Bob Massie, a fast-medium swing bowler, will always be remembered for one of the most startling debuts in Test history. At Lord's in 1972, the mutton-chopped Massie swung the ball devilishly and demolished England with eight wickets in each innings, and his figures of 16 for 137 were the best by a Test debutant until Narendra Hirwani spun West Indies to defeat 15 years later. All English eyes had been fixed on the ferocious Dennis Lillee, and well though he bowled for his four wickets in the match, it was Massie's sharp, late swing from around the wicket that did for England.
But Massie's star fell as quickly as it had risen: he played only five more Tests, and within 18 months of his Lord's debut he mustered fewer wickets in his five subsequent Tests than he had managed in 60 glorious overs on debut, and within 18 months he had been released by Western Australia.. Two years before that debut, Massie had been rejected after a trial with Northants. A banker by profession, he latterly became a radio commentator.
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