This day, that batting genius!

We have a problem midday columnist and then Australias vicecaptain Ian Chappell said to his fellow slip fieldsman Keith Stackpole on the opening day of the Durban Test against South Africa in 1970Chappell was not referring to opening batsman Barry Richards who was blazing away and very nearly got a Day One hundred before lunch a feat then only accomplished by Australians Victor Trumper 1902 Charlie McCartney 1926 and Don Bradman 1930 in Ashes contests Nor was Chappell sweating too much over the fact that Australia could well lose the second Test of the series after the defeat in the first Test at Newlands Cape TownThe batsman in question was new man and No4 batsman Graeme Pollock who had smoked Alan Connolly for two boundariesChappell went on to elaborate Australias problem Hes going to see how many Richards gets and then hell double it Chappells prediction as he admitted in an ESPN Cricinfo video series was wrong because Richards smashed 140 while Pollock walked back to the pavilion 50 years ago on this day having scored an epic 274 then the highest Test score by a South African batsmanStrokes flew from Pollocks heavy bat like a Peregrine falcon and the Australian bowlers were on a hiding to nothing Pollock didnt admit to being hellbent on showing the Durban crowd that there was another highly skilled batsman on the Kingsmead pitch apart from their homeboy Richards but Chappelli certainly believed soHe told Australian Associated Press AAP journalist Patrick Keane in 1994 when the Australian Test side toured South Africa again that he had noticed Pollock standing at the crease with his hand on his hip as if to say Theres another bloke out here who can bat a bitThe Australian bowling attack comprised Graham McKenzie and Connolly who had just led their team to a 31 victory in India But they suffered from the aftereffects of an arduous India tour and Pollock caned them McKenzie I think picked up a virus in India and so he was not a force in South Africa and Johnny Gleeson mystery spinner didnt get support Wicketkeeper Brian Taber had a bad series missing stumpings and catches But we had an incredible side Pollock stressedPollocks 274 was a great innings but he told me on Tuesday that conditions favoured the batsmen and the outfield was quick He had no hesitation in rating his 125 in Nottingham on the 1965 tour of England as the finest Test innings he playedThe 125 out of 269 in Nottingham was probably my best We were 43 for 4 and then 80 for five My contribution was quite significant recalled Pollock 75He still had to pierce the field in Durban and hit 43 fours Pollock loved seeing the ball go past the boundary ropes and pundits reckon there was no better punisher of a bad ball than him If you get a bad ball you must hit it for fourthat was my strategy It is important to control the game and put the bowlers under pressure I was very severe on half volleys he told mePollocks 274 stayed as the highest Test score by a South African batsman until Darry Cullinan scored an unbeaten 275 against New Zealand at Auckland in 1999The Kingsmead gem included a rollicking 103run stand with Richards and a meaty partnership of 200 with Tiger Lance Pollocks innings ended on the second afternoon when he hit one back to occasional legspinner Stackpole He wouldnt have played that loose shot had he known that skipper Ali Bacher had no intentions to declare and he regrets not scoring a triple century in Test cricket It also happened to be his last threefigure score in Tests in a series which the home team famously won 40South Africa were banned from Test cricket after that 196970 series because of their apartheid policySome of Pollocks most scintillating efforts came against AustraliaSir Don Bradman loved watching him bat According to Sydneybased Indian historian Kersi MeherHomji after Pollock scored a hundred for the touring South Africans against Australian Combined XI at Perth on the 196364 tour Bradman came up to him and said that he would like to see another innings of similar quality The great Australians wish was granted as Pollock took 175 off the Australians in Bradmans home city of Adelaide where the then called Springboks cruised to a 10wicket Test win It is no coincidence that Pollock is second to Bradmans average of 9994 with 6097 among retired players who have played 20plus TestsPollock finds it hard to believe its 50 years for his monumental effort No one in South Africa has mentioned this anniversary to me and I look back at the innings with great satisfaction he saidThe 274 was South Africas highest individual score before they got readmitted to Test cricket Cullinan Gary Kirsten Graeme Smith AB de Villiers Hashim Amla have gone past this score but Pollock set the benchmark for his countrys future batsmenThe Proteas will need big scorers to get their Test wagon on track again Theyve lost their last three series comprehensively And they have a problemmiddays group sports editor Clayton Murzello is a purist with an open stance He tweets ClaytonMurzello Send your feedback to mailbagmiddaycomThe views expressed in this column are the individuals and dont represent those of the paperCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates