Wes Hall

Last updated

Remember, Wes, if you bowl a no-ball you'll never be able to go back to Barbados!

—  Frank Worrell to Hall before the final ball of the Tied Test, [31]

The 1960–61 Test series against Australia is one of the most famous in the history of Test cricket and Hall played a major role in its outcome. [32] The first Test in the series at the Gabba in Brisbane had a thrilling finish. The West Indies set Australia a target of 233 runs to win the match. Hall broke through early, taking the wickets of Bob Simpson and Neil Harvey, followed, after some stubborn resistance, by Norm O'Neill. The West Indies captain Frank Worrell then dismissed Colin McDonald before Hall struck again for his fourth wicket, Les Favell caught by Joe Solomon. Australia were 57/5 and the West Indies seemed set to win the match. [33] After the sixth Australian wicket fell with Australia having made only 92 runs, the Australian captain Richie Benaud came to the crease to join Alan Davidson. Together the pair took Australia to 226/7 and now Australia looked assured victors with only 7 runs to get. [33] Joe Solomon then turned the game again with a direct hit on the stumps to run out Davidson. Hall was entrusted by his captain Worrell to bowl the last over of the day with Australia needing four runs and West Indies needing three wickets to win the game. In one of the most exciting finishes in Test match history, Hall had Benaud caught behind, then dropped a catch and two Australian batsmen were run out trying to make the winning run. The match finished in a tie, the first in Test cricket. [33]

Hall bowled well in the second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, taking 4/51 in the first innings and another two wickets "bowling at his fastest" in the second innings in which Australia comfortably made the 70 runs they needed to win the Test. [24] [34] The pitches used in the remaining three Test of the series favoured slow bowling and Hall did not play as large a role from that point on. [24] West Indies won the third Test, the fourth Test was a thrilling draw but Australia won the final Test, at Melbourne again, to win the series two Tests to one. Over the course of the series both teams had striven to play bright, attractive cricket and the Australian public took the West Indian team to their hearts. Hall and the West Indies were farewelled with a ticker-tape parade through the streets of Melbourne. Hundreds of thousands of Australians keen to express their appreciation for the team brought the city to a standstill and reportedly brought Hall and his teammates to tears. [32] Hall later described the spontaneous display of affection from the public as one usually "reserved for royalty or the Beatles". [35]

His popularity in Australia saw Hall invited to play with Queensland for the 1961–62 Sheffield Shield season. [36] Hall enjoyed an immensely successful season with Queensland and a key part of the team's second place in the Sheffield Shield competition—behind perennial powerhouse New South Wales. [37] Hall took 43 wickets for the season at an average of 20.25, trailing only Richie Benaud of New South Wales in the season aggregate. [38] Hall's 43 wickets set a new record for a Queensland bowler in a first-class cricket season. Hall returned for a second season with Queensland in 1962–63, taking 33 wickets for the season as Queensland again finished runner-up in the Sheffield Shield, this time to Victoria. [37] Towards the end of Hall's second season, it became clear that the demands of playing cricket 12 months of the year were starting to take a toll on Hall. Queensland were keen to see Hall return for another season in 1963–64 but Hall declined, fearing his body would not stand up to the strain. [39]

Finest hour

After his first season with Queensland, Hall returned to the Caribbean to join the West Indies team in their Test series against India in 1962. Hall took up where he left off against the Indians two years before. The Indians were a better batting side than the one Hall destroyed in the sub-continent in 1960 but they were still unable to come to terms with his pace. [40] The West Indies won the series 5 Tests to nil and Hall took 27 wickets at an average of 15.74. [40] [41] When the second Test at Sabina Park was heading towards what looked to be a tame draw on a placid pitch, Hall broke the game wide open with some "grand bowling", taking 6/49 and West Indies won the match by an innings. [42] [43] In the fourth Test at Queens Park Oval, Hall was part of a 93-run partnership for the last wicket, making 50 runs himself. He then scythed through the Indian top order, taking the first five wickets of the innings to have India at 30/5 at one stage, a position they could not recover from. [43] [44]

Possessing a long hostile run-up to the wicket, with an equally long follow-through, Hall bowled as though he meant to take a wicket with every delivery. Nobody will ever forget his famous last day in the Test at Lord's when he bowled on and on, hour after hour.

— Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, [45]

These efforts led him to achieve the No. 1 ranking in ICC Test Bowlers ranking for 1962.

