West Indian cricket team
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- Note: This page shall also refer to West Indian women's national cricket team, and junior teams (representing West Indies) but unless explicitly mentioned, it refers to the senior (main) cricket team
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The West Indian cricket team, also known colloquially as The Windies, is a national cricket team representing a sporting confederation of the Caribbean countries: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago. (These are the countries of the former West Indies Federation, plus Guyana on the South American mainland, being originally British colonies.) The team is administrated by the West Indies Cricket Board.
Overview
The West Indian team is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and one-day international status. It played its first Test match in 1928 (against England at Lord's in London), becoming the fourth Test nation.
In 1958, they scored their highest ever (790 runs) in a test innings losing just 3 wickets against Pakistan at Kingston. Their biggest test win came in January 1959 when they beat India by an innings and 336 runs at Calcutta. They were involved with Australia in the first of the two tied test matches in test history (December 1960, Brisbane).
The West Indies were a relatively minor force in world cricket until they swept India in a 5-Test series in 1961-62.They grew in strength throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s, culminating in a then-record streak of 11 consecutive Test victories in 1984 as they dominated the game with a fearsome fast bowling attack including the greats Joel Garner, Michael Holding, and Malcolm Marshall, and flamboyant and talented batsmen such as Viv Richards and Clive Lloyd.
Throughout the 1990s, however, West Indian cricket declined, in part due to the rise in popularity of basketball in West Indian countries, and the team today is struggling to regain its past glories.
In May 2003, they won a test match against Australia at St. John's scoring a world record 418 runs in the 4th innings breaking a 27-year-old record of India who had scored 406 runs in the 4th innings to win a match incidentally against the West Indies. It was only the third time in the history of test cricket that over 400 runs had been scored in the 4th innings to win a match. As of 2004, they are one of only 3 test playing nations to have played over 400 test matches, the others being Australia and England.
Notable West Indian batsmen include
- Brian Lara - world record holder for highest individual score (400 not out against England at St. John's, April 2004), also held the world record earlier from April 1994 to October 2003 (375, also against England at St. John's) One of five batsmen in the world to have scored 10,000 test runs and the only West Indian to do so. One of only 3 West Indian triple centurions, the other two being Lawrence Rowe and Sir Gary Sobers, second person after Sir Don Bradman and the only West Indian to score test triple century twice, 2nd West Indian batsman after Sir Gary Sobers to have scored 25 test centuries, fastest to score 10,000 test runs in terms of number of innings and only batsman to score 10,000 test runs in less than 200 test innings, scored a Test record 28 runs in an over against South Africa, scored 169 in an ODI against Sri Lanka at Sharjah in 1995, scored 18 ODI centuries, most by a West Indian, scored 1,349 ODI runs in the year 1993, most by a West Indian in a calendar year, one of only 2 West Indian batsmen to have hit 100 sixes in ODI cricket, scored the 2nd fastest century in ODI cricket (fastest by a West Indian) in just 45 balls (1999), scored the fastest fifty by a West Indian batsman in ODI cricket in just 23 balls (against Canada, 2003), scored 26 runs in an over in that match, the most by a West Indian, 2nd fastest batsman to reach 5,000 ODI runs (118 matches) (International career: 1990-)
- Lawrence Rowe - 1000 test runs in 16 test matches (2nd fastest West Indian) at an average of 71 (International career: 1972-1980)
