Rick Darling

Cricketer Infobox


nationality = Australian
country = Australia
country abbrev = AUS
name = Rick Darling
picture = Cricket no pic.pngbatting style = Right-handed batsman (RHB)
bowling style = -
Group1 = show
G1 title = International
Heading1 = Tests
H1 matches = 14
H1 runs = 697
H1 bat avg = 26.80
H1 100s/50s = 0/6
H1 top score = 91
G1 oversORballs = Balls
H1 amountbowled = 0
H1 wickets = 0
H1 bowl avg = -
H1 5s = 0
H1 10s = 0
H1 best bowling = -
H1 catches/stumpings = 5/0
Heading2 = ODIs
H2 matches= 18
H2 runs = 363
H2 bat avg = 21.35
H2 100s/50s = 0/1
H2 top score = 74
H2 amountbowled = 0
H2 wickets = 0
H2 bowl avg = -
H2 5s = 0
H2 10s = N/A
H2 best bowling = -
H2 catches/stumpings = 6/0
Group2 = hide
debut-last cat = Test
debut date = 28 January
debut year = 1978
last date = 3 November
last year = 1979
date = 3 January
year = 2006
source = [http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/australia/content/player/4900.html Cricinfo.com]

Warwick Maxwell (Rick) Darling (born 1 May 1957 in Waikerie, South Australia) is a former Australian Test cricketer.

Darling is the great-nephew of Joe Darling, and learnt to play cricket at his family's home at Ramco on the Murray River. He played for the Salisbury district club in 1970-71, and started his first-class career in 1975-76 with South Australia, winning the Sheffield Shield that season. Darling was given his chance in the Australian Test team through the defection of several players to World Series Cricket, and made his debut as an opener against India in the summer of 1977-78 at Adelaide. Darling made 65 and 56 in his first Test, impressing fans with his fearless style. This performance was enough to earn him a spot on the following tour of the West Indies, where he was also a member of the one-day team. In the overall tour he performed well, making two centuries against spin-based attacks. However, the pace bowling of the West Indies national team found his technical weakness quickly, and he scored just 43 runs in his 6 Test innings on the tour.ref|windies His tendency to play the cut and hook shots provided much entertainment, but also meant that he was inconsistent and error-prone. It has been said that the introduction of the batting helmet saved Darling's life several times, but also gave him extra confidence to play his favoured shots. Darling's early Test career was also characterised by his opening partnerships with Graeme Wood, the pair christened the "Kamikaze Kids" due to their often disastrous running between the wickets, which saw one of the pair dismissed run out in one innings of each of their four Tests together.

A series of low scores in both forms of the game saw Darling pushed in and out of the team, before his finest Test innings of 91 against England at Sydney in the 4th Test of the 1978-79 series. It was the next match for which he is perhaps most famous though, as he was struck on the chest by a delivery that lifted viciously from fast bowler Bob Willis. The blow caused Darling's chewing gum to become lodged in his throat, and he collapsed on the pitch, not breathing. English spinner John Emburey was first on the scene, and thumped Darling on the chest, allowing him to breathe again. Umpire Max O'Connell then provided mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, and Darling was taken off the field. He returned to the crease the following day, but could only make 15 runs as Australia fell to a crushing 205-run loss, which allowed England to retain The Ashes.ref|ashes

for them.ref|autograph The poor performances throughout the tour and the return of the World Series Cricket players meant that this would be his final Test series, although he continued playing in ODIs until 1981-82.

Darling continued to play for South Australia until 1985-86, helping his state to the Sheffield Shield in 1981-82 with 726 runs - the season's top score for SA, and his omission from the Australian team to tour Pakistan in 1982 surprised several observers. Overall, he played 98 first-class games, finishing with a batting average of 35.83. Darling was renowned for being one of the country's best cover fieldsmen of his time.

Trivia

* Darling holds the record of eight consecutive scores over 50 in the Ribblesdale League, obtained whilst playing for the Whalley Cricket Club in England.ref|whalley

Footnotes

# - cite book| author = Alan McGilvray| year = 1978| title = ABC Cricket Book - England Tour of Australia 1978-79| chapter = Alan McGilvray's Australian Selection| pages = p. 21| publisher = Australian Broadcasting Commission| location = Sydney, Australia| id = ISBN 0-642-97244-3
# - cite web|url=http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1970S/1978-79/ENG_IN_AUS/ENG_AUS_T5_27JAN-01FEB1979.html|title=The Ashes, 1978-79, 5th Test scorecard|publisher=Cricinfo|accessdate=January 3|accessyear=2006
# - cite web|author=Partab Ramchand|date=February 26, 2001|url=http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/99684.html|title=India one up at the Wankhede stadium|publisher=Cricinfo|accessdate=January 2|accessyear=2006
# - cite web|date=October 8, 2004|url=http://www.ausport.gov.au/fulltext/2004/sportsf/s1215237.asp|title=Shake those Pompoms!|work=The Sports Factor|publisher=ABC Radio National|accessdate=January 2|accessyear=2006
# - cite web|url=http://www.ribblesdalecricketleague.co.uk/Whalley.htm|title=Whalley Cricket Club|accessdate=January 2|accessyear=2006

References

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