This Month In… 1958

Having defeated West Indies 3-0 in 1957, England could justifiably lay claim to being the dominant force in world cricket. They were unbeaten in their last 13 series, with nine victories in that period, and that superiority is reflected in the rankings.

Three of the top six batsmen were England players, with their captain, the stylish right-hander Peter May [pictured above], topping the table. May was in a superb run of form which included a career-best of 285 not out against the West Indians at Edgbaston in June 1957 and he would not be dislodged from the No.1 spot until January 1960.

Colin Cowdrey, who succeeded May as England captain in 1961, slotted in at No.4. Aged 26, Cowdrey was still in the early stages of an international career that would stretch to 1975 and see him become the first cricketer to play 100 Test matches. He had also been in excellent touch against West Indies, scoring 435 runs at 72.50 including 154 at Edgbaston as part of a mammoth 411-run partnership with May – a then-Test record for the fourth wicket.

Peter Richardson was the third England batsman to feature in the top six. The left-handed opener was in the middle of a purple patch in which he scored five hundreds in his first 16 Tests. He found the going tougher thereafter, though, failing to register another century before playing his last match in 1963.

Sandwiched between May and Cowdrey were the West Indian greats Everton Weekes and Clyde Walcott, with the third of the famous Three Ws, Frank Worrell, just outside the top 10 in 13th place. All three had below-par series against England in 1957 but had plenty of credit in the bank after several years of prolific run-making.

Neil Harvey, the Australian left-hander regarded as one of the game’s most elegant stroke-makers, completed the top five. He would rise to No.3 in 1959 following a brace of centuries in India.

England also led the way in the bowling rankings, with Jim Laker at No.1. The off-spinner first reached the summit in July 1956, immediately after taking the all-time best Test figures of 19/90 against Australia at Old Trafford, and remained in the top two until he called time on his career in 1959.

Tony Lock – Laker’s long-time spin-bowling partner for England and Surrey – was placed No.7, with Frank Tyson, arguably the fast bowler that's ever lived, making it three Englishmen in the top 10. By July 1958, Laker would be usurped at No.1 by Lock after the latter's superlative series against New Zealand, in which he took 34 wickets at the extraordinary average of 7.47.

South African off-spinner Hugh Tayfield was nestled behind Laker in second place after taking 13 wickets against England at Johannesburg the previous year, with Fazal Mahmood, the godfather of Pakistani fast bowling, completing the top three. Next came South African fast bowler Neil Adcock, in the midst of a brief but prolific Test career, ahead of Indian leg-spinner Subhash Gupte.