- Vivian Richards - one of only two batsmen (the other being Chris Cairns) to have scored more than 80 sixes in a test career, scored a world record ODI innings of 189 not out against England at Manchester in 1984 breaking Kapil Dev's record innings of 175 not out in the previous year, held the record for 13 years, continues to be a West Indian record, in that innings, scored 114 runs in boundaries, another world record beating Kapil Dev's 100 runs in boundaries, another world record held for 13 years, in 1987, scored the second highest ODI innings by a West Indian player (181 against Sri Lanka at Karachi), hitting 7 sixes in that innings, a world record. 3 months later, he again hit 7 sixes in an ODI (against India at Rajkot) innings becoming the first person to do so twice, only West Indian batsman to have scored 175+ runs in an ODI innings, first West Indian to score 150 in one day international (against Australia at Melbourne, 1979), scored 11 ODI centuries, hit 126 sixes in ODIs, a West Indian record, fastest to reach 1000 ODI runs (21 matches), one of only 4 batsmen to have reached 1000 ODI runs in less than 25 ODIs, fastest batsman to reach 5,000 ODI runs (114 matches) (International career: 1974-1991)
- Sir Garfield Sobers - over 8,000 test runs at an average of 58 runs per innings with 26 test centuries, one of only 2 West Indian batsmen to score 5,000 runs in less than 100 test matches, one of the youngest cricketers to play a test match for West Indies (International career: 1954-1974)
- Gordon Greenidge - scored 11 ODI centuries, hit 8 sixes in an ODI innings against India in 1989, a world record, got 6 consecutive ODI scores of 50+ runs, only West Indian to do so, 2nd fastest to reach 1000 ODI runs (23 matches), one of only 4 batsmen to have reached 1,000 ODI runs in less than 25 ODIs, reached 5,000 ODI runs in 121 matches, in 1989, became the oldest West Indian to score an ODI century (International career: 1974-1991)
- Clive Lloyd - In 1984, at the age of 40, became the oldest West Indian to score a test century (International career: 1966-1985)
- Desmond Haynes - scored 17 ODI centuries and 57 ODI 50s making 74 innings of 50+, highest by a West Indian, hit 6 sixes in an ODI innings against India at Georgetown in 1989, in 1994, became the oldest West Indian to score an ODI century at the age of 38 (International career: 1978- 1994)
- Carl Hooper - (International career: 1987-2003)
- George Headley - played 22 test matches scoring 2200 runs at an average of 61 runs per inning, one of only 4 batsmen ever to have a test average of more than 60 runs per inning and the only West Indian to have an average of more than 60 runs per inning. First person to have scored century in both innings of test match for West Indies (1930, Georgetown), he repeated the feat 9 years later at Lord's becoming the first person ever to do so, first 1000 runs in 17 test matches at an average of 66.66 runs per innings (International career: 1930-1954)
- Everton Weekes - one of only 4 West Indian batsmen to have a test batting average above 55, only person ever to have scored centuries in 5 consecutive test innings (1948-1949) one of only 2 batsmen and only West Indian to have scored 1,000 test runs in 12 test matches (International career: 1948-1958)
- Clyde Walcott - one of 4 West Indian batsmen to have a test batting average above 55, emulated George Headley by scoring century in both innings of a test match twice, is the only person to have done so in the same series (1955) (International career: 1948-1960)
- Frank Worrell - 1000 test runs in 16 test matches at an average of 77 runs per innings (International career: 1948-1963)
- Jimmy Adams - 1000 test runs in 18 test matches at an average of 77 runs per innings. (International career: 1992-2001)
- Ricardo Powell - youngest West Indian to score an ODI century, scored 2000 ODI runs at a strike rate of 98, emulated Gordon Greenidge by hitting 8 sixes in an ODI innings against India in 1999 at Singapore, hit 7 sixes in another ODI against India at Toronto (International career: 1999-)
- Ramnaresh Sarwan - scored 1,000 ODI runs in 27 ODIs, one of the best batting averages in ODI cricket (International career: 2000-)
Notable West Indian bowlers include:
- Courtney Walsh - only West Indian bowler to take over 500 test wickets, in 2000, took 34 wickets in a test series against England at an average of 13 runs per wicket, a year in which he took 66 test wickets, the highest by a West Indian bowler since 1984, took 13 wickets in a test match against New Zealand conceding just 55 runs at Wellington in 1995, took a test hat-trick against Australia at Brisbane in 1988, the first test hat-trick by a West Indian bowler in 28 years, one of only 3 West Indian bowlers to take 5 wickets in a test innings more than 20 times (International career: 1984-2001)
