West Indian cricket team in England in 1933
Encyclopedia
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.
The batting was led by George Headley
, who scored almost twice as many runs as the next highest aggregate and averaged 66 runs per innings (the next best was 39). The bowling was spearheaded by the pace of Manny Martindale
, from Barbados
, who took 14 wickets in the Tests and 103 on the tour. He cut Wally Hammond
's chin open at Old Trafford and, in partnership with Learie Constantine
in this match, used the same bodyline
tactics England
had used the previous winter against Australia.
blue Jackie Grant, who had been captain on the tour of Australia in 1930-31.
The full team was:
In addition to the regular touring party, Learie Constantine
, who was playing Lancashire League cricket and not available for the full tour, played in one Test and four other first-class matches, and George Francis
, also engaged in League cricket, played in the first Test at Lord's, but was not called on for any other first-class matches. Rolph Grant
, brother of the captain and an undergraduate at Cambridge University, played in the match against the university and Clifford Inniss, an undergraduate at Oxford, played in the match against Oxford University
and in one other first-class match against MCC
.
Constantine, Francis, Griffith, Hoad, Martin and Roach had been members of the 1928 West Indies side
which toured England and was the first to play Test cricket. All six of them played in Tests on that tour. Achong, Barrow, Da Costa and Headley had made their Test debuts in the 1929-30 season against the England team. Jackie Grant's first Test appearances were on the 1930-31 tour of Australia
. Christiani, Martindale, Merry, Sealey and Wiles had not played Test cricket before this tour and all of them except Christiani played Tests in the 1933 series. Christiani made his Test debut in the 1934-35 series against England
, as did Rolph Grant. The other co-opted player on this tour, Clifford Inniss, never played Test cricket.
The manager of the team was John Kidney, who played 11 first-class matches for Barbados between 1909 and 1932. He later managed the 1939 touring team in England.
Constantine's Lancashire League employer Nelson
refused to release him for the match, but Francis, contracted to Radcliffe in the Bolton League, played. Rain restricted play on the first day to 90 minutes in which England made 43 without loss. On the second day, they batted for a further four hours. Cyril Walters
, in his first Test, made 51 and Leslie Ames an unbeaten 83. Martindale, with four for 85 and Griffith, three for 48, had the best bowling figures, but Wisden noted that Achong bowled "uncommonly well". West Indies lost six first-innings wickets for 55 before the end of the second day, and the other four in 65 minutes on the final morning. Walter Robins
took six wickets for 32 runs. Following on 199 behind, West Indies did better, with Headley making 50 out of 64 and Hoad and Grant adding 52 for the fourth wicket. But George Macaulay
and Hedley Verity
each took four wickets and the match was won in mid-afternoon.
Second Test, at Manchester
West Indies (375 and 225) drew with England (374).
Barrow and Headley made the first centuries for West Indies in Tests in England and put on 200 for the second wicket before Barrow was out for 105. Headley went on to an unbeaten 169 but of the other batsmen only Constantine, released from his club contract for this match, made much impact, his 31 coming out of 36. Martindale and Constantine used the bodyline
"leg-theory" style of bowling fast and short to a packed leg-side field, and England lost four wickets for 134, including Hammond, who returned to bat after having his chin split open by a short-pitched ball. Douglas Jardine
led the resistance, putting on 83 with Ames and 140 with Robins. Jardine's 127 was his first Test match century. Martindale took five wickets for 73 runs. When West Indies batted a second time, England fast bowler Edward Clark
also bowled leg-theory, but with little success. James Langridge, in his first Test, took seven wickets for 56, but Roach made 64 and Constantine the same number, and the match was left drawn when the West Indies second innings ended.
Third Test, at The Oval
England (312) beat West Indies (100 and 195) by an innings and 17 runs.
An experimental England side under the captaincy of Bob Wyatt
was reliant on 107 from Fred Bakewell
, made out of 194. Charlie Barnett
, with 52 in his first Test, then put on 95 in 85 minutes for the eighth wicket with Stan Nichols
, who made 49. When West Indies batted, only debutant Sealey, with 29, made much of the bowling of Clark, Nichols and another player new to Test cricket, Charles Marriott
. Marriott followed his five for 37 with six for 59 in the second innings, giving match figures of 11 for 96. Roach made 56 and Da Costa 35, but the match was over early on the third day.
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
, losing two of them and drawing the other. In all, the side played 30 first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
matches, winning only five and losing nine.
The batting was led by George Headley
George Headley
George Alphonso Headley was a West Indian cricketer who played 22 Test matches, mostly before the Second World War. Considered one of the best batsmen to play for West Indies and one of the greatest cricketers of all time, Headley also represented Jamaica and played professional club cricket in...
, who scored almost twice as many runs as the next highest aggregate and averaged 66 runs per innings (the next best was 39). The bowling was spearheaded by the pace of Manny Martindale
Manny Martindale
Emmanuel Alfred Martindale was a West Indian cricketer who played in ten Tests from 1933 to 1939. He was a right-arm fast bowler and a lower-order right-handed batsman....
