The Tied Test of 1960: Cricket's First Tie and Its Historic Significance
The 1960 Brisbane Test between Australia and West Indies — the first tied Test in 83 years of Test cricket, how it happened, Wes Hall's final over, and why the match reinvigorated Test cricket as a spectacle.
On December 14, 1960, the first Test match between Australia and West Indies at Brisbane produced cricket's first tied Test in 83 years of Test history. The match went to the final ball with both sides scoring 737 runs and 20 wickets falling on each side. The last-over drama — with West Indies needing 6 runs off the final over and the match ultimately tied on the last delivery — became one of cricket's most celebrated stories and is credited with rescuing Test cricket's popularity in Australia at a time of declining attendances.
The Final Over
West Indies needed 6 runs to win from the final over, bowled by Wes Hall. Four wickets fell in the over — extraordinary drama. The last ball: West Indies needed 2 to win with 1 wicket left. Meckiff hit the ball and ran; the throw to the keeper Joe Solomon was direct, and the batter was run out. Scores were level. One wicket fell with the match tied. The result — a tie rather than a West Indies win by 1 run — came down to fractions of a second on the final run-out.
Historical Significance
- The Tied Test launched what became known as 'The Finest Series' — the 1960-61 West Indies tour of Australia, widely regarded as the greatest series ever played. Australia won 2-1 with the other four matches all producing results, in an era when draws were common.
- Attendances for the series — particularly in Melbourne and Sydney — were enormous. The tour reinvigorated Test cricket in Australia after years of declining crowds.
- Frank Worrell, the West Indies captain, received a ticker-tape parade in Melbourne at the end of the tour — a tribute usually reserved for war heroes. Over 500,000 people lined the Melbourne streets. The parade remains a symbol of cricket's power to transcend sport.
Frequently asked questions
How many Tests have ended in a tie?
Only two Test matches in the history of international cricket have ended in a tie: the Brisbane Test between Australia and West Indies in December 1960 (the first tied Test in 83 years of Test history) and the Chennai (Madras) Test between India and Australia in September 1986. Both matches produced exactly equal scores with no result, making the tie the rarest outcome in Test cricket.
What is the difference between a draw and a tie in cricket?
A draw occurs when a match ends without a result after all scheduled time has been played — typically because one or both teams' second innings was not completed. A tie occurs when both teams complete their innings and finish with exactly equal scores. Draws are very common in Test cricket (roughly 25-30% of Tests end in draws). Ties are extraordinarily rare — only two Tests in 140+ years of history. In one-day and T20 cricket, drawn matches are not possible; ties are resolved by a Super Over or boundary count.