| CRICKET
IN THE WEST INDIES: The Early Years
“Recorded centuries leave no trace
On memory of that timeless grace”
- John Arlott
The
game of Cricket was imported from the English in the late
eighteenth century and was initially played by European military
officers who sought to exclude Africans and persons of mixed
races from playing. Cricket was not only used as a racial
barrier during these times, but as a social one as well. It
separated the elites from the less privileged. However, over
time, young slave boys were introduced to the game as bowlers
to the sons of the slave-owners or the army officers, who
played batsmen. In their spare time, the slaves practised
their batting and eventually learned the rules of the game.
The intention of the British was to use cricket as a civilizing
agent for the locals as they believed that if the locals adopted
the game, it would impose many of the British values on them.
The
earliest documentation of an organized game being played in
the Caribbean is a game that was played between the Barbadian
78th Regiment and the soldiers of St. Ann’s Garrison
in May 1806. As the game developed in the Caribbean, the territories
sought to compete against each other so as to test their newly
acquired skills. The first inter-colonial match was played
in 1846 between British Guiana and Barbados. The teams played
two games, each winning one game.
At
first, Jamaica was not recognized as a cricket-playing territory
despite the many cricket clubs that had been formed here.
The St. Jago, Vere and Clarendon Cricket clubs were the first
to be established in Jamaica. These clubs were established
in 1857 and later in 1863, the Kingston Cricket club was formed
followed by Kensington in 1878. These were not the only clubs
that existed here, however, they were most prominent.
During
the late nineteenth century, Barbados, Trinidad and British
Guiana were the Cricket Giants of the region. They played
in the first inter-colonial tournament in 1891. In 1895, an
English side toured the West Indies, playing at the home of
the “giants” and Jamaica. All the territories
were triumphant except for British Guiana. This event did
influence the tour of England by the West Indian team in 1900.
The West Indian team was outclassed on this tour, losing 8
matches and drawing 4. Despite their loss, however, they gained
much experience which enabled them to improve their game.
In
the early part of the 20th century, the West Indian players
spent their time developing and improving their skills. The
reputations of some of the players began spreading in the
international cricket circuit and on their return trip to
England in 1923, the West Indies team impressed the international
cricket authorities so much with their skills that they were
eventually awarded official Test Match status in 1928.
West
Indies cricket has produced many “stars” over
the years who have helped to propel the region to a status
of dominance reigning supreme from the 1960s through to the
1980s. Players such as Clive Hubert Lloyd of Guyana, Sir Isaac
Vivian Alexander Richards of Antigua, Brian Lara of Trinidad,
George Alphonso Headley, Michael Holding and Courtney Walsh
of Jamaica, and Sirs Gary Sobers, Frank M.M. Worrell, Everton
D. Weekes and Clyde Walcott of Barbados, are only a few of
the “greats” who have played integral roles in
the development of West Indies Cricket over the years.
In
recent times, the West Indies Cricket team has encountered
many disappointments and has lost its supremacy in the game.
However, cricket still remains one of the most popular sports
and a source of inspiration for the Caribbean people.
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