Warrick Maxwell Darling (born 1 May 1957), known as Rick Darling, is a former Australian Test cricketer.
His tendency to play the cut and hook shots provided much entertainment, but also meant that he was inconsistent and error-prone. It has been said that the introduction of the batting helmet saved Darling's life several times, but also gave him extra confidence to play his favoured shots. Darling's early Test career was also characterised by his opening partnerships with Graeme Wood, the pair christened the "Kamikaze Kids" due to their often disastrous running between the wickets, which saw one of the pair dismissed run out in one innings of each of their four Tests together.
Darling is the great-nephew of Joe Darling, and learnt to play cricket at his family's home at Ramco on the Murray River. He started playing for the Salisbury Cricket Club in the Adelaide district competition in 1970–71.
He was picked for South Australia Colts in 1974–75, scoring 67 against Western Australia, 105 against Victoria, 48 against the West Indies and 45 against WA.
Darling started his first-class career in 1975–76 with South Australia. He made his debut against Queensland, batting at number 6, being run out for 5. (Darling would later become notorious for being involved in run outs throughout his career.) He then made 26 and 48 against Victoria, helping South Australia win the game. He scored 2 against the touring West Indians. A second innings of 29 helped guide South Australia to victory against Western Australia. He also made 2 and 32 against WA, 1 and 41 against Victoria and 12 against NSW. South Australia won the Sheffield Shield that year. Ian Chappell praised the fielding of Darling and David Hookes as a contributing factor to South Australia's triumph ("have added to our mobility").
Darling's Sheffield Shield scores for the 1976–77 season were 2 and 14, 0 and 25, 3 and 64. He made his initial first class century with 107 against Victoria. Then made 1 and 39, 22 and 4 and 7.
Darling made his one-day debut in the Gillette Cup quarter finals but only scored one.
Darling was given his chance in the Australian Test team through the defection of several players to World Series Cricket in 1977. In October 1977 Ray Robinson listed Darling as a test possibility, saying Darling and Dav Whatmore "both look test material for the future". However at the beginning of the season he was 12th man for South Australia against the Indian team. Darling eventually got back into the first eleven and scored runs, playing particularly well against Western Australia, making 45 and 100. He made 101 against Tasmania in a one-day game, which won him the Man of the Match Award nd saw him come into discussions about possibly opening for Australia, especially as the test team had been unable to find a consistent opening combination throughout the summer. Darling's other scores were 0 and 43 against Victoria and 39 and 15 against WA.
Darling was selected for the Australian team for the fifth test against India and subsequent tour of the West Indies (both were announced on the same day). He later recalled, "I was at the local water ski beach having a ski and first thing I knew was dad came down in the ute in a cloud of dust and was yelling out from the other side of the river 'come over here, get to Adelaide and play in the fifth Test'". Also selected to make his test debut was Graeme Wood of Western Australia; it was thought Wood and Darling two could make an ideal opening combination, although Wood was only 21 and Darling just 20. Darling was the youngest member of the tour team. Ian Chappell wrote, "I applaud the selection" of Darling, saying "he is as good a hooker as you will find in Shield cricket and uses his feet well to spin bowlers." Chapell added "I am not convinced about him opening in test matches yet, but if he is brought along gradually on tour he may be the answer to a long-standing Australian problem."
Australia's gamble on Wood and Darling made dividends with the two of them putting on 89 for the first wicket, Australia's best opening partnership of the series. Darling made 65. Bill O'Reilly said he "functioned with extraordinary confidence" and called it "a magnificent debut which will give Australian cricket a lift." Darling followed his up with 56 in the second innings, helping Australia win the game.
Darling began the West Indies tour well, scoring 26 and 35 in a tour game against Leeward Islands and 8 in the first ODI. John Benaud wrote "the form of Rick Darling on this West Indian tour has been so disappointing the Australian selectors minds must be churning at the thought of yet another opening experiment." Darling then made 105 and 43 against Trinidad and Tobago. However he missed the first test due to a virus infection (being replaced by Craig Serjeant.
Darling recovered and made 62 against Barbados. He scored 21 in the second ODI.
Darling was picked for the second test but failed twice, making 4 and 8. A score of 123 in a tour game against Guyana restored his confidence but Darling failed twice again in the third test (which Australia won), making 15 and 0.
Darling made 12 and 36 against the Windward Islands (doubling as wicketkeeper) and failed again in the fourth test, making 10 and 6. According to one report "Darling has developed an unfortunate habit of committing himself to the front foot, always looking to work the ball on the leg side. Yesterday he was bowled when he moved too far inside the line to glance and left his leg stump exposed."
Darling had made 43 runs in six test innings. He was dropped from the Australia team for the fifth test, being replaced by David Ogilvie. Bob Simpson said he would have preferred a specialist opener "but we couldn't really persevere with Rick." Australia came close to winning the game before the crowd rioted and the match ended in a draw. Darling did finish the tour with 75 against Bermuda Counties. However it had been a disappointing tour for Darling, who now found his position in the Australian team in doubt.
Darling began the 1978–79 season poorly failing twice for South Australia against the touring English team, making 17 and 1. Peter McFarline of The Age felt Darling "hooked himself out of the first test side" with this match.
Darling then made 39 against Tasmania. He was omitted for the first test team with Australia using Wood and Gary Cosier as openers. However they failed to put on a strong opening stand and when Darling scored 85 and 82 against NSW he was recalled for the second test, with Cosier dropped down the order. "I will hook as long as I live," said Darling. "I am not going to quit the shot. Why should I when it gets me so many of my runs?" "I'm happy that we now have two experienced opening batsmen in Wood and Rick Darling, and I am confident that they will be able to give us a sound start," said captain Graham Yallop. This did not turn out to be the case with Darling only scoring 25 (run out) and 5. (Although he was incorrectly ruled run out in the first innings.)
Darling then made 19 and 41 for South Australia against England. Darling and Wood put on two 50-plus opening stands in the third test, helping Australia to a rare victory. Darling made 33 (run out) in the first innings and 21 in the second. The number of times either Darling or Wood were run out saw them given the nickname "the kamikaze kids". According to Darling, "It was not the way we ran between wickets it was the speed we ran between wickets. For example, if we were running a three, I or him would be coming back for the third when the other person was only finishing the second. It wasn't the calling, it wasn't the misjudgement of a run — well I suppose it was — but it all goes back to the speed of us at the time."