The success of Hall and his fast bowling partner Griffith saw the arrival of the West Indies pace duo in England for the 1963 Test series "greeted with the public awe and press build-up formerly accorded to [the Australians] Ted McDonald and Jack Gregory or Ray Lindwall and Keith Miller." [43] Before the tour, Hall and fellow professional cricketers Garry Sobers and Rohan Kanhai threatened to withdraw from the team unless paid the equivalent of their professional earnings they had forsaken. Only the intervention of captain Frank Worrell saw the three join the tour. [46] The West Indies, with their "sparkling batting, bowling and fielding", won the series three Tests to one and captured the imagination of the English public. [45] While Hall had a successful series—taking 16 wickets at an average of 33.37—it was Griffith who was the main destroyer for the West Indies. Hall was "the ideal foil" for Griffith and played an invaluable support role. [45] [47] As a partnership, Hall and Griffith were "the centre of attraction and the key to victory". [43]

Analysis of film footage at this time showed Hall bowling at 103 mph. With Griffiths bowling from the other end batsmen had nowhere to hide.

Perhaps Hall's greatest performance of the English summer was in the second Test at Lord's. On the final day of the Test, Hall bowled unchanged for 200 minutes, broken only by the tea interval. As in the Tied Test in Brisbane three years earlier, Hall found himself bowling the final over of the match with both sides still capable of winning. In the innings as a whole Hall bowled 40 overs for a return of 4/93 but despite Hall's brave efforts, England managed to hold on for a draw—the England batsman Colin Cowdrey returned to the crease with a broken arm to help save the match. The Times said of Hall that day, "His energy was astonishing, his stamina inexhaustible, his speed awesome, from the first ball to the last". Hall himself claimed that it was his "finest hour". [48] There was a sour note in the final Test at The Oval when Hall was informally warned about intimidatory bowling. Hall bowled two successive bouncers to the England opening batsman Brian Bolus, prompting umpire Syd Buller to speak with West Indies captain Worrell saying, "We don't want this sort of bowling to get out of hand otherwise I will have to speak to the bowler." [49] Later than innings, Griffith was formally warned by the same umpire. [49]

The Australian tour of the West Indies in 1964–65 was somewhat overshadowed by concerns about the bowling action of Griffith, whom the visitors considered a "chucker". [50] Regardless, Hall again started a Test series strongly. In the first Test at Sabina Park—Hall's favourite hunting ground—Hall took 5/60 in the first innings and then 4/45 in the second to play a leading role in the West Indies victory. [51] [52] Wisden was of the opinion that Hall "probably never bowled faster or straighter." [53] It was "the most important single contribution of bowling in the five Tests" but Hall was not as effective in the remainder of the series, taking only seven wickets in the following four Tests. West Indies held on to win the series two Tests to one—the first time the West Indies defeated Australia in a Test series. [54]

Exhausted volcano

The picture of Wesley Hall in full flow as he ran towards the wicket is still treasured in the memories of all but the opposing batsman—and maybe in theirs as well.

— Clayton Goodwin, [55]

As a result of their huge support in 1963, the West Indies were invited to tour England again only three years later. Despite the England press and public fearing the impact of Hall and his partner Griffith, it was soon clear that their powers had waned somewhat since 1963. Hall's "action was as poetic as ever and his commitment was just as great, but something was missing." [56] He captured 18 wickets in the five Tests at an average of 30.83. [57] However, Hall was still considered "the key man of the [West Indies] attack" and on occasion was still as damaging as ever. [58] His finest moment of the series was in the fourth Test at Headingley where a "spell of eighty minutes by Hall at his fastest and best destroyed England" aiding his team to win the match by an innings and 55 runs and wrap up the series and the Wisden Trophy. [59]

In 1966, the Trinidad-based company West Indian Tobacco (WITCO) engaged Hall on a three-year contract to promote youth cricket in Trinidad and Tobago, including playing for the Trinidad and Tobago national team in the Shell Shield, the West Indies first-class cricket championship. One of Hall's first roles for WITCO was to promote the Wes Hall Youth Cricket League, a new nation-wide junior cricket league. [60]

Hall was a member of the West Indies team that toured India and Ceylon in 1966–67 but was a shadow of the bowler that cut a swathe through India in earlier series. He injured his left knee during a net session early in the tour and the sub-continental pitches neutered his speed. [55] [61] Hall started the first Test of the series at Bombay in style, capturing two early wickets in a "superb" spell, "worthy of a great fast bowler" but did not take another wicket in the match. [61] [62] Wisden said of Hall's efforts in the series; "He could not bowl with the sustained hostility of old, and his form was erratic." [61]

