Evans fast off mark with praise (3 March 1999)
GODFREY EVANS, now 78, sent warm congratulations to Geoff Allott last night as the former Kent and England wicketkeeper was finally relieved of his slow scoring record
03-Mar-1999
3 March 1999
Evans fast off mark with praise
By Brendan Gallagher
GODFREY EVANS, now 78, sent warm congratulations to Geoff Allott
last night as the former Kent and England wicketkeeper was
finally relieved of his slow scoring record.
"I'm absolutely delighted. The chap was obviously doing a very
good job for his team," enthused Evans, who took 97 minutes to
get off the mark in the fourth Test against Australia at Adelaide
in Feb 1947.
"When I arrived at the Cricketers' Club in London this morning
they said one of my records had been broken. I've only got one
left so I knew exactly what had happened!"
Evans's effort started 45 minutes before the close on the fifth
day when the temperature was still 107F. With a full day's play
to come, England were 255 for eight in their second innings, 228
ahead of Australia.
"As I went in Wally Hammond said: 'If you get out we are going to
lose this match. Stay there as long as you can and give Denis
Compton the strike.' So we only ran twos or fours when he hit the
ball."
England continued in similar vein the following morning, despite
complaints from Donald Bradman, the Australia captain. "I finally
scored a two myself. Of course I got a tremendous cheer, I'd been
in so long."
Compton completed his second century of the game and Evans
eventually made 10 not out before England reached safety and
declared. Evans attributed his resistance to bloody-mindedness,
but Wisden insisted it was evidence of a "splendid defence".
After play on the final evening, Evans was handed a telegram:
"Never did one man bat for so long for little." The message was
signed by Winston Churchill.
Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)