The elephant & panicking flamingos

What is interesting is that the top three Test scores — add Brian Lara to the list — have been crafted by left-handers of contrasting character, style and ability. Yet, having watched those three great innings, two courtesy television, one realises it takes a lot to score a big triple century.

The man who did it effortlessly was, of course, Don Bradman, whom this writer saw in action towards the end of that great career. For a man aged 41 and facing bowlers of pace such as Ray Lindwall and Keith Miller, Bradman’s footwork was amazingly nimble.

To the eyes of a 13-year-old sitting on the Sydney Hill the memories of his advancing down the pitch are rarely rekindled by today’s greats.

Sobers, on the tour of New Zealand in 1956, was the yo-yo batsman in the side: the tour selectors amazingly nimble. To the eyes of a 13-year-old sitting on the Sydney Hill the memories of his advancing down the pitch are rarely rekindled by today’s greats.

Sobers, on the tour of New Zealand in 1956, was the yo-yo batsman in the side: the tour selectors tried him anywhere between three and seven. Given the game off against Central Districts in Wanganui, he sought a long nets session.

The Central Districts colts squad was roped in as cannon fodder as Sobers manhandled most of the bowlers. He enjoyed driving straight or through the covers. He did it with feline swiftness and a benign smile.

This young leg-spinner suddenly realised that bowling to Sobers was an education; the batsman had three to four strokes to every ball bowled. The first 15 balls bowled all went sailing back over the bowler’s head for what would have been fairly big sixes. It was humiliating stuff.

The next sighting of Sobers was when he scored that 365 not out against Pakistan at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica. Pakistan’s bowling attack in 1958, led by the great Fazal Mahmood, was a little like that of Zimbabwe against Australia at the WACA, almost incapable of self-defence.

Sobers dominated the bowling and combined this with imaginative class and an eye for finding the gap and making the bowler suffer for anything over-pitched or short of a length. Liquid in motion, here was all the artistic style and flair of greatness which few have matched.

Not once did he look like getting out, he played with a sense of purpose. This was his first Test century; not bad for a beginner.

Lara, who scored 375 at St Johns, Antigua, 10 years ago, has that enigmatic style. There are times when he gives the impression he doesn’t know a thing about batting. His footwork is all over the place; his wrist and handwork out of sync and he gives the impression he would rather be doing something else.

Rampaging with ruthless efficiency to his world record, Hayden slips comfortably in between the two West Indians. He is all modern technique and mindful of the demands of the modern game.

A day’s play in a Test consists of 90 overs and the run rate has to be maintained at more than 3.5 if a winning score has to be achieved. Touches of the Bradman psyche perhaps, but if you’ve got it, go for it.