The slow decline of Hall as an effective Test match bowler became clearer after the home series against England in 1967–68. Hall "bowled with his old enthusiasm" in the second Test at Kingston, albeit on a pitch described by Wisden as "crazy paving" but as the series continued the England batsmen took a heavy toll on Hall and his long-time partner Griffith. [55] [63] Still, such was their prestige and their perceived psychological advantage over the English that the West Indies selectors stuck with the pair for the entire series. In the four Tests he played, Hall took only 9 wickets and those at an average of 39.22. [64] In a summary of the tour Wisden said "In the event Hall proved to be little more than a shadow of the great fast bowler he had been. His pace was no longer to be feared ..." [63]

The West Indies captain Garry Sobers had to fight with the selectors to have Hall included in the West Indies team to tour Australia and New Zealand in 1968–69. The West Indies Test selection panel told Sobers that Hall was "past his best" and that he would be left out of the team. [65] Sobers still considered Hall one of the best bowlers in the Caribbean and insisted on his selection, threatening to withdraw from the tour himself if he did not get his man in the squad. The selectors eventually conceded and Hall was included in the touring party but—according to Sobers — one of the selectors was told to tell Hall he was only picked because of pressure from the captain. [65] As it turned out Hall only played in two of the Tests in Australia with Wisden noting that "old age, as cricketers go, had finally had its say". [66] The once fearsome pair of Hall and Griffith now "resembled exhausted volcanoes." [55] Hall played the first Test against New Zealand at Eden Park in Auckland. Hall sustained an injury and was not able to complete the match, having bowled only 16 overs for the match and taking a solitary wicket. [67] [68] Hall was still unfit to play by the time the second Test started and never again played Test cricket. [67] [69]

After Test cricket

The Hall & Griffith Stand (left) at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown in 2000. The stand was redeveloped in preparation for the 2007 Cricket World Cup. Wes Hall & Charlie Griffith and Sir Garfield Sobers (Kensington stands), Barbados.jpg
The Hall & Griffith Stand (left) at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown in 2000. The stand was redeveloped in preparation for the 2007 Cricket World Cup.

After the New Zealand tour, Hall joined the Barbados team for a short tour of England. Hall played two first-class matches on the tour, capturing two wickets at an average of 53.00. [70] Hall then returned to Trinidad to complete his last season in the Shell Shield and his contract with WITCO. [60] Hall met with moderate success, taking 15 wickets for Trinidad at a respectable average of 22.46. [71] Hall's last first-class match was for Barbados against the touring Indians in 1971.

Before Hall left Trinidad in 1970, Gerard Pantin — a Catholic priest in the Holy Ghost Fathers order — asked Hall if he would assist him in forming a humanitarian program to assist the poor and marginalised residents of the Laventille community. Hall agreed and together the two men walked through the dangerous neighbourhood, simply asking the residents how they could help them. This mission grew to become the SERVOL (Service Volunteered For All) voluntary organisation that now operates throughout Trinidad and Tobago and elsewhere in the Caribbean. While Hall returned to Barbados three months after the program started, he is recognised as one of SERVOL's co-founders. [72] [73]

Hall has served Barbados and West Indian cricket in a variety of roles since the end of his playing days including chairing the West Indies selection panel for some years. [74] Hall also accompanied many touring West Indies teams as manager, including the ill-fated 1995 tour of England, marred by player unrest. [75] In 2001 Hall was elected president of the West Indies Cricket Board. During his time as president Hall was instrumental in attracting the 2007 Cricket World Cup to the West Indies. [76] Hall also developed a system of collective bargaining with the West Indies Players Association. [77] Hall chose not to stand for re-election in 2003, citing health problems. [76] Hall was a member of the board of directors of the Stanford 20/20 cricket project. [78]

You think my run up was long. Now you should hear my speeches.

