 runs in the season.'' This unequivocal and pinpointing prophecy turned out to be exactly 127 runs short of the truth as Sutcliffe went on to amass 2,627 runs at an average of 59.70.

He had become addicted to playing massive innings. Playing in the Plunket Shield for Auckland against Canterbury in 1948-49, he was involved in two opening stands of 220 and 286 with Don Taylor, a world record. He then shared an opening partnership of 373 with Leslie Watt for Otago versus Auckland in 1950-51. The southpaw who had scored 355 for Otago against Auckland at Dunedin in 1949- 50, exceeded it with an innings of 385 against Canterbury at Christchurch in 1952-53. His other notable knocks were 275, 264, 243, 230, 208 not out and 201. And also his unbeaten 230, in 9 hours, in the Delhi Test in 1955-56.

Playing for a side like New Zealand meant too few opportunities for Sutcliffe. He had already lost a couple of precious years because of World War II. It was also his misfortune that despite his prodigious talent he had to witness many Tests that his country used to lose in those discouraging years. Of course, he would often minimise the margins of those defeats and also salvage some pride for New Zealand. Had he been playing for some other nation, Sutcliffe's achievements would have been startling.

As Fred Trueman remarked: ``Like all top-class openers he was nimble with brilliant footwork. It was perhaps unfortunate for him that he played for New Zealand when they were something of a Cinderella among Test- playing countries. It is never easy to score runs in a struggling side, no matter how great one's ability...''

Neverthess, he had an outstanding career and many memorable moments. Sutcliffe's superb innings of 80 not out in trying circumstances in the Johannesburg Test against South Africa on the Boxing Day of 1953 had immortalised him. It would not be out of place to recall Sutcliffe's tour de force the like of which the world of sport has not come across too often.

The hosts batted first and posted a total of 271. The visitors were in all sorts of troubles against the fiery Neil Adcock and cunning David Ironside when they began their reply. As if that were not enough, Sutcliffe, batting two down, took a fearful blow on his left-ear from a vicious Adcock bumper in the morning session.

He had to be rushed to the hospital where he had fainted twice while undergoing treatment. He was even complaining of ``double vision''. So it was announced at lunch that Sutcliffe would not bat again.

However, with the Kiwis tottering at 81 for 6 on a greentop, the left-handed Viking had to come back and try to rescue them. Indeed, when Sutcliffe, looking ``dazed'' and ``far from well'', emerged from the dark tunnel onto Ellis Park, 23,000 Proteas rose together to applaud the man and his sheer courage. Fortified by ``a large dose of whisky'', and knowing South Africa still led by almost 200 runs, Sutcliffe walked ``shakily'' to the wicket. Little did those present at the ground know that they were going to see one of the greatest innings of all-time.

After paying respect to the first two balls that he faced from Ironside, he moved into the third and hit it sweetly over the square-leg fence. The rampaging, wrecker-in-chief Adcock was brought back on the firing line. But Sutcliffe struck him behind point for a boundary. The Kiwi was very much in his groove now despite having problem sighting the ball correctly.

Hugh Tayfield had his first ball smashed over the long-on fence for a huge sixer. The ace offie dropped his length but the maestro moved back and hit him for a four. In about half an hour Sutcliffe and Frank Mooney added 50 runs. But Ironside bowled Mooney (35) with an inswinger and dealt two more crushing blows to the Kiwis who were then precariously placed at 154 for nine.

But this particular Test appeared to have been made for the men of courage and character. The South Africans, who had begun to troop off the field at the fall of the ninth wicket, had to stop as they saw Bob Blair, the Kiwi fast bowler who had stayed behind in his hotel room mourning the loss of his fiancee, who was one of the 149 unfortunate victims of the dreadful New Zealand train disaster at Tangiwai on the Christmas Day, come out of the pavilion.

Blair had been following the proceedings through the radio commentary and he thought he could help Sutcliffe add a few vital runs. As Blair reached the crease, an eerie silence fell across the whole ground. Their team-mates, looking down at the poignant scene from the glass windows of the dressing-room, wept ``openly'' and ``without shame''.

