Basil Butcher - the Windies star batsman

by A.C. de Silva

FLASHBACK...The 1963 West Indies tour of England produced by far the most exciting and dramatic Test series ever played between the two countries in England. For once, an outrageously talented West Indies side armed with an intimidating pace attack and packed with powerful stroke-makers, failed to achieve a walk-over.

Although eventually defeated in the series, England faced the caribbean challenge with some inspired cricket that was at times almost a match for the visitors in fire and flair.

The Lord's Test was the jewel of the series - although it was the only drawn match, and played in grim June weather that constantly interrupted proceedings with bad light and rain.

West Indies batted first and Conrad Hunte opened the game with a flourish like a fanfare of trumpets, 3 fours off the first three balls from Freddie Trueman.

Basil Butcher - on top of them

In the West Indies first innings, Garfield Sobers and Roham Kanhai threatened to breakaway, adding 63 at a run-a-minute, but both were eventually trapped before they could make a big innings. Trueman was at his most fiery best, taking 6 for 100. Although he suffered the indignity of being hammered for four boundaries by his arch enemy Wesley Hall. Sobers made 42 and Kanhai 73 and Soloman 56. Then there was Basil Butcher who made a star class knock of 133 in the West Indies second innings total of 229.

England's response to the West Indies 301 was a roller-coaster of an innings and the English team made 297.

At first it seemed the pace attack of Hall and Griffith, with the West Indies in the crowd baying at their backs, would rip England apart. But with two wickets down for 20, Ted Dexter stood up to Hall and hit him fearlessly through the covers for four. Dexter reached 50 in 48 minutes and had made 70 out of a team score of 100 for 3 wickets when Sobers trapped him leg before. Then there was Ken Barrington who made 80 and England went to 297 after being 206 for 6 wickets - then Titmus- not asked to bowl in the West Indies - even a ball, he made 52 not out and took England to within four of the opponents total (297).

In the second innings, West Indies having possibly the strongest batting side of the world were reduced to 104 for 5. The great Sobers, dropped at slip by Brian Close when on 4, still made only 8 - caught behind off Trueman.

Then came a glorious century by Basil Butcher (130) and aided by Frank Worrell (30) playing in his last Lord's Test, restored West Indian dominance. By the end of the 3rd day, the West Indies were 218 ahead with 5 wickets still tot fall.

Start of the 4th day saw West Indies fall apart in a remarkable collapse. Trueman and Shackleton rattled down the last 5 wickets in just 25 minutes, bringing Trueman's match figures to 11 for 152.

England now needed 234 runs to win with ample time in hand. But this didn't turn out to be rosy for England and they were soon in trouble at 31 for 3 wickets, Lance Gibbs accounted for Dexter, but more typical was the dismissal of opener Micky Stewart - caught off his gloves as he ducked to evade a Hall beamer.

Cowdrey injured

Cowdrey and Barrington dug in, though constantly battered on the hand and body. With the score at 72, a ball from Hall reared up and struck Cowdrey on the left arm. The batsman was helped off the field in dreadful pain, the bone in his forearm broken.

Barrington's immediate response was brought out by batsman who hit two sixes into the grandstand off Gibbs in the next over. When play was called off for bad light just after tea, England needed 118 runs to win. Barrington finally made 60.

The match did not resume until lunch on the final day. When the persistent drizzle went away, there was 200 minutes play left and Hall and Griffith pounded the ball - the first hour produced only 18 runs by tea, with Barrington and Parks out, England were 171 for 5 wickets, needing 63 runs in 85 minutes.

Brian Close 70

The hero of the second innings for England was Brian Close who weathered the storm of Hall and Griffith for almost 4 hours. He also struck some powerful blows at the bowling. Close went on to make 70.

With 45 minutes left and England needed 34 to win and looked as if they would get there, even though the West Indians were bowling only 14 overs an hour.

Wickets tumbled again - Titmus was out for 11 and Trueman was out for a 'duck' and England now had two wickets left plus the injured Cowdrey.