— Wes Hall, after his appointment as a Senator, [79]

At the end of his career as a cricketer, Hall reflected, "I realised that I’d been playing for ten years, and I was married with three children and I didn’t have any money." After working with SERVOL in Trinidad, Hall "knew from that moment on, [he] would commit [his] life to service." He studied Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management at the Industrial Society in London and then returned to Cable and Wireless in Barbados to take a role as Regional Staff Welfare Manager. [73] As well as his role with WITCO in Trinidad, Hall also had high-profile roles in private enterprise with Banks Barbados Brewery and Sandals Resorts. [80]

Hall became involved in Barbadian politics, joining the Democratic Labour Party. [81] [82] First appointed to the Barbados Senate, Hall was later elected to the House of Assembly. [82] Hall was elected as the representative for the Assembly constituency of St. Michael West Central in 1986 and re-elected in 1991. [83] In 1987, Hall was appointed Minister of Tourism and Sports in the Government of Barbados. [84] As Tourism Minister, Hall has been given credit for developing the sports tourism market in Barbados. [80]

On a visit to Florida in 1990, Hall attended a Christian religious service. Impressed by the preacher, during the service, Hall "made a very serious decision to give [his] heart and life to God." Hall attended Bible school and was later ordained a minister in the Christian Pentecostal Church. [67] [81] Notably, Hall ministered to fellow Barbadian fast bowler Malcolm Marshall while Marshall was dying from colon cancer. [85]

Hall is a member of the West Indies Cricket Hall of Fame. [86] and the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. [87] For his work in tourism, Hall has been awarded the Caribbean Tourism Organisation's Lifetime Achievement Award. [86] The University of the West Indies awarded Hall an honorary Doctorate of Laws in 2005. [88] Hall and fellow Barbadian fast bowler Charlie Griffith have a grandstand at Kensington Oval named after them—the Hall & Griffith Stand. [89] Hall was knighted in the 2012 Birthday Honours for services to sport and the community. [90] [91]

Style and personality

Hall had a magnificent, bounding approach, eyes bulging, teeth glinting, crucifix flying, climaxing in a classical cartwheel action and intimidating followthrough.

—  David Frith, [92]

Hall was a tall and muscular cricketer, 6 feet 5 inches (196 cm) tall and bearing the "physique and strength of a bodybuilder." [67] He had a graceful, classical action and one of the longest run-ups in Test cricket. A genuinely fast bowler, he was timed at 91 miles per hour (146 km/h). [93] Hall was able to sustain pace and hostility for very long spells—during the Test against England at Lord's in 1963 he bowled unchanged for over three hours on the final day. [93] While Hall was an aggressive fast bowler, he was not one to set out to injure the batsman. The England cricketer Ted Dexter—himself hit several times by Hall—said "there was never a hint of malice in [Hall] or in his bowling". [94] Hall himself said after one of his deliveries fractured Australian cricketer Wally Grout's jaw "It made me sick to see Wal leaving and it made me sicker to hear some jokers in the crowd ranting on as though I had intentionally hurt [Grout]". [95]

While Hall could never be described as an all-rounder, on occasions he was an effective batsman. His one century in first-class cricket was against Cambridge University Cricket Club at Fenner's—scored in 65 minutes, the fastest century of the 1963 English season. Wisden said of this innings, "[Hall's] batting promised so much ... [he] made his runs in the classic mould, not in the unorthodox manner usually adopted by fast bowlers." [96] With his characteristic humour, Hall said of this innings, "Ah, but it wasn't any old hundred, it was against the intelligentsia." [67]

Hall was one of the most popular cricketers of his day. The Australian commentator Johnnie Moyes described Hall as "a rare box-office attraction, a man who caught and held the affections of the paying public." [67] Hall was particularly popular in Australia. When invited back to play for Queensland in the Sheffield Shield in 1961–62, Hall arrived in Brisbane to "scenes more in keeping with the arrival of a pop star, a thousand people jamming the old terminal building at Eagle Farm airport to welcome him." [37] Hall was fond of a bet and was a keen follower of horseracing. [97] Hall is known as a good humoured man; C. L. R. James observed "Hall simply exudes good nature at every pore." Tony Cozier states "[Hall] is renowned for his entertaining, if prolonged oratory, as well as for his tardiness." [4]

