A couple of southpaws

Neil Marks | March 07, 2023

Many years ago I was one of the guest speakers at a charity dinner. To be more specific, I was really only a warmer-upper-the preliminary before the main event. The “main event” was the cricketing knight from the West Indies, Sir Garfield Sobers, the man regarded by many as the greatest cricketer of all time.

The evening was pleasant, though like many of these functions the meal left a lot to be desired. While chomping on a middle-aged chicken with my middle aged-teeth, I glanced over Herself’s, shoulder and recognized a face sitting two tables away.

“Hey love, look over to your left, that’s Ernie Toshack,”I said excitedly. She looked at me mystified but said nothing. She had some chomping problems of her own.

I explained to her that Toshack was a famous left arm bowler who played for Australia when I was a lad. He once won a test for his country by bowling England out on a sticky wicket in Brisbane and was a member of “Bradman’s Invincibles”.

“I think I’ll pop over and say hello, “I said.

I left Herself and the remains of my geriatric fowl and walked over to speak to “Tosh”.

Ernie Toshack still possessed a humorous glint in his eye but he was greyer and thinner than his playing days. Days, long past, when he was part of a golden era of cricket.

“G’day, young “Marksy,”he grinned. “Tosh” used the word “young” only to distinguish me from my father with whom he had played before the war. Nevertheless, it’s nice to have the adjective prefix my name, whatever the reason. We talked for a while about the old days, of my father and of mutual friends. Then he made a request.

“Young Marksy, I have never met Sir Garfield Sobers and I was hoping you’d be kind enough to introduce me.”

“Don’t go away, mate,” I said and walked back to the main table where Sobers was busy signing autographs. Between signatures I asked him if he would mind coming across to meet an old friend of mine. Gary Sobers is an easy going sort of man and in a few moments he wandered over to where Toshack and I were talking.

“Gary Sobers, I’d like you to meet Ernie Toshack. Ernie this is Gary Sobers.” Toshack put out his hand and at that moment the two great lefties shook hands, I knew I was present at a small part of cricketing history. I even felt a little humble being the intermediary at such a meeting.

(Most famous people who are constantly meeting the public adopt a veneer of personable politeness when talking to strangers. Yet, if you look more closely, you’ll notice that the eyes are glazed and the smile is locked into place like a plumber’s wrench. The head nods at the appropriate places in conversation but little is absorbed. Gary Sobers must have spoken to tens of thousands of people over the years. Most of those who have shaken the great cricketer’s hand will remember the meeting forever, while Sobers will have forgotten it in a split second after the person has passed from his sight.)

“It’s an honour to meet you, Gary. I have seen you play on many occasions and I have enjoyed every moment, “said Toshack.

“Thank you, Ernie. It’s nice of you to say so, “Sobers answered.

There was a pause in the conversation. Then Sobers frowned and I noticed the glazed look leave his eyes.

“Wait a minute!” he exclaimed, as he turned to face me. “Did you say Ernie Toshack?”

“That’s correct, “I replied. “The man who was part of the great Australian teams of the forties and early fifties.”

Sobers eyes were now bright as he looked back at Toshack. “Man, it’s an honour to meet you, “he said, and at this time it was Sobers who offered his hand to Toshack. At the same time his left arm grabbed Toshack by the shoulder and when he spoke his voice was enthusiastic and sincere.

“Ernie, when I was growing up, like all the other boys of my age, I used to listen to the short-wave broadcasts of the Test matches between England and Australia. The next morning we would all go down to the beach and pick teams for mini-Tests. The other boys would want to be Don Bradman or Keith Miller or George Headley. But let me tell you man, when I was a little kid playing beach cricket in Barbados, I only ever wanted to be Ernie Toshack.”

I will forever regard myself as fortunate to have been there that night to witness the look on Ernie Toshack’s face when Sir Garfield Sobers made that statement.

The two left-handers stood talking together, reliving their days of glory, oblivious to all around them.

I walked back to my seat and ate what was left of my meal. Funny, the chicken now tasted quite tender.