Tony Becca

FIFTY-THREE years ago, way back in 1955, Australia toured the West Indies for the first time and for West Indians it was like a dream come true.

The 'Baggy Greens' were not only from a country far away, way Down Under, and across the date line where while they were playing in the day we were listening the night before, but from the country which produced the 'Don' - the legendary Don Bradman who, despite the fact that one George 'Atlas' Headley was from the West Indies, was like a god to West Indians.

On top of that, they arrived with batsmen such as Neil Harvey, Colin McDonald and Arthur Morris, an all-rounder like Keith Miller, a spin bowler like Bill Johnston - a slow bowler who ran in to bowl like he was running on hot coals, and a wicketkeeper named Gil Langley - rated, at the time, along with England's Godfrey Evans as the best in the world.

Magnificent team

It was a magnificent team and although the West Indies boasted batsmen who included Frank Worrell, Everton Weekes and Clyde Walcott, and a pair of master spin bowlers in Sonny Ramadhin and Alfred Valentine, by the time the action got to Barbados, to Kensington Oval and the fourth Test match, the score was two to Australia and zero to the West Indies, with the second ending in Australia's favour.

In the first Test at Sabina Park, a small, homely place in comparison to today's monstrosity, Australia scored 515 for nine on the way to winning by nine wickets. In the second Test at Queen's Park Oval, Australia, replying to the West Indies 382, scored 600 for nine; and in the third Test at Bourda, Australia won a low-scoring encounter by eight wickets after scoring 257 and 133 for two.

In the fourth Test match, Australia rattled up 668 and, at 147 for six, after reaching 52 without loss, the West Indies were sinking fast when wicketkeeper Clairmonte Depeiza joined captain Denis Atkinson.

In one of the greatest recoveries in the history of the game, in a world-record performance which still stands to this day, the two Barbadians, batting for three days from the start to the finish of their heroics, shared a seventh-wicket partnership of 347 that carried the West Indies to 510 and to relative safety.

Before he was bowled by legspinner Richie Benaud for 122 at 494 for seven on the fifth day of the six-day match, Depeiza had batted for 330 minutes and had stroked 16 fours. Before he was caught by Ron Archer and bowled by Johnston for 219 at 504 for eight, Atkinson had batted for 351 minutes, had stroked 29 fours, and had hit one six.

Aussies dismissed

And they went even beyond that. With the West Indies, thanks to Atkinson, who took five for 56 off 36.2 overs - the first of his three handfuls of wickets in Test matches, dismissing Australia for 249 in their second innings and setting them 408 to win the match, with the home team reeling at 207 for six in their second innings, it was left to Atkinson, 20 not out, and to Depeiza, 11 not out, to step up again and deny Australia.

In 22 Test matches, that was Atkinson's only century, in Depeiza's five Test matches, that was his only century and, apart from Clyde Walcott's five centuries in the five Test matches, including two in one on two occasions, that was the Windies' finest hour during a series completely dominated by Johnson's men.