Publications

Notes

  1. ↑ Barbados "No. 60175". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 June 2012. pp. 39–40.
  2. ↑ "Wes Hall". Player Oracle. CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  3. ↑ Spooner, Philip (14 October 2007). "All hail Hall!". The Nation. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
  4. 1 2 Cozier (2010), pp. 74–77.
  5. 1 2 Hall (1965), pp. 19–20.
  6. ↑ "Cancer Claims Marshall". Trinidad & Tobago National Library and Information Service. 5 November 1999. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
  7. ↑ Hall (1965), pp. 20–21.
  8. ↑ "Barbados v EW Swanton's XI". CricketArchive. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
  9. ↑ Hall, p. 22.
  10. ↑ Hall, p. 22
  11. 1 2 3 Goddard, p. 20.
  12. ↑ "First-class Bowling for West Indians". West Indies in British Isles 1957. CricketArchive.
  13. 1 2 Goodwin, pp. 116—117
  14. ↑ "Baroda v West Indians". West Indies in India and Pakistan 1958/59. CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  15. 1 2 "West Indies in India and Pakistan, 1958–59". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack – online archive. John Wisden & Co. 1960. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Goodwin, pp. 118–119.
  17. ↑ "First Test Match: India v West Indies". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack – online archive. John Wisden & Co. 1960. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  18. ↑ "India v West Indies". West Indies in India and Pakistan 1958/59 (1st Test). CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  19. ↑ "India v West Indies". West Indies in India and Pakistan 1958/59 (2nd Test). CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  20. ↑ "Second Test Match: India v West Indies". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack – online archive. John Wisden & Co. 1960. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  21. 1 2 "M.C.C. team in West Indies 1959–60". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. John Wisden & Co. 1961. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  22. ↑ "West Indies v England". Marylebone Cricket Club in West Indies 1959/60 (3rd Test). CricketArchive. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
  23. ↑ "West Indies v England". Marylebone Cricket Club in West Indies 1959/60 (4th Test). CricketArchive. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
  24. 1 2 3 4 Goodwin, p. 120.
  25. ↑ "West Indies v England". Marylebone Cricket Club in West Indies 1959/60 (5th Test). CricketArchive. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
  26. ↑ Hall, pp. 105–108.
  27. ↑ Hall, p. 54.
  28. ↑ "Champions again (1959–1964)". History. Accrington Cricket Club. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
  29. ↑ Hall, p. 109.
  30. ↑ Hall, p. 110.
  31. ↑ Hall, p. 67.
  32. 1 2 "West Indies in Australia, 1960–61". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack – online archive. John Wisden & Co. 1962. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
  33. 1 2 3 Smith, pp. 90–99.
  34. ↑ "Second Test: Australia v West Indies". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack – online archive. John Wisden & Co. 1962. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
  35. ↑ Hall, p. 81.
  36. ↑ "Who holds the record for most runs in Tests without being dismissed?". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  37. 1 2 3 Gibbs, pp. 10–11.
  38. ↑ "First-class Bowling in Australia for 1961/62 (Ordered by Wickets)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  39. ↑ Gibbs, p. 12.
  40. 1 2 "India in West Indies, 1961–62". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack – online archive. John Wisden & Co. 1963. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  41. ↑ "Test Bowling for West Indies". India in West Indies 1961/62. CricketArchive. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  42. ↑ "Second Test Match: West Indies v India". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack – online archive. John Wisden & Co. 1963. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  43. 1 2 3 4 Goodwin, p. 122.
  44. ↑ "West Indies v India". India in West Indies 1961/62 (4th Test). CricketArchive. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  45. 1 2 3 "West Indies in England, 1963". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack – online archive. John Wisden & Co. 1964. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  46. ↑ Murray, Deryck. "History". West Indies Players' Association. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
  47. ↑ "Test Bowling for West Indies". West Indies in British Isles 1963. CricketArchive. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  48. ↑ Smith, p. 124.
  49. 1 2 "Fifth Test Match: England v West Indies". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack – online archive. John Wisden & Co. 1964. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  50. ↑ Goodwin, pp. 124–125.
  51. ↑ "West Indies v Australia". Australia in West Indies 1964/65 (1st Test). CricketArchive. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  52. ↑ Hall, p. 37. "To me [Sabina Park] is a lucky ground, a place where I always pull a few wickets ..."
  53. ↑ "First Test: West Indies v Australia". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack – online archive. John Wisden & Co. 1966. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  54. ↑ "Australia in the West Indies, 1964–65". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack – online archive. John Wisden & Co. 1966. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  55. 1 2 3 4 Goodwin, p. 125.
