Barnet remembers Gary Sobers’ visits to High Barnet cricket ground
The West Indies legend played twice against Barnet Cricket Club in the early 1960s before the club merged in 2012
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High Barnet’s cricket history includes two matches against Sir Garfield Sobers, the West Indies all-rounder who died on 17 July 2026 at the age of 89. Sobers played for Vic Lewis’s International XI against Barnet Cricket Club in 1960 and 1961, before the club merged with Old Elizabethans in 2012.
The first match, on 11 September 1960, saw Vic Lewis’s XI score 439 runs, with Sobers hitting 103. Barnet were bowled out for 231, with G. Amor top-scoring at 85. Freddie Trueman took three wickets for the XI, while Barnet’s M. Tant claimed three for 40 runs.
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A local connection
Frederick George McCormick, known as ‘Mac’, played for Barnet in both matches. His son, Dave McCormick, wrote in Barnet Post that his father faced Sobers twice, the second time when Dave was five months old. McCormick continued playing for Barnet into the 1970s.
McCormick’s ashes were scattered on the Barnet cricket square after his death in 2007. The ground, in Barnet Lane, is now part of Ark Academy School, which opened in 2019. Barnet Cricket Club merged with Old Elizabethans in 2012, ending its independent history.
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Calls to preserve local memories
Barnet Post reported that little documentation of Barnet Cricket Club’s history remains online. Dave McCormick wrote that collecting memories and memorabilia could help preserve the club’s role in the community. No formal plans to commemorate Sobers’ visits have been announced.
The 1960 match drew thousands of spectators, who donated money to charity and player benefit funds. Sobers, who played 93 Tests for the West Indies, is widely regarded as one of cricket’s greatest all-rounders. His 365 not out against Pakistan in 1958 remains the highest individual Test score by a left-hander.
Questions this report answers
+When did Gary Sobers play against Barnet Cricket Club?
Sir Garfield Sobers played twice against Barnet Cricket Club, on 11 September 1960 and again in 1961. Both matches were held at the club’s ground in Barnet Lane, High Barnet.
+What happened to Barnet Cricket Club’s ground?
Barnet Cricket Club merged with Old Elizabethans in 2012. The former ground in Barnet Lane is now part of Ark Academy School, which opened in 2019.
+How did Barnet perform against Sobers’ team in 1960?
Barnet Cricket Club scored 231 all out in 1960, while Vic Lewis’s International XI, featuring Sobers, reached 439. Sobers scored 103 runs in the match.
+Is there a memorial for Sobers’ visits to Barnet?
No formal memorial exists yet. Barnet Post has called for local residents to share memories and memorabilia about Barnet Cricket Club’s history, including Sobers’ visits.
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