Cricket: Short-lived comet's innings over

By D.J. CAMERON

John Beck, who zoomed across the New Zealand cricket sky in the 1950s as a brilliant but sadly short-lived comet, has died in Wellington, aged 65.

Even in his early teens Beck was regarded in Wellington as being something special as a left-handed batsman and superb fielder, as well as a promising rugby five-eighths.

In one of the great gambles of New Zealand cricket, Beck was chosen as a 19-year-old for the New Zealand tour of South Africa in 1953-54, before he had played first-class cricket at home.

After a poor start Beck blossomed on tour. He was run out for 99 in the third test, in which he hit the six that took New Zealand past 500, and shared a partnership of 176 with John R. Reid, at that time the second-best stand by New Zealanders in a test.

Beck was left out of the tour of India and Pakistan in 1955, but played all four tests against the West Indies at home that summer, with best scores of 66 and 55, and a place among the immortals who took New Zealand to their first test win in the fourth match against the West Indies.

At this time, according to Wellington team-mate Alan Clark, Beck was a batsman of extraordinary talent. "He would hit a good ball from me for four, and I would not have a clue how he did it," said Clark.

"So he would just as likely hit the next two balls to the fence, too. He promised so much."

Alas, Beck gained a liking for the convivial socialising that often accompanied sportsmen and sports tours. Beck slipped out of test consideration and, far too quickly, out of cricket.

A tragedy, this, for he had so much natural talent. In eight tests he made 394 runs, at 26.27, and in 41 first-class games scored 1508 runs, with two hundreds, at 23.93.