  56. ↑ Goodwin, p. 124.
  57. ↑ "Test Bowling for West Indies". West Indies in British Isles 1966. CricketArchive. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  58. ↑ Preston, Norman (1967). "West Indies in England, 1966". Wisden Cricketers Almanack – online archive. John Wisden & Co. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  59. ↑ Preston, Norman. "Fourth Test: England v West Indies". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack – online archive. John Wisden & Co. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  60. 1 2 Henderson, Hugh (3 January 2011). "Credibility is king". Trinidad and Tobago Guardian. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
  61. 1 2 3 "West Indies in India, 1966–67". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack – online archive. John Wisden & Co. 1968. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  62. ↑ "India v West Indies". West Indies in India and Ceylon 1966/67 (1st Test). CricketArchive. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  63. 1 2 Wellings, E. M. (1969). "M.C.C. in West Indies, 1967–68". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack – online archive. John Wisden & Co. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  64. ↑ "Test Bowling for West Indies". Marylebone Cricket Club in West Indies 1967/68. CricketArchive. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  65. 1 2 Sobers, p. 90.
  66. ↑ Blofeld, Henry (1970). "West Indies in Australia, 1968–69". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack – online archive. John Wisden & Co. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  67. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Cozier, Tony (2008). "Never a cricketer of the year". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack – online archive. John Wisden & Co. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  68. ↑ "New Zealand v West Indies". West Indies in Australia and New Zealand 1968/69 (1st Test). CricketArchive. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  69. ↑ "Second Test Match: New Zealand v West Indies". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. John Wisden & Co. 1970. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  70. ↑ "First-class Bowling for Barbados". Barbados in England 1969. CricketArchive. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
  71. ↑ "Bowling in Shell Shield 1969/70 (Ordered by Average)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
  72. ↑ Pantin, Gerard (1 September 2010). "Reflections: The birth of Servol". Trinidad Express. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  73. 1 2 Hall, Wes (1 September 2010). "Servol and me". Trinidad Express. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  74. ↑ Cozier, Tony (7 November 2010). "Insular politics tearing West Indies cricket apart". Stabroek news. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
  75. ↑ Croft, Colin (28 June 2001). "From legend to leader". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 17 July 2011. Few can forget the acrimonious West Indies cricket tour to England in 1995. [...] The manager of that team was West [sic] Hall.
  76. 1 2 "Wes Hall to stand down as WICB president". ESPNcricinfo. 9 July 2003. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
  77. ↑ Deyal, Tony (16 July 2011). "Live, learn and laugh". Trinidad & Tobago Express. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
  78. ↑ Cozier, Tony (7 November 2008). "Wes Hall saddened by WICB tirade". Stabroek News. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
  79. ↑ Hopps, p. 198
  80. 1 2 Gill, Haydn (12 November 2010). "HOT SPOT Rev. Hall worthy of knighthood". The Nation. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
  81. 1 2 Witts, Chris. "Wes Hall's Testimony". Morning Devotions with Chris Witts. Hope 103.2. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
  82. 1 2 Nicholas, Derrick (5 May 2002). "Richie Richardson has decided to enter party politics". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
  83. ↑ "St. Michael West Central". Caribbean Elections: Barbados. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
  84. ↑ "History of the Ministry of Tourism". Ministry of Tourism (Barbados). Retrieved 17 July 2011.
  85. ↑ Symes, Pat (29 April 2008). "Memories of Maco". Cricinfo Magazine. ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
  86. 1 2 "CTO award for Wes Hall". The Nation. 6 October 2007. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
  87. ↑ "Wes Hall inducted into ICC Hall of Fame". ESPNCricinfo. ESPN. 11 June 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  88. ↑ "6 to get UWI doctorate". The Nation. 21 October 2005. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
  89. ↑ "Kensington stands renamed". 9 November 2006. Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 3 February 2007. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
  90. ↑ "No. 60175". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 June 2012. p. 39.
  91. ↑ "Wes Hall knighted". Stabroek News. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  92. ↑ Frith, p. 140.
  93. 1 2 Martin-Jenkins, pp. 308–309.
  94. ↑ Dexter, p. 186.
  95. ↑ Hall, pp. 13–14.
  96. ↑ "West Indies in England, 1963". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack – online archive. John Wisden & Co. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
  97. ↑ Gibbs, p. 13.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curtly Ambrose</span> Antiguan cricketer

