Vale Barry Knight

Greg Bush | November 11, 2025

We received sad news about the passing last night of Barry Knight, aged 87 years old.

Notably, Knighty scored two Test centuries and took 70 Test wickets at 31. Across first-class cricket, he racked up 13,336 runs and 1,089 wickets at an average of 24, a true all-rounder. He achieved the rare feat of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in a county season four times and was especially proud of dismissing Gary Sobers three times in the 1966 series in England.

He joined Mosman in the 1969/70 season after leaving Essex and became a mainstay of the club, retiring in 1981/82 after more than a decade of outstanding cricket. Even at the age of 40, Knighty continued to dominate the bat, taking 41 wickets in First Grade at an average of around 11, which was the highest bowling average in the competition.

Knighty was an outstanding bowler. He had a rhythmical run-up, consistently hit the seam, and mastered both off-cutters and leg-cutters. Against blokes like Simpson and Walters, he’d set them up beautifully with straight ones, then the leg-cutter that nipped away. Pure class.

With the bat, Knighty always entertained. He loved to attack and could “lap” spinners for fun.

As captain, he kept the game moving. He made smart declarations, implemented clever field changes, and had an instinct for when to pull a tactical lever.

But more than the runs and wickets, Knighty loved the game. His cricket knowledge was immense, and he gave so much back, coaching countless players, including Allan Border at Mosman and Shane and Brett Lee at Campbelltown.

And then there were the stories, endless tales from his County and England days, full of humour and mischief, told with that twinkle in his eye.

He was a great cricketer, a great character, and a great mate to many.

RIP Knighty.

The art of captaincy with Kevin Roberts. Creating a scenario that challenges the mindset of players – click to unlock the full conversation.