- Curtly Ambrose - one of only 2 West Indians to have taken over 400 test wickets, one of 3 West Indian bowlers with a test bowling average below 21, only bowler to have taken over 400 test wickets at an average of less than 21, one of only 3 West Indian bowlers to have taken 5 wickets in a test innings more than 20 times, only West Indian bowler to have reached 400 test wickets in less than 100 test matches, finished with an ODI economy rate of 3.48 (International career 1988-2000)
- Malcolm Marshall - one of only 3 West Indian bowlers with a test bowling average below 21, took 73 wickets in the year 1984, 2nd highest by a West Indian in a calendar year, one of only 3 West Indian bowlers to take 5 wickets in an innings more than 20 times, only West Indian bowler to have taken 5 wickets in 4 consecutive test innings in 1984 against Australia, only West Indian bowler to have taken 10 wickets in a test match 4 times, finished with an ODI economy rate of 3.53 (International career: 1978-1992)
- Lance Gibbs - Took a test hat-trick against Australia at Adelaide in 1961, at the age of 41 in 1976 became the oldest player to play a test match for the West Indies (International career: 1958-1976)
- Joel Garner - one of 3 West Indian bowlers with a test bowling average below 21, strike rate of 51 balls per wicket, took 52 test wickets in his first 10 test matches, took 79 test wickets in the year 1984, a West Indian record, only West Indian to take more than 75 test wickets in a calendar year, took just 21 matches to reach 100 test wickets, took 146 ODI wickets at an average of 18.84, one of the best bowling averages in ODI cricket and an economy rate of 3.09 (International career: 1977-1987)
- Michael Holding - took 30 wickets in a test series against India at an average of 22 runs per wicket in 1983/1984, took 14 wickets in a test match against England in 1976 at The Oval, a West Indian record, finished with an ODI bowling average of 21.36 and an economy rate of 3.32 (International career: 1975-1987)
- Andy Roberts - took just 9 test matches to take his first 50 test wickets, 2nd fastest by a West Indian bowler, one of only 2 West Indian bowlers to reach 100 test wickets in less than 20 test matches, finished with an ODI bowling average of 20.35 and an economy rate of 3.4 (International career: 1974-1983)
- Wes Hall - took 52 wickets in his first 10 test matches, took 103 test wickets in his first 20 test matches, first West Indian bowler to take a test hat-trick against Pakistan at Lahore in 1958/59 (International career: 1958-1969)
- Alfred Valentine - Took 8/104 on debut at Manchester, the only West Indian bowler to take more than 6 wickets in his first innings, went on to take 11 wickets in the match, only the 2nd West Indian bowler to take 10 wickets in debut test match and best debut performance by a West Indian bowler. He took 33 wickets in that 4 test series against England at an average of 20 runs per wicket, fastest West Indian bowler to reach 50 test wickets in just 8 test matches, one of only 2 West Indian bowlers to reach 100 test wickets in less than 20 test matches (International career: 1950-1962)
- Colin Croft - best strike rate of all West Indian bowlers, only West Indian with a test strike rate of less than 50 balls per wicket, one of only 3 West Indian bowlers to have reached 50 test wickets in less than 10 test matches, took just 21 test matches to reach 100 test wickets, took 6/15 in an ODI against England at Kingstown in 1981, finished with an ODI bowling average of 20.66 and an economy rate of 3.47 (International career: 1977-1982)
- Charlie Griffith - took 32 wickets at an average of 16 runs per wicket in a test series against England in 1963 (International career: 1960-1969)
- Ian Bishop - Test strike rate of 52 balls per wicket, took just 21 test matches to reach 100 test wickets (International career: 1988-1998)
- Jack Noreiga - only West Indian bowler to take 9 wickets in a test innings conceding less than 100 runs against India in 1971, conceded nearly 400 runs for the remaining 8 wickets he took in that series, his only test series at the age of 33/34
