Jim Higgs's misfortune was to play at a time when wrist-spin was nearly extinct, thought to be the preserve only of the eccentric and the profligate, and so to find selectors and captains with little empathy with his guiles.
22 Facts About Jim Higgs
1.
2.
Jim Higgs began his district cricket career at Melbourne University, where he studied civil engineering.
3.
Jim Higgs took 132 district wickets before transferring to Richmond in 1972.
4.
Jim Higgs picked up eight wickets against West Australia and four against South Australia.
5.
Jim Higgs finished the summer with 42 wickets at an average of 21.92 and was selected for the Ashes tour in 1975 to England.
6.
Jim Higgs batted twice and was bowled by the only ball he faced, which appealed to his humorous character.
7.
Jim Higgs took 27 wickets at an average of 32 with a first class batting average of 0.
8.
Jim Higgs injured his finger during the tour but played on regardless.
9.
However Jim Higgs was picked on the tour to the West Indies as the second spinner apart from Yardley.
10.
Jim Higgs took 42 first class wickets at an average of 22 on the tour.
11.
Jim Higgs had come back form the West Indies with his reputation considerably enhanced.
12.
Jim Higgs came back to the Australian side for the third test, where his three wickets contributed to a rare Australian win.
13.
Jim Higgs took three wickets in the fifth test and five in the sixth both Australian defeats.
14.
Jim Higgs was dropped from the Australian side for the second test against Pakistan, replaced by Bruce Yardley.
15.
Jim Higgs was picked on the 1979 tour of India, along with Yardley and Peter Sleep.
16.
Jim Higgs was kept on in the side to play England, but only bowled one over.
17.
Jim Higgs was selected in the initial squad to tour Pakistan in 1980 but did not actually tour.
18.
Jim Higgs announced his unavailability to tour on the 1980 tour of England.
19.
Jim Higgs went on to score 6 off 69 balls, Walters hit a century, Australia made 321 and ended up winning the game.
20.
English wickets are no help to leggies and Jim Higgs really struggled on the 1975 tour.
21.
Jim Higgs never made the Australian team again but took six wickets against Tasmania in a Shield game, seven wickets against WA.
22.
Jim Higgs was president of Richmond from 1994 to 1997 and served on the Board of Cricket Victoria.