Promoting No. 3s not an open and shut case

Sunday Times

TELFORD VICE, Harare

CRICKET has Dereck Dowling to thank for the fact that Barry Richards became one of the finest opening batsmen yet to grace the game.

“You keep going in at 3/1, so what’s point of batting at No. 3,” was the blunt advice of former Natal batsman Dowling, by then an administrator, in 1965-66, Richards’ second first-class season.

With that, a player who had not been born an opener was made into one. Richards took first strike in all seven of his test innings and opene...