CRICKETING royalty visited Devon last Friday as Sir Garry Sobers, possibly the greatest all round cricketer, visited Shebbear College to open one of their new buildings — a cricket pavilion which also boasts a new state-of-the-art Sixth Form Centre taking up the whole upper floor overlooking the cricket field.

Sir Garry made the special trip from London due to the school’s close links with Barbados.

After cutting the ribbon and pronouncing the building officially open, Sir Garry took time to chat with a very excited group of students and parents about his amazing career in cricket.

During his extraordinary career, which saw him play for the West Indies between 1954 and 1974, he scored over 8,000 Test runs at an incredible average of 57.08 while he also took 234 Test match wickets at a shade over 34. But it wasn’t just his statistics alone which made him one of the most loved and revered cricketers of all time. A swashbuckling batsman who could change the game in a matter of a couple of hours, he could also bowl either left-arm pace or spin, such was his talent.

In 1958, aged just 22, already six years after he made his first-class debut, he broke the world record held by England’s Len Hutton for the highest test score when he made 365 not out vs Pakistan in Kingston, Jamaica. That record stood for over 36 years until fellow West Indian, Brian Lara, smashed 375 against England in Antigua in 1994. Lara then won that record back ten years later at the same ground, again against England following Australian opener Matthew Hayden’s 380 against Zimbabwe in 2003.

Lara became and still is the only man in test history to score 400 in an innings.

Perhaps his most famous moment in England, was during a County Championship fixture between Nottinghamshire and Glamorgan at Swansea in 1968 which saw him hit six sixes in one over off the bowling of Malcolm Nash.

He was also joined briefly by Peter Lever, former opponent and English cricketer, who played in seventeen Tests and ten ODIs for England from 1970 to 1975 currently helps out at Lewdown Cricket Club on a regular basis.

Headmaster Simon Weale said: “We are thrilled that Sir Garry took time out of his busy schedule to visit us, not least because our netball and cricket teams are touring Barbados next year. As a school we promote the benefits of team sports, so to have such a sporting icon coming here can only serve to inspire our pupils.”

The opening of the new building took place on the school’s Speech Day, which was attended by around 500 parents, grandparents and visitors.

The guest speaker was Jo Bradshaw, who gave an inspiring speech about her career as an expedition leader.