- Franklyn Rose - 2nd best test debut by a West Indian bowler and best in 47 years, 2nd West Indian bowler to take 6 wickets in first test innings and first in 47 years (against India at Kingston, 1997)
- Hines Johnson - first West Indian bowler and 1 of only 2 West Indian bowlers to have taken 10 wickets in debut test match against England at Kingston
- Winston Davis - took 7/51 in a World Cup match against Australia at Leeds in 1983, a world record, the first time anyone took 7 wickets in an ODI, held for 8 years, currently a West Indian ODI record (International career: 1983-1988)
Notable West Indian wicketkeepers include
- David Murray - 9 dismissals in a test match (International career: 1973-1982)
- Courtney Browne - 9 dismissals in a test match (International career: 1995-)
- Ridley Jacobs - 9 dismissals in a test match (International career: 1996-)
- Junior Murray - 8 dismissals in a test match (International career: 1992-2002)
- Ivan Barrow - first West Indian wicketkeeper to score a test century (1933) (International career: 1930-1939)
- Clyde Walcott - first West Indian wicketkeeper to score a test century in 15 years, first West Indian wicketkeeper to score 2 test centuries in a test series (1948) (International career: 1948-1960)
- Jeff Dujon - first West Indian wicketkeeper to score a test century in 23 years (1983), only West Indian wicketkeeper with over 200 ODI dismissals (International career: 1981-1991)
History of West Indian international cricket
Important dates in the history of West Indian cricket
- 1900 - West Indies under Aucher Warner ( brother of Sir Pelham) make its first tour of England. The tour of 1923 under the captaincy of Sir Harold Austin was the first to involve matches which are deemed first class.
- June 23, 1928 - Test debut against England at Lord's
- February 26, 1930 - West Indies register their first test match victory at Georgetown against England
- March 4, 1931 - At Sydney against Australia, West Indies register their first away test match victory
- June 29,1950 - West Indies defeat England by 326 runs at Lord's. WI went on to win the series 3-1, the highlights being the bowling of Ramadhin and Valentine and the batting of the three W's
- March 1, 1958 - Garry Sobers scores 365* against Pakistan at Kingston setting a new record for the highest individual score in Test cricket
- 1960 - Frank Worrell is appointed captain of West Indies, the first black cricketer to get that post. George Headley had stood in for John Goddard for two tests in 1947-48.
- 1960-61 - Worrell's West Indians and Richie Benaud's Australians play arguably the greatest Test series in history. The first match at Brisbane ended in a tie. Australia won the series 2-1. Half a million people lined the streets of Melbourne to bide farewell to the West Indians.
- 1974 - Clive Lloyd takes over from Rohan Kanhai as the captain of West Indies. The beginning of the Lloyd era which saw WI become one of the greatest teams of all time.
- June 21, 1975 - West Indies win the first Cricket World Cup
- May 7, 1976 - Women's team make their Test debut against Australia. A month later they played their first one day match.
- June 23, 1979 - Clive Lloyd lifts the Cricket World Cup again
- August 14, 1984 - West Indies complete a 5-0 'blackwash' of England.
- January 1, 1985 - At Sydney, Clive Lloyd plays his last Test. Australia win by an innings and 55 runs to end West Indies' record streak of 27 Test matches without defeat.This also included a (then) record 11 wins in consecutive Tests.
- April 18, 1994 - Brian Lara scores 375 against England at St. John's and breaks Sobers' record for highest individual score in Test cricket
- June 6, 1994 - Playing for Warwickshire against Durham in county cricket, Lara scores 501*. This breaks the 35 year old record of Hanif Mohammad for the highest score in first class cricket.
- May 3, 1995 - West Indies lose the final Test at Kingston to Australia, thereby losing the series 1-2. This was their first defeat in a series in 15 years.
- 1998-99 - West Indies make their first tour of South Africa. They suffered a 0-5 defeat in a controversy ridden series.
- April 12, 2004 - Brian Lara scores 400* against England at Antigua to regain the record for the highest individual score in Test cricket.
