Jim Higgs

Who is Jim Higgs?

James Donald Higgs is a former Australian leg spinner who played in 22 Tests from 1978 to 1981.

Higgs began his district cricket career at Melbourne University, where he studied civil engineering, before transferring to Richmond. He made his début for Victoria against Western Australia. Always a sharp spinner of the ball, he gradually improved to take 42 wickets in the 1974–75 Sheffield Shield season. This included his best first class bowling of 8/66 against Western Australia. He was subsequently selected for the Ashes tour in 1975 to England. He did not play a Test, but gained fame by not scoring a run for the whole tour. He batted twice and was bowled by the only ball he faced, which appealed to his humorous character.

With the introduction of World Series Cricket, vacancies arose in the Australian team, and Higgs made his Test début in 1977–78. He became a regular member of the team from 1979 to 1981, playing in 22 Tests and touring the West Indies in 1978 and India in 1979. His best performances were 5/148 against England in 1978–79 and 7/143 against India in Madras in 1979, both long spells in trying conditions. He was a member of the Sheffield Shield-winning Victorian teams in 1978–79 and 1979–80. In the final match of the 1979–80 season against South Australia, Higgs took 6/57 in the second innings to secure a Victorian win and the Shield. He retired at the end of the 1982–83 season because of persistent back problems. He was a Victorian selector from 1982–83 to 1988–89 and was appointed an Australian selector in 1985–86.