Close progressed to 70 and England were 15 runs away from victory. Then the score came to 219 for 8 wickets. Shackelton and Allen, the last fit batsmen scrambled singles.

Finally eight runs were needed off the last over bowled by Hall in near darkness. Singles came off the 2nd and 3rd balls. In 4th delivery Shackleton was run out with West Indian Worrell running out Shackleton.

So down the steps of the pavilion walked down Colin Cowdrey, his arm in plaster, intending if necessary to bat one-handed. But Allen somehow defied Hall's last two deliveries and the players were racing off, mobbed by rearing, hysterical crowd.

SCOREBOARD
		
WEST INDIES – 1ST INNINGS
C. Hunte c Close b Trueman	 		44
E. McMorris 1bw b Trueman	 		16
G. Sobers c Cowdrey b Allen	 		42
R. Kanhai c Edrich b Trueman	 		73
B. Butcher c Barrington b Trueman	 	14
G. Solomon lbw b Shakleton	 		56
F. Worrell b Trueman	  			00
D. Murray c Cowdrey b Trueman	 		20
W. Hall not out	 				25 
C. Griffith c Cowdrey b Shackleton	  	00		
Gibbs c Stewart b Shackleton	  		00
Extras (B 10, LB 1)	 			11
Total  					       301

Bowling: F. Trueman 44-16-100-6
	 D. Shackleton 50.2-22-93-3
	 T. Dexter 20-6-41-0
	 B. Close 9-3-21-0
	 D. Allen 10-3-35-1

ENGLAND – 1ST INNINGS
M. Stewart c Kanhai b Griffith	  		02
J. Edrich c Murray b Griffith	  		00
T. Dexter 1bw b Sobers	 			70
K. Barrington c Sobers b Worrell	 	80
M.C. Cowdrey b Gibbs	  			04	
B. Close c Murray b Griffith 	  		09
J. Parks b Worrell 	 			35
F. Titmus not out 	 			52
F. Trueman b Hall 	 			10
D. Allen 	  				02
D. Shackleton b Griffith  	  		08	
Extras (B 8, LB 8, NB 9) 	 		25
Total 					       297

Bowling: W. Hall 18-2-65-1
	 C. Griffith 26-6-91-5
	 G. Sobers 18-4-45-1
	 L. Gibbs 27-9-59-1
	 F. Worrell 13-6-12-2

WEST INDIES – 2ND INNINGS
C. Hunte c Cosdrey b Shackleton	  		07
E. Mcmorris c Cowdrey b Shackleton	  	08
G. Sobers c Parks b Trueman	  		08
R. Kanhai c Cowdrey b Shackleton	 	21
B. Butcher 1bw b Shackleton	 		33
G. Solmon c Stewart b Allen 	  		05	
F. Worrell c Stewart b Trueman 	 		33 
D. Murray c Parks b Trueman 	  		02 
W. Hall c Parks b Trueman 	  		02
C. Griffith b Shackleton 	  		01
L. Gibbs not out	  			01
Extras (5, LB 2, NB 1) 	  			08
Total 					       229

Bowling: F. Trueman 26-9-52-5
	 D. Shackleton 34-1472-4
	 D. Allen 21-7-50-1
	 F. Titmus 17-3-47-0

ENGLAND – 2ND INNINGS
M. Stewart c Sololons b Hall	 		17
J. Edrich c Murray b Hall 	  		08
T. Dexter b Gibbs 	  			02
K. Barrington c Murray b Griffith 	 	60
M.C. Cowdrey not out 	 			19
B. Close c Murray b Griffith 	 		70
J. Parks lbw b Griffith 	 		17
F. Titmus c Mcmorris ball 	 		11
F. Trueman c Murray b Hall 	  		00
D. Allen not out 	  			04
D. Shackleton run out 	  			04	
Extras (B5, LB 8, NB 3) 	 		16
Total (for 9 wkts at close) 		       228

Bowling: W. Hall 40-9-93-4
	 C. Griffith 30-7-59-3
	 G. Sobers 4-1-4-0
	 L. Gibbs 17-7-56-1