- September 25, 2004 - Brian Lara lifts the ICC Champions Trophy
The early tours
West Indies toured England for the first time in 1906 playing the English county sides. In July of that year, West Indies for the first time played a national side, England XI. The 3-day match ended in a draw. The next time a West Indies team toured England was in 1923 when it played the county sides. In May 1928, they had their first test tour when they toured England after getting test status. It was a 3-test series. Test matches in those days were of 3 days. In June, they played their first test match at Lord's. All the matches in that series were lost by an innings by the West Indies. West Indies failed to score 250 runs in an innings in that series. They also failed to dismiss England under 350 runs. In short, the series was completely dominated by England.
The 1930s
Test tours
West Indies had their first test tour of Australia in 1930. They also toured England twice during the 1930s. They played 19 tests, most of them against England, winning 4 and losing 9. Most of the test matches had 6-ball overs but 3 of them had 8-ball overs. The test matches played had different formats (3 day, 4 day, 5 day, timeless).
West Indian captains
Most of the matches were captained by G C Grant.
List of top West Indian runscorers in the 1930s
- George Headley 2135
List of top West Indian wickettakers of the 1930s
- L N Constantine 53
The 1940s
Test tours
The 1940s were affected by World War II. In 1948, West Indies toured newly independent India for the first time for a 5 test tour. The tour was preceded by a non-test tour of Pakistan and followed by a similar short tour of Ceylon. West Indies did not lose any of the 9 test matches it played in this decade.
West Indian captains
Most of the matches were captained by JDC Goddard under whose captaincy the West Indies won 3 test matches.
List of top West Indian runscorers in the 1940s
- Everton deWeekes 1072 at an average of 82.46
- Clyde Walcott 585
List of top West Indian wickettakers in the 1940s
- W Ferguson 33
The 1950s
Test tours
During the 1950s, West Indies toured England and New Zealand twice and Australia, India and Pakistan once each. West Indies played a total of 48 test matches in this decade, winning 18 and losing 17. It won just 1 of the 10 test matches it played against Australia, losing 7 of them. Thus, Australia was the only test side against whom they had a poor record. Both their batting and bowling failed to click against Australia in this decade. 1957 was an especially bad year when they could not win a single test match which they made up for in 1958 by winning 5 test matches. These were the days when the side winning the toss used to bat 90% of the time. Most of the matches had 6-ball overs and were either 5 or 6-day matches with 6 of them being 4-day matches.
West Indian captains
- JDC Goddard
- JB Stollmeyer
- DS Atkinson
- FCM Alexander - won 7 test matches, lost 3
List of top West Indian runscorers in the 1950s
- Clyde Walcott 3,129 runs at an average of 61.35 with 13 centuries and 11 fifties
- Everton deWeekes 3,383 runs at an average of 54 with 10 centuries and 17 fifties
- Frank Worrell 2,397 runs at an average of 48
- Sir Garfield Sobers 2,213 runs at an average of 56.74
- JB Stollmeyer 1,520 runs at an average of 40
- Rohan Kanhai 1,317 runs at an average of 44
The 1960s
Test tours
In the 1960s, the West Indies-England test series came to be known as the Wisden Trophy after John Wisden and the West Indies-Australia test series came to be known as the Frank Worrell Trophy. West Indies toured England thrice in this decade, Australia twice and India and New Zealand once each. West Indies played 49 test matches in this decade winning 18, losing 13. Only 3 of the test matches were against New Zealand compared to 23 against England. It did not lose a single of the 8 test matches against India. The matches were a mixture of 6-ball overs and 8-ball overs. Most of them were 5 or 6-day matches with only 3 of them being 4-day matches.
West Indian captains
Most of the test matches in this decade were captained by Sir Gary Sobers. Some of them were also captained by Frank Worrell.