Sir Curtly Elconn Lynwall Ambrose KCN is an Antiguan former cricketer who played 98 Test matches for the West Indies. Widely acknowledged as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time, he took 405 Test wickets at an average of 20.99 and topped the ICC Player Rankings for much of his career to be rated the best bowler in the world. His great height—he is 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m) tall—allowed him to make the ball bounce unusually high after he delivered it; allied to his pace and accuracy, it made him a very difficult bowler for batsmen to face. A man of few words during his career, he was notoriously reluctant to speak to journalists. He was chosen as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1992; after he retired he was entered into the International Cricket Council Hall of Fame and selected as one of West Indies all-time XI by a panel of experts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Courtney Walsh</span> Jamaican cricketer

Courtney Andrew Walsh OJ is a former Jamaican cricketer who represented the West Indies from 1984 to 2001, captaining the West Indies in 22 Test matches. He is a fast bowler and considered one of the all-time greats, best known for a remarkable opening bowling partnership along with fellow West Indian Curtly Ambrose for several years. Walsh played 132 Tests and 205 ODIs for the West Indies and took 519 and 227 wickets respectively. He shared 421 Test wickets with Ambrose in 49 matches. He held the record of most Test wickets from 2000, after he broke the record of Kapil Dev. This record was later broken in 2004 by Shane Warne. He was the first bowler to reach 500 wickets in Test cricket. His autobiography is entitled "Heart of the Lion". Walsh was named one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1987. In October 2010, he was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. He was appointed as the Specialist Bowling Coach of Bangladesh Cricket Team in August 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garfield Sobers</span> West Indian cricketer

Sir Garfield St Aubrun Sobers,, also known as Sir Gary or Sir Garry Sobers, is a former cricketer who played for the West Indies between 1954 and 1974. A highly skilled bowler, an aggressive batsman and an excellent fielder, he is widely considered to be cricket's greatest ever all-rounder and one of the greatest cricketers of all time.

Malcolm Denzil Marshall was a Barbadian cricketer. Primarily a fast bowler, Marshall is widely regarded as one of the greatest and one of the most accomplished fast bowlers of the modern era in Test cricket. He is often acknowledged as the greatest West Indian fast bowler of all time, and certainly one of the most complete fast bowlers the cricketing world ever saw. His Test bowling average of 20.94 is the best of anyone who has taken 200 or more wickets. He achieved his bowling success despite being, by the standards of other fast bowlers of his time, a short man – he stood at 180 cm, while most of the great quicks have been well above 183 cm and many great West Indian fast bowlers, such as Joel Garner, Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh, were 197 cm or above. He generated fearsome pace from his bowling action, with a dangerous bouncer. He also statistically went on to become the most successful test match bowler of the 1980s with 235 scalps with an average of 18.47 within a time period of just five years. Marshall was a part of the West Indies team that reached the 1983 Cricket World Cup Final, but lost to India by 43 runs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hedley Verity</span> English cricketer

Hedley Verity was a professional cricketer who played for Yorkshire and England between 1930 and 1939. A slow left-arm orthodox bowler, he took 1,956 wickets in first-class cricket at an average of 14.90 and 144 wickets in 40 Tests at an average of 24.37. Named as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1932, he is regarded as one of the most effective slow left-arm bowlers to have played cricket. Never someone who spun the ball sharply, he achieved success through the accuracy of his bowling. On pitches which made batting difficult, particularly ones affected by rain, he could be almost impossible to bat against.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ian Johnson (cricketer)</span> Australian cricketer (1917–1998)

Ian William Geddes Johnson, was an Australian cricketer who played 45 Test matches as a slow off-break bowler between 1946 and 1956. Johnson captured 109 Test wickets at an average of 29.19 runs per wicket and as a capable lower order batsman made 1,000 runs at an average of 18.51 runs per dismissal. He captained the Australian team in 17 Tests, winning seven and losing five, with a further five drawn. Despite this record, he is better known as the captain who lost consecutive Ashes series against England. Urbane, well-spoken and popular with his opponents and the public, he was seen by his teammates as a disciplinarian and his natural optimism was often seen as naive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fazal Mahmood</span> Pakistani Test cricketer

Fazal Mahmood PP, HI was a Pakistani international cricketer. He played in 34 Test matches and took 139 wickets at a bowling average of 24.70. The first Pakistani to pass 100 wickets, he reached the landmark in his 22nd match.

Lancelot Richard Gibbs is a former West Indies cricketer, one of the most successful spin bowlers in Test cricket history. He took 309 Test wickets, only the second player to pass 300, the first spinner to pass that milestone, and had an exceptional economy rate of under two runs per over.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wisden Trophy</span> Trophy for winners of test cricket series between England and West Indies

The Wisden Trophy was awarded to the winner of the Test cricket series played between England and the West Indies. It was first awarded in 1963 to commemorate the hundredth edition of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. Series were played in accordance with the future tours programme, with varying lengths of time between tours. If a series was drawn then the country holding the Wisden Trophy retained it. In 2020, it was announced that the trophy would be replaced by the Richards–Botham Trophy named after Sir Vivian Richards and Sir Ian Botham.