As Blair stumbled taking the guard, still struggling with his gloves, Sutcliffe himself went to appreciate and encourage him; and with the most natural gesture put a warm arm around his comrade. Before he faced his first delivery, Blair passed his gloves across his eyes in the ``heart- wringing gesture of any small boy, anywhere, in trouble, but defiant.'' It was the most touching sight imaginable on a cricket field. There was Sutcliffe who had taken physical knocks and had come back for more. And there was Blair whose world had falled about and yet he was prepared to carry on his duty. Any true soldier would have felt proud of Sutcliffe and Blair on that day.

As the play resumed, Sutcliffe continued his thrilling onslaught on the bowlers. Jack Cheetham, the South African captain, just did not know how to set a field for Sutcliffe who was really going berserk. The spectators, most of them South Africans, forgot their patriotism and rose deliriously as Sutcliffe lifted Tayfield for three soaring sixes before taking a single off the seventh ball to retain the strike as he wanted to prevent the tailender Blair. But Blair, as if taking a leaf out of his enterprising partner's book, clobbered the eighth ball out of the ground!

Tayfield, who conceded 25 runs in that over, looked perplexed. Before being stumped by John Waite off Tayfield for 6, Blair had added 33 runs for the last wicket with Sutcliffe in only 10 minutes. Sutcliffe remained unconquered on a priceless, hurricane 80 which was studded with 7 sixes. As Sutcliffe and Blair walked off together, arm in arm, they were given a standing ovation by each and every person on the ground. It took several minutes for the terrific applause to die down even after the two had disappeared in the pavilion and in the arms of their grateful colleagues.

If at all there was triumph from tragedy on a sporting field, it was this. As Dick Brittenden, the noted New Zealand cricket writer said, ``It was a great and glorious victory, a story every New Zealand boy should learn at his mother's knee.'' The Kiwis still lost the Test despite the heroic fightback triggered by Sutcliffe. But it (the result) is hardly remembered today; what is still not forgotten is Sutcliffe's vintage performance in grim adversity. Sutcliffe's 80 not out continues to remain the greatest innings ever played by a Kiwi in the heavyweight division of cricket; and rightly so.

Several critics, including Dexter, believed that Sutcliffe was not the same again after the head injury he suffered in South Africa. ``It was painful to watch this once great player flinching fractionally every time the ball came up around chest high. That he went on playing Test cricket is testimony to his spirit, but he was only a pale shadow of his former self,'' wrote the Englishman.

But it was difficult to agree with them as Sutcliffe continued to bat effectively and impressively for the next few years. In fact, he scored 611 runs (including successive innings of 137 not out, 73, 37 and 230 not out) at 87.28 in five Tests in India in 1955- 56. Even if he was ``only a pale shadow of his former self'', Sutcliffe was still one hell of a batsman. On his return from the Republic, he scored three centuries in successive games against South Australia, Western Australia and Victoria and charmed the otherwise die-hard Aussies with his cricket which was ``of soft sunshine and gentle breeze''.

When the New Zealand cricket authorities sent their youngest side to India, Pakistan and England in 1965, Sutcliffe was asked to come out of his retirement. He played in all the Tests. Although he did not do as well as he may have been expected by his fans in India, Pakistan and England, he played at least one jewel of an innings on the subcontinent and revived happy memories of his golden days. Demonstrating tremendous concentration and stamina, Sutcliffe made 151 not out in the Calcutta (Kolkata) Test and belied his age which was 41 then.

In all, Sutcliffe figured in 42 Tests, scored 2,727 runs at 40.10 and notched up five centuries. In a long first-class career from 1941 to 1966, he made 17,447 runs at 47.41, including 44 three- figure knocks. These statistics, howsoever impressive they are, do not convey the true picture of the kind of batsman Sutcliffe was. But then, as Brittendon said: ``Figures convey nothing of his easy grace, the flow of his strokes, his happy and friendly personality.''

HARESH PANDYA

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