At the end of 1962, the distinction between amateurs and professionals was abolished, and everyone just became a cricketer. At the same time Bob Barber, a cautious amateur with Lancashire, changed counties and became a carefree cricketer with Warwickshire. At Edgbaston Barber blossomed into a feisty attacking left-hander, strong on the drive and pull. He enjoyed a good tour of South Africa in 1964-65, and a tremendous trip to Australia the following year. The highlight was a stroke-filled 185 on the first day of the third Test at Sydney, which set up a thumping win. Sadly for England, that was almost the end of the story. Business claimed Barber increasingly afterwards - he made lots of money out of those blue tablets you put in your loo cistern to cleanse the water - and he faded out of first-class cricket in 1969. Barber was also a big-turning if somewhat erratic legspinner who averaged one and a half wickets per Test - but his 42 victims is still in the most by any England wrist-spinner since the Second World War apart from Doug Wright (81).
Steven Lynch