As a 21 year-old,Alan Knott played an innings,great in defensive technique and so mature and assured,enabling England to draw a Test that seemed incontrovertibly lost and enabled England to win a series they didn't really deserve.
In their 5 Test series away to a West Indies side of many stars including the greatest of all,their captain,the fabulous Garry Sobers,
an unfancied England,under a second choice captain,Colin Cowdrey,came to the 5th Test at The Bourda Oval 1-0 ahead having won the previous Test thanks to what could only be described a very over-generous and quixotic declaration by Sobers.
But by lunch on the sixth and last day of the final Test,England,needing 308 to win,were five down for 41.The cream of English batting,Edrich,Boycott,Graveney,Barrington and D'Oliviera had been swept away by the irresistible guile of Lance Gibbs.
Only Colin Cowdrey stood firm.When Knotty came in they put on 127 before Cowdrey was out,after a masterclass of defensive technique for 82.This left Knott seventy minutes to bat with the tail,mainly against the wiles of Gibbs and Sobers.And they did it -9 wickets down with Jeff Jones,Test batting average 4.75,somehow surviving the last over from Gibbs.
And the tyro ,Alan Knott---73 not out from 260 balls and four hours of increased tension.His twinkling footwork against the spinners together with an ancient head on very young,slim shoulders gave England an away series victory against the great West Indies team,Sobers included.
Alan Knott is acclaimed as an ATG keeper-batter but this early incursion into greatness may have been his finest hour (OR FOUR).
