Born Donneybrook WA
23 April 1937 – 17 September 2001
Powerfully-built, belligerent and deadly determined, Barry Shepherd played a major role in the emergence of Western Australia cricket in the 1960s.
In his captaincy, as with his batting, he treated the opposition with disdain and when he retired in 1966 he left a priceless legacy – a new respect for WA teams and a new generation of young players who believed in their ability to beat powerful teams from the Eastern States. As a result, in 1967-68 WA won the Sheffield Shield for the first time since it was accorded full status in 1956 and so began a lengthy period of pre-eminence in Australian cricket.
In 11 years for the State (1955 to 1966) Shepherds played in 87 games, 39 of them as captain, and when he retired (prematurely, some would say) at the age of 28, he was the leading run-scorer with 5548 runs, has made more centuries (13) than any other batsman and, with Bob Simpson, shared the record of having made three double-centuries for WA.
Adopting a pugnacious left-hander’s stance, he used all of his ample bulk and a complete array of scoring shots to pulverize many a well-credentialled attack. In his first double-century he hit six sixes and 20 fours and his last 112 runs were posted in 68 minutes. Good judges believe Shepherd’s ability warranted many more than nine appearances in Tests. He compiled five half-centuries in 14 Test innings for 502 runs (at an average of 41.83) including scores of 96, 70 and 78 against South Africa in 1963-64, making his runs with great authority as was his custom.