James Donald Higgs OAM (born 11 July 1950) is a former Australian leg spinner who played in 22 Test matches between 1978 and 1981.
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.
[3] He had to take some time off from cricket in November due to exams, thus missing games against the touring English XI.
[7] 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,[8] and he was dropped from the Victorian side and replaced by Ray Bright.
In the 1976–77 season, Higgs took 4–90 against South Australia[27] and 5–90 in the district cricket final, helping secure Richmond a premiership, breaking a 30-year drought.
Ian Chappell wrote in a 1977 article that Higgs, along with fellow spinner David Hourn, "In my opinion neither of them are real cricketers.
"[28] With the introduction of World Series Cricket, vacancies arose in the Australian team, especially for the spin bowling spot, as Kerry O'Keefe, Ashley Mallett and Ray Bright were all banned and no longer considered available for selection.
In the fourth, Higgs' four wickets helped put Australia in a winning position but a second innings batting collapse saw them lose.
[36][37] 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.
[44] Higgs' best performance of the summer came in the fourth test, where he took eight wickets including 5–148 in England's second innings, meaning Australia only had to score 205 to win.
[49] Victoria won the Sheffield Shield that season, Higgs' 51 first class wickets playing no small part.
[55] 3–63 and 3–22 against the West Zone restored his confidence[56] but he went for 3–150 in the fourth test (bowling in tandem with Peter Sleep)[57] 1–107 in the fifth,[58] and 2–116 in the sixth.
[67] These returns helped Victoria win another Sheffield Shield and Higgs' seasonal record was 41 wickets at an average of 20.
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.