Sir Garfield Sobers Obituary: Legendary West Indies All-rounder Remembered.

Garfield St. Auburn Sobers was born in Bridgetown on July 28, 1936, but when his merchant marine father was killed in World War II, he left his mother, Thelman, to raise half a dozen children. Young Gary was born with an extra finger on each hand, which was removed in childhood.

Having excelled in various sports as a schoolboy, he was recruited into local club cricket in his early teens and made his debut at the age of 16 against the Indian tourists at his hometown’s Kensington Oval – the ground where his pavilion would one day bear his name.

Sobers was selected to bat at number nine and bowl for the star-studded Barbados line-up – he was one of eight current or future Test players, no fewer than four of whom would be batsmen. He took four wickets in the first innings and three in the second.

And with one more first-class appearance under his belt, his Test debut came 14 months after the 17-year-old was selected to test England in the final Test in Jamaica in early 1954 after Windies’ regular left-arm spinner Alf Valentine fell ill. Again, he took four wickets on debut.

Although the famous ‘Three W’s – Clyde Walcott, Everton Weeks and Frank Worrell – formed the middle tier, Sobers was promoted to No.6 when he toured Australia in 1955.

After making 47 in the second Test, he found himself as the surprise opener in the fourth, smashing the first three balls he received – from legendary Aussie all-rounder Keith Miller – for four.

Sobers toured England for the first time in 1957 and, although he scored just one half-century in five Tests, he suffered a 219-run defeat at Trent Bridge – the ground he would later shine on – against fellow county rivals Nottinghamshire.