Joe Solomon: The Cricketer Who Tied A Test

Joe Solomon (Image Source: Google)

Joe Solomon, who has died aged 93, was never in the top echelon of West Indian batsmen but he guaranteed his place in the game's folklore in perpetuity through one split-second moment of brilliance in Brisbane in December 1960.

It took place during the first Test between Australia and the West Indies at the Gabba. To be more precise it occurred off the final ball of one of the most extraordinary matches in the history of the game.

Chasing 233 to win the match, Australia had recovered from 92-6 to 226-6 thanks to what appeared to be a match-winning partnership between Alan Davidson and Richie Benaud.

In the penultimate over, with seven needed, an exhausted Davidson, who followed his 11 wickets in the match with a fine 80, was run out going for a quick single.

The throw had come in like an arrow from Solomon at square-leg.

"Solomon's accuracy, as it turned out, was a preview of what was to follow," wrote West Indian journalist Tony Cozier.

Joseph Stanislaus Solomon was born on August 26, 1930 in Port Mourant, Berbice, in British Guiana (now Guyana) -- a small town that has coughed up more than its share of Test cricketers including Rohan Kanhai and Alvin Kallicharran.

Solomon only made his first-class debut at the age of 26 and, while going on to make useful runs for the West Indies, never set the record books aflame.

In 27 Tests from 1958 to 1965, he scored 1326 runs at an average of 34, mainly from number six and seven in the batting line-up. Only once did he reach three figures when he made exactly 100 not out against India in Delhi in 1959.

 

- 'Mangoes' -

His fielding though was a different story as he was to set the bar for future generations. He put it down to childhood habits.

"There used to be a mango tree near where we used to live, just hanging over the fence, more or less," he told Cricinfo in 2017.

"The mangoes used to be hanging over, so I just pelted them. We all used to pelt down the mangoes."

That experience, and the coolness of his head under pressure, was to decide that first Test in Brisbane.

Solomon, who had contributed 65 and 47 with the bat, was positioned at square-leg as fast bowler Wes Hall bowled the penultimate ball of the match to Australia's last man Lindsay Kline with the scores level.

The left-hander stabbed the ball out on the leg side and ran. Ian Meckiff charged down towards the wicketkeeper's end to try to secure the single that would give Australia victory.

"Joe Solomon had one stump to have a go at," said Hall some years later.

Meckiff did not make it as Solomon hit the 'mango' with the fast bowler lunging for the crease.

"Ninety percent of those miss but he hit the bull's eye. That was the spectacular thing about it," said Hall.

For the first time in the 84 years of international cricket, a Test match had ended in a tie.