Evans did not get a chance to bat on debut, and neither did he have a wicket-keeping dismissal. He conceded a single bye in India’s score of 331 and rued it for the rest of his life (as mentioned by Keating above). However, the selectors were once again impressed by his wicket-keeping and picked him for the twin tours of Australia and New Zealand. Gibb came back for the first Ashes Test at The Gabba, only to be replaced by Evans in the second Test at SCG. After England scored 255 Australia responded with a mammoth 659 for eight in 173 eight-ball overs (1,384 balls). Evans did not concede a single bye — setting a new world record for largest innings both in terms of balls and runs (Mike Findlay is the only one to have gone without a bye in more balls — 1,608 — while four wicket-keepers, all post-1990, have gone past the record of 659). It was in this Test that Evans started to stand up to Bedser. He later told: “He [Bedser] needed me to. He knew it made him twice the bowler. But it made for a lot of bruises on my arms and chest, especially up into my armpits.” To make the feat more remarkable, Evans did not concede a bye in first innings at Melbourne either after Australia had won by an innings at Sydney. He had now gone 2,163 balls and 1,024 runs without conceding a single bye. The bye eventually came in Australia’s second innings of the Test. Evans went out to bat with the score on 255 for eight in the second innings at Adelaide after England trailed by 27. He had Compton hanging around at one end, but it was only Day Four, and Australia had a very strong batting line-up. How long would Evans last against Miller, Ray Lindwall (who had dismissed Evans for a golden duck in the first innings), Ernie Toshack, Colin McCool, and Ian Johnson? Wally Hammond sent Evans in with specific instructions: “If you get out, we are going to lose this match. Stay there as long as you can and give Denis Compton the strike.” Evans recalled, “So we only ran twos or fours when he hit the ball.” The ebullient Compton scavenged for runs on the sweltering summer afternoon that had turned Adelaide Oval into a cauldron: the temperature was recorded at 107°F. Evans, however, seemed unaffected: his strong forearms rose menacingly — only to come down dead straight and smother the ball with the most placid of forward-defensive strokes. They batted out the 45 minutes on Day Four. England’s strategies were clear: they never wanted to win the Test. Compton and Evans carried on the next day, trying their level best to bat Australia out of the Test. It took Evans 97 minutes to score his first run. He scored a two after that as the crowd broke out in a loud cheer. When Hammond declared Compton had scored a 353-ball 103 in 284 minutes (after scoring 147 in the first innings). Evans, on the other hand, gave Compton most of the strike and finished with 10 in 96 balls and 133 minutes. He had even hit a boundary! The defensive strategy turned out to be a correct one as Australia finished with 215 for one in 44 overs with only 99 runs left for the match to be won. Cardus wrote of the innings: “The innings was evidence of the serious side of [Godfrey] Evans who, as with every born and skilful man of comedy, knew, and still knows, how to time a laugh.” That night Evans received a telegram from England. It said “NEVER DID ONE MAN BAT FOR SO LONG FOR LITTLE.” It was from Winston Churchill.
Posted on: Sun, 18 Aug 2013 12:12:26 +0000
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