The first test between Australia and the West Indies in the series was play at the Gabba in Brisbane. The year was 1960, quite a long time ago. I was one year old so I dont think my memory cells were sufficiently developed to have a clue that there was even a game called cricket.
Many cricket fans who would have read about this game or heard from their parents would agree with their take on that match. Many say it was and still is; one the the greatest matches ever played.
The two captains Richie Benaud and Frank Worrell each declared that the game was the most exciting match in which they have ever played. Sir Donald Bradman who was chairman of the Australian Cricket Board describe the game as “the greatest and most exciting of all time.”
Here’s how that day in 1960 and the game unfolded:
The Brisbane Cricket Ground, December sun blazing down. A sea of 90,000 voices surged, knowing they were witnessing something that would echo through time. The West Indies, led by the regal Frank Worrell, carried not just skill but a sense of pride, grace, and steel. Facing them, Australia under the wily Richie Benaud, determined, calculating, and unwilling to let history slip away.
West Indies’ first innings:
The calypso flair was on full display. Conrad Hunte stroked a polished 116, while the majestic Garry Sobers, young but already a phenomenon, carved 132 with strokes that dripped with brilliance. Wes Hall, tall and terrifying, later charged in with thunderbolts, his pace shaking the Australians to their core.
Australia’s reply:
Enter Norm O’Neill — stylish, unflappable. His 181 was an innings of silk and steel, carrying Australia within touching distance of parity. Alan Davidson, limping, bruised, but lion-hearted, fought for every run, a man refusing to yield to pain.
The climax — Australia’s chase of 233 in the fourth innings:
The crowd crackled with tension. Worrell marshalled his men like a general at war. Hall, exhausted but possessed by fire, bowled over after over, his shirt clinging to his back. Benaud countered with daring cuts and drives, eyes blazing with resolve.
The scoreboard tightened. Australia edged closer. Davidson, again the warrior, lashed boundaries despite his injuries. Every wicket was greeted by roars, every boundary by gasps. The clock, the crowd, the players — all seemed to pulse as one.
And then, the final over. Australia needed 6 runs, 1 wicket in hand. Hall pounding in, sweat pouring, his legs barely carrying him. Davidson was run out. The scores level. One wicket left. The very next ball — Hall thundered in, a blur, the crowd holding its breath. Ian Meckiff pushed, scampered, and chaos erupted — run out!
The scoreboard froze: Australia 232 all out. Match tied.
Not victory, not defeat. Something rarer. Something immortal. Players from both sides, exhausted and exultant, embraced in the middle. In that moment, cricket had written poetry in sweat, dust, and courage.
The cast of immortals that day:
• West Indies: Frank Worrell (c), Conrad Hunte, Rohan Kanhai, Garry Sobers, Joe Solomon, Gerry Alexander (wk), Denis Atkinson, Wes Hall, Alf Valentine, Sonny Ramadhin, Roy Gilchrist.
• Australia: Richie Benaud (c), Bob Simpson, Colin McDonald, Norm O’Neill, Neil Harvey, Wally Grout (wk), Alan Davidson, Ken Mackay, Lindsay Kline, Ian Meckiff, Garth McKenzie.
Was it the greatest match ever played? What are your memories of the game?
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