Bert Sutcliffe

Infobox Historic Cricketer


nationality = New Zealand
country = New Zealand
country abbrev = NZ
name = Bert Sutcliffe
picture = Cricket_no_pic.pngbatting style = Left-hand bat
bowling style = Slow left-arm orthodox
tests = 42
test runs = 2727
test bat avg = 40.10
test 100s/50s = 5/15
test top score = 230*
test balls = 538
test wickets = 4
test bowl avg = 86.00
test 5s = 0
test 10s = 0
test best bowling = 2/38
test catches/stumpings = 20/-
FCs = 233
FC runs = 17447
FC bat avg = 47.41
FC 100s/50s = 44/83
FC top score = 385
FC balls = 5978
FC wickets = 86
FC bowl avg = 38.05
FC 5s = 2
FC 10s = 0
FC best bowling = 5/19
FC catches/stumpings = 160/1
debut date = 21 March
debut year = 1947
last date = 27 May
last year = 1965
source = http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/38413.html Cricinfo

Bert Sutcliffe MBE (17 November 1923 in Ponsonby, New Zealand – 20 April 2001 in Auckland) was a New Zealand cricketer.

Sutcliffe was one of the best left-hand bats of his era and one of the great New Zealand batsmen. His batting feats on tour in England in 1949, which included four fifties and a century in the Tests, earned him the accolade of being one of Wisden's five cricketers of the year.

He captained New Zealand in four Tests in the early 1950s, losing three of them and drawing the other. In fact, none of Sutcliffe's 42 Tests resulted in a New Zealand victory.

He will forever be remembered for his innings of 80 not out against South Africa in Johannesburg on Boxing Day 1953. New Zealand's batsmen were destroyed by South African fast bowler Neil Adcock on a green wicket. Sutcliffe was hit in the head by Adcock (as were a number of his team mates) and left the field to receive hospital treatment. He unexpectedly returned to the crease, deathly pale, his head swathed in bandages. He took to the bowling, smashing a number of sixes, until the ninth wicket fell. The New Zealand fast bowler Bob Blair was understood to be back at the team hotel distraught as his fiancee had been killed in the Tangiwai disaster two days earlier.

Sutcliffe started to walk off only to see Blair walk out into the bright sunshine. Despite the presence of 23,000 fans, silence enveloped the ground. The two Kiwis walked back to the wicket arm-in-arm, stunning the South African crowd in one of the most emotional moments ever seen in test cricket history. 33 runs were added in 10 minutes before Blair was out. New Zealand lost the test match by a considerable margin. Notwithstanding this, the noted new Zealand cricket writer Dick Brittenden said 'it was a great and glorious victory, a story every New Zealand boy should learn at his mother's knee.'

After he retired from cricket he became a coach.

References

* [http://content.cricinfo.com/newzealand/content/player/38413.html Cricinfo page on Bert Sutcliffe]

External links

* [http://usa.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/ARTICLES/TIMELESS/SUTCLIFFE_RSA_1953-4_ROBINSON The Greatest 80 in Test Cricket]