The stars that lit up the cricket world

by A.C. de Silva

FLASHBACK: Cricket is the name of the game that the young and the old admire and it has been that way and it has gone forward. Cricket lovers many years ago who are still in the land of the living will have no difficulty in recalling the wizard "W's" - Clive Walcott, Frank Worrell and Everton Weekes; and the spin twins, Ramadhin and Valentine. But above them all stands the name of George Headley.

Jamaican-born George Headley was only 20 years when he received his baptism in Test Cricket. And what a debut it was! It was early 1930, at Bridgetown, and he lashed the England bowling for 176. at Georgetown he hit two centuries, 114 and 112.

Three years later, this time in England, he scored 169 in the Old Trafford Test.

But it was in 1939 that he was to write his name forever in the record books of cricket. He became the first batsman to score two separate centuries in a Test match against England at Lord's.

Cricket was George Headley's life and the greatest honours the game could give him was first the captaincy of the West Indies and second the membership of the British Empire in 1951. Between Test appearances Headley was a professional, first in the Lancashire League and then in Midland League cricket.

Second only to Don

It was from League Cricket at Dudley near Birmingham that Headley answered the call of his native land and made a Test match comeback in 1953. That was his 22nd and last appearance.

In the 22 matches he had played, Headley batted 40 innings, been four times not out, scored 2,190 runs, with a highest score of 270, hit ten centuries and established an average of 60.83 which today stands only second to the almost impregnable record of 99.94 by Don Bradman. No wonder they called George Headley "The Black Bradman."

Another memorable land mark in he career of George Headley was his 334 not out for All Jamaica against Lord Tennyson's XI at Kingston and his sixth wicket partnership with C.C. Passailaigue (261 not out) to establish the West Indies and World Record for the sixth wicket of 487.

Dr. Grace to the fore

But before Headley came on the scene, there were other cricketers who have made their mark in cricket. Take the case of the veteran Dr. W.G. Grace who scored a century and then took all ten wickets in an innings in a first-class match in Britain since 1869... is Dr. W.G. Grace.

Playing for the MCC against Oxford University in the Oxford Parks on 21 and 22 June 1886, "The Champion" scored 104 in his only innings, before taking all ten Oxford second innings wickets for 49 runs in 36.2 four-ball overs.

England-greatest in Test cricket

Test cricket has been played right round the globe and there has been some memorable performances. The greatest margin of victory in Test Cricket was in 1938 when England defeated Australia by an innings and 579 runs on the fourth day at the London Oval.

After amassing the then record total of 903 runs for 7 wickets in 15 hours 17 minutes before Hammond declared at tea on the third day, England dismissed Australia twice in 4 and 3/4 hours of play, with Jack Fingleton and Don Bradman both injured and unable to bat. Australia scored 201 and 123.

Incredible Aussie win

Cricket, it is said, is a game studded with glorious uncertainties. Here's a case in point.

It was December 4 in 1950 when Australia playing against England at Woolloongabba, Brisbane who made the somewhat unimaginable score of 32 for wickets when they were "caught" on a sticky wicket when only 192 runs ahead, then took 6 England second innings wickets for 30 runs before the class and went on to win the match by 70 runs.

The name Don Bradman of Austratlia is known the world over for the magnificent batting displays he served up when he was in the game.

He was known to be a top-class batsman.

It is on record that he made 270 when he once went in to bat at number seven when he was a regular number three batsman and then it happened when he was captaining Australia only for the third time.

The highest batting average in a Test career involving more than 5 innings is 99.94 by Bradman for Australia.

In 52 Tests he scored 6,996 runs from 80 innings, ten of them undefeated.

The youngest to score double century in Test cricket is recorded as Javed Miandad of Pakistan who was 19 years and 141 days old when he completed his innings of 206 for Pakistan against New Zealand at Karachi on 31st October 1976.