Seymour MacDonald Nurse was a Barbadian cricketer. Nurse played 29 Test matches for the West Indies between 1960 and 1969. A powerfully built right-hand batsman and an aggressive, if somewhat impetuous, shotmaker, Nurse preferred to bat in the middle order but was often asked to open the batting. A relative latecomer to high-level cricket, Nurse's Test cricket career came to what many consider a premature end in 1969.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doug Ring</span> Australian cricketer (1918–2003)

Douglas Thomas Ring was an Australian cricketer who played for Victoria and for Australia in 13 Test matches between 1948 and 1953. In 129 first-class cricket matches, he took 426 wickets bowling leg spin, and he had a top score of 145 runs, which was the only century of his career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Francis (cricketer)</span> West Indian cricketer

George Nathaniel Francis was a West Indian cricketer who played in West Indies' first Test in their inaugural Test tour of England. He was a fast bowler of renowned pace and was notably successful on West Indies' non-Test playing tour of England in 1923, but he was probably past his peak by the time the West Indies were elevated to Test status. He was born in Trents, St. James, Barbados and died at Black Rock, Saint Michael, also in Barbados.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Small (cricketer)</span> West Indian cricketer

Joseph A. Small was a West Indian cricketer who played in West Indies' first Test in their inaugural Test tour of England. He scored the first half century for a West Indies player in Test cricket and played two further Test matches in his career. An all-rounder, he played domestic cricket for Trinidad between 1909 and 1932.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edwin St Hill</span> West Indian cricketer

Edwin Lloyd St Hill was a Trinidadian cricketer who played two Test matches for the West Indies in 1930. His brothers, Wilton and Cyl, also played for Trinidad and Tobago; in addition, the former played Test matches for the West Indies. St Hill first played local cricket in with some success and graduated to the Trinidad and Tobago team. He played regularly for the next five years but was not selected for any representative West Indian teams. His increased success in 1929 attracted the attention of the West Indies selectors, and he played two Test matches against England in 1930. Although not particularly successful, he bowled steadily and was chosen to tour Australia with the West Indies in 1930–31. He was fairly effective in first-class games but the form of the other fast bowlers in the team meant that he was not chosen for any of the Test matches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manny Martindale</span> West Indian cricketer

Emmanuel Alfred Martindale was a West Indian cricketer who played in ten Test matches from 1933 to 1939. He was a right-arm fast bowler with a long run up; although not tall for a bowler of his type he bowled at a fast pace. With Learie Constantine, Martindale was one of the earliest in the long succession of Test-playing West Indian fast bowlers. During the time he played, the West Indies bowling attack depended largely on his success. Critics believe that his record and performances stand comparison with bowlers of greater reputation and longer careers.

The English cricket team in the West Indies in 1934–35 was a cricket touring party sent to the West Indies under the auspices of the Marylebone Cricket Club for a tour lasting 2+1⁄2 months in 1934–35. The team played four Test matches against the West Indian cricket team, winning one match but losing two – the first series defeat of an English side by the West Indies.

The English cricket team in the West Indies in 1959–60 played five Test matches, eight other first-class matches and two minor games. England won the Test series by one match to nil, with the other four matches being drawn.

The West Indies cricket team toured England in 1933, playing three Test matches, losing two of them and drawing the other. In all, the side played 30 first-class matches, winning only five and losing nine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Headley</span> West Indian cricketer

George Alphonso Headley OD, MBE was a West Indian cricketer who played 22 Test matches, mostly before World War II. Considered one of the best batsmen to play for the West Indies and one of the greatest cricketers of all time, Headley also represented Jamaica and played professional club cricket in England. West Indies had a weak cricket team through most of Headley's playing career; as their one world-class player, he carried a heavy responsibility and the side depended on his batting. He batted at number three, scoring 2,190 runs in Tests at an average of 60.83, and 9,921 runs in all first-class matches at an average of 69.86. He was chosen as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1934.

References

The Reverend Sir
Wes Hall
Personal information
Full name
Wesley Winfield Hall
Born (1937-09-12) 12 September 1937 (age 85)
Glebe Land, Station Hill, St Michael, Barbados
Height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm fast
Role Fast bowler
International information
National side
Test debut(cap  104)28 November 1958 v  India
Last Test3 March 1969 v  New Zealand
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.