six against the MCC and seven against Somerset. He took 27 wickets at an average of 32 with a first class batting average of 0. He injured his finger during the tour but played on regardless. 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. 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." 1977–78 World Series Cricket 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. Higgs took 6–131 against the touring Indians, which put him in the frame for the Australian side however Tony Mann was selected instead. Mann kept his place for the first four tests before being replaced by Bruce Yardley in the fifth. Both were better batsmen than Higgs, whose next best performance that summer was five wickets against West Australia. However Higgs was picked on the tour to the West Indies as the second spinner apart from Yardley. 1977–78: Tour of West Indies and Test Debt Higgs started the West Indies tour spectacularly well, taking 6–91 and 6–71 against the Leeward Islands. This earned him selection in the first test as part of a spin duo with Bruce Yardley; Higgs took 4–91, the best performing Australian, but Australia lost the test by an innings. He took 1–46 and 1–34 in the second test and did not play the third. In the fourth, Higgs' four wickets helped put Australia in a winning position but a second innings batting collapse saw them lose. Playing Jamaica, Higgs got 5–73 and 4–43. In the final test Higgs took five wickets –