Jim Higgs

Higgs started the following summer strongly with seven wickets against Queensland but was never as successful again – indeed he was made 12th man for some games. However, in a Richmond versus Northcote game he took 8 for 19.

Playing Jamaica, Higgs got 5-73 and 4-43. In the final test Higgs took five wickets – 2-47 and 3-67; he and Yardley were on the verge of bowling Australia to victory when the crowd rioted and the game was called off. Higgs took 42 first class wickets at an average of 22 on the tour.

Higgs picked up 3 wickets in the third test – a game probably best remembered for an incident when Higgs was batting. He was 1 not out and Australia 9-279 with Doug Walters on 77 when Lance Cairns bowled a bouncer; Higgs hit it to the wicketkeeper but umpire Robin Baillache ruled the delivery an illegal one as it was too intimidatory. Higgs went on to score 6 off 69 balls, Walters hit a century, Australia made 321 and ended up winning the game.

He was also president of Richmond from 1994–97 and served on the Board of Cricket Victoria.

His last first class game was in 1982-83 against Queensland; Higgs' figures were 0-90 and 2-24. He led Richmond to a premiership in 1982-83.

Higgs 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.

Higgs was appointed captain of Richmond in 1981-82. He never made the Australian team again but took six wickets against Tasmania in a Shield game, seven wickets against WA. and 5-68 against WA

Higgs was selected in the initial squad to tour Pakistan in 1980 but did not actually tour. This meant he could be available to play the end of the Shield. He also announced his unavailability to tour on the 1980 tour of England.

Higgs started the 1980-81 season more slowly, although he did take three wickets for Victoria against the touring New Zealanders. 2-65 and 4-67 against WA saw him picked in the Australian side to face New Zealand for the first test.

Higgs was picked on the 1979 tour of India, along with Yardley and Peter Sleep. Five wickets against South Zone got his tour off to a strong start. Higgs took 7-143 in the first test (a draw).

From 1979-80 onwards, the World Series Cricket players were eligible for selection in the Australian team again.

Higgs started the 1979-80 season well with 5-50 and 7-49 against West Australia and 4-79 and 4-78 against NSW. This saw him recalled to the Australian team in the second test against the West Indies, replacing Jeff Thomson. Higgs went for an expensive 3-122 in an Australian loss. He was kept on in the side to play England, but only bowled one over.

In the 1976-77 season, Higgs took 4-90 against South Australia and 5-90 in the district cricket final, helping secure Richmond a premiership, breaking a 30-year drought. However, by this stage Kerry O'Keeffe was Australia's preferred leg spinner and Ray Bright was the favoured second spinner. Ian Chappell wrote in a 1977 article that Higgs, along with fellow spinner David Hourn, "In my opinion neither of them are real cricketers. By that I mean they are only bowlers, not cricketers. They are both well below standard as fieldsmen and batsmen."

Higgs, along with Richie Robinson, did not take part in the reduced 14-man squad that participated in the 1975 World Cup.

Higgs did not enjoy as bountiful a time in 1975-76 apart from 4-86 against South Australia. Terry Jenner was picked ahead of him in the test team.

1974–75 was Higgs' breakthrough season. He took 8-66 and 3-52 against Western Australia, 3-107 against the touring English, five against Queensland, eight against NSW and six against South Australia. He finished the summer with 42 wickets at an average of 21.92 and was subsequently selected for the Ashes tour in 1975 to England.

Higgs began his district cricket career at Melbourne University, where he studied civil engineering. He took 132 district wickets before transferring to Richmond in 1972.

At the start of the 1972-73 season there was some talk Higgs might be a possibility for a spot in the squad to tour the West Indies at the end of the summer. However his form was less impressive, apart from six wickets against South Australia, and he was dropped from the Victorian side and replaced by Ray Bright.

During the 1971-72 season, Higgs took his first five wicket haul at first class level with 5-162 against South Australia. He picked up eight wickets against West Australia and four against South Australia.

He made his début for Victoria against Western Australia in 1970-71, taking four wickets. His best performances that summer was taking five wickets against South Australia. He had to take some time off from cricket in November due to exams, thus missing games against the touring English XI.

James Donald Higgs OAM (born 11 July 1950) is a former Australian leg spinner who played in 22 Test matches between 1978 and 1981. In the words of Gideon Haigh "Jim Higgs was Australia's best legspinner between Richie Benaud and Warne. His misfortune was to play at a time when wrist-spin was nearly extinct, thought to be the preserve only of the eccentric and the profligate, and so to find selectors and captains with little empathy with his guiles."