Bob Barber

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Bob Barber England (Eng)

Batting style	Left-handed batsman
Bowling type	Leg-break and googly
	Tests	First-class
Matches	28	386
Runs scored	1,495	17,631
Batting average	35.59	29.43
100s/50s	1/9	17/90
Top score	185	185
Balls bowled	3,426	31,798
Wickets	42	549
Bowling average	43.00	29.46
5 wickets in innings	0	12
10 wickets in match	0	0
Best bowling	4/132	7/35
Catches/stumpings	21/0	210/0
Test debut: 9 June 1960 Last Test: 11 June 1968 Source: [1]

Robert ("Bob") William Barber (born on 26 September 1935 in Withington, Manchester) is a former English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Cambridge University, Lancashire and Warwickshire from 1954 to 1969. He also played 28 Test matches for England. He was named as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1967. An outstanding schoolboy cricketer, Barber initially struggle to gain a place whilst at Cambridge after making his debut in 1955. Scoring 1000 runs for the first time in 1959 Barber was made captain of a Lancashire team struggling to make the best of its talent. Hampered by an intrusive committee and hostile crowd^[1], Barber was perceived as not making the best of his own abilities, particularly as a leg spinner. However in a team boasting Test leg spinner Tommy Greenough and useful allrounders in Grieves and Booth, both of whom were wrist spinners, it was hardly surprising that Barber did not bowl more. He was replaced by Joe Blackledge, an untried amateur, in 1962 who met with no greater success as the county fell apart and endured their worst season to date.
Joining Warwickshire, Bob Barber clearly enjoyed his cricket more^[2] and began to play fairly regularly for England, mainly as an opening bat, until in 1969 he retired from county cricket although he appeared in the John Player League until 1971. A hard hitting batsman he is perhaps best remembered for an innings of 185 against Australia on the 1965-66 tour. Prominent in the early years of the Gillette Cup, he made little impression in the 40 over game.