List of top West Indian runscorers in the 1960s
- Sir Garfield Sobers 4,563 runs at an average of 60 with 15 centuries
- Rohan Kahnai 3,739 runs at an average of 50 with 10 centuries
- Nurse 2,523 runs at an average of 48
List of top West Indian wickettakers in the 1960s
- Lance Gibbs 184
- W W Hall 146
- Griffith 94
The 1970s
Test tours
During the 70s, West Indies toured England, Australia and India twice and Pakistan once. The West Indies played 63 test matches in this decade, winning 18 and losing 15. It was only against Australia that they lost more test matches than they won. Most of the test matches they played in this decade had 6 ball overs while 8 of them had 8 ball overs. Most of the test matches were 5-day tests whereas only 5 of them were 6-day test matches.
West Indian captains
- Gary Sobers
- Rohan Kanhai
- Clive Lloyd
- Alvin Kallicharran
List of top West Indian runscorers in the 1970s
- Alvin Kallicharran 3956 at an average of 49.45
- Roy Fredericks 3809 at an average of 46
- Clive Lloyd 3475 at an average of 46
- Vivian Richards 2736 at an average of 58
- Lawrence Rowe 1785 at an average of 46
- Gordon Greenidge 1732 at an average of 47
- Gary Sobers 1256 at an average of 52.33
- Rohan Kanhai 1171 at an average of 45
- C A Davis 1065 at an average of 66.56
List of top West Indian wickettakers in the 1970s
- Andy Roberts 140 wickets at an average of 25.15 taking 5 wickets in an innings 9 times
- Michael Holding 65 wickets at an average of 24.55
- Colin Croft 52 wickets at an average of 21.53
The 1980s
Test tours
The 1980s were the golden period for the West Indies cricket team when they dominated world cricket. The West Indies toured Australia 4 times in the 1980s, England thrice, New Zealand twice and Pakistan and India once each. They played 82 test matches winning 43 of them and losing just 8. They did not lose any of the 24 test matches they played against England and lost just 1 out of 19 test matches they played against India. They even dominated Australia in this decade although they won just 1 out of 6 test matches they played in New Zealand. As many as 52 of the 82 test matches they played in this decade were on foreign soil. They also lost just 1 out of the 30 test matches they played at home. 1984 was a particularly good year when they won 11 test matches and lost just 1.
West Indian captains
The great West Indian captains of this decade were Clive Lloyd and Vivian Richards both of whom had an outstanding record. They were the only 2 captains to have won over 20 test matches in the 1980s and were far ahead of the competition.
List of top West Indian runscorers in the 1980s
- Vivian Richards 5,113 at an average of 49 with 15 centuries
- Gordon Greenidge 5,103 at an average of 46 with 12 centuries
- Desmond Haynes 5,083 runs at an average of 41.32 with 12 centuries
- Richie Richardson 3,320 runs at an average of 48 with 10 centuries
- Jeff Dujon 2,884 runs at an average of 36 with 6 centuries
- Clive Lloyd 2,881 runs at an average of 52 with 8 centuries
- Gomes 2,490 runs at an average of 41 with 7 centuries
List of top West Indian wickettakers in the 1980s
- Malcolm Marshall 323 wickets at an average of 19.91
- Joel Garner 210 wickets at an average of 20.62
- Michael Holding 184 wickets at an average of 23.38
- Courtney Walsh 122 wickets at an average of 24.24
- Colin Croft 73 wickets at an average of 24.56
The 1990s
Test tours
The 1990s were also good for the West Indies but West Indies they did not continue their dominance of world cricket like they had in the 1980s. In the 90s, they toured England, Australia, New Zealand and Pakistan twice and India, Sri Lanka and South Africa once. They played 81 test matches winning 30 and losing 28. While their home record was still good, their away performance waned.
West Indian captains
Courtney Walsh did not enjoy the same success as captain as Richie Richardson did. Brian Lara's performance as captain was even worse. As the decade progressed, it became clear that the West Indies of the 1980s were a thing of the past.
See Also
2007 Cricket World Cup - To be held in the Caribbean.
External Links
- WindiesCricket.com (http://www.windiescricket.com/) Official Website of the West Indies Cricket Board
- CaribbeanCricket.com (http://www.caribbeancricket.com/) Independent news/discussion site on West Indies cricket