, from Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
, who took 14 wickets in the Tests and 103 on the tour. He cut Wally Hammond
Wally Hammond
Walter Reginald "Wally" Hammond was an English Test cricketer who played for Gloucestershire in a career that lasted from 1920 to 1951. Beginning his career as a professional, he later became an amateur and was appointed captain of England...
's chin open at Old Trafford and, in partnership with Learie Constantine
Learie Constantine
Learie Nicholas Constantine, Baron Constantine MBE was a West Indian cricketer who played 18 Test matches before the Second World War. He took West Indies' first wicket in Test cricket and was the team's leading all-rounder and opening bowler for the entirety of his career...
in this match, used the same bodyline
Bodyline
Bodyline, also known as fast leg theory bowling, was a cricketing tactic devised by the English cricket team for their 1932–33 Ashes tour of Australia, specifically to combat the extraordinary batting skill of Australia's Don Bradman...
tactics England
English cricket team in Australia in 1932-33
A cricket team representing England toured Australia in the 1932-33 season. The tour was organised by the Marylebone Cricket Club and matches outside the Tests were played under the MCC name. The tour included five Test matches in Australia, and England won The Ashes by four games to one...
had used the previous winter against Australia.
The touring team
The team was captained by the former Cambridge UniversityCambridge University Cricket Club
Cambridge University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team. It now plays all but one of its first-class cricket matches as part of the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence , which includes Anglia Ruskin University...
blue Jackie Grant, who had been captain on the tour of Australia in 1930-31.
The full team was:
- Jackie GrantJackie GrantGeorge Copeland Grant was a West Indian cricketer who captained the side through several series.Grant was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. He captained the West Indies' team in the 1930-31, 1933, 1934-35 series...
, captain - Teddy HoadTeddy HoadEdward Lisle Goldsworthy Hoad was a West Indian cricketer who played in West Indies' inaugural Test tour of England. He was the captain in the West Indies' first home Test in 1930....
, vice-captain - Ellis AchongEllis AchongEllis Edgar Achong was a sportsman from Trinidad and Tobago in the West Indies. He played cricket for the West Indies and was the first person of Chinese descent to play in a Test match...
- Ivan BarrowIvan BarrowIvanhoe Mordecai Barrow was a cricketer who played 11 Tests for the West Indies.A wicket-keeper and opening batsman, he was the first West Indian to score a century in a Test Match in England...
, wicketkeeper - Cyril ChristianiCyril ChristianiCyril Marcel Christiani was a West Indian cricketer who played in four Tests in 1934-35. He played wicketkeeper in all four Tests of the 1934-35 series.Christiani died in 1938 of malaria...
, wicketkeeper - Oscar Da CostaOscar Da CostaOscar Constantine Da Costa - A very capable all-round cricketer from the early to mid 1930’s, Oscar da Costa was born in Kingston, Jamaica on September 11, 1907 and died there prematurely on October 1, 1936, aged just 29...
- Herman GriffithHerman GriffithHerman Clarence Griffith was a West Indian cricketer who played in West Indies' first Test match in their inaugural Test tour of England and was one of the leading bowlers on that tour....
- George HeadleyGeorge HeadleyGeorge Alphonso Headley was a West Indian cricketer who played 22 Test matches, mostly before the Second World War. Considered one of the best batsmen to play for West Indies and one of the greatest cricketers of all time, Headley also represented Jamaica and played professional club cricket in...
- Freddie Martin
- Manny MartindaleManny MartindaleEmmanuel Alfred Martindale was a West Indian cricketer who played in ten Tests from 1933 to 1939. He was a right-arm fast bowler and a lower-order right-handed batsman....
- Cyril MerryCyril MerryCyril Arthur Merry was a cricketer who played for Trinidad and Tobago and West Indies....
- Clifford RoachClifford RoachClifford Archibald Roach was a West Indian cricketer who played in West Indies' first Test in their inaugural Test tour of England....
- Ben SealeyBen SealeyBenjamin James Sealey - An attacking, middle-order batsman, a medium-pace, leg-break bowler and an athletic fielder anywhere on the pitch, Ben Sealey’s career spanned the years 1924 to 1941. Despite once turning out for a ‘Barbados Born’ side against the Rest of West Indies, he was a Trinidad...
- Vincent ValentineVincent Valentine (cricketer)Vincent Adolphus Valentine - An affable player of the 1930’s, Vincent Valentine was born in Portland, Jamaica on April 4, 1908, and died in Kingston, Jamaica on July 6, 1972, aged 64. He was a fast-medium bowler that never really gave batsmen an easy shot, keeping as he did a perfect length,...
- Archie WilesArchie WilesCharles Archibald Wiles - A useful middle-order batsman whose first-class career spanned the years 1920 to 1936, Archie Wiles remains the second oldest Test debutant for West Indies. He was 40 years and 345 days old when he appeared in the second Test of 1933 against England and is surpassed in...
In addition to the regular touring party, Learie Constantine
Learie Constantine
Learie Nicholas Constantine, Baron Constantine MBE was a West Indian cricketer who played 18 Test matches before the Second World War. He took West Indies' first wicket in Test cricket and was the team's leading all-rounder and opening bowler for the entirety of his career...
, who was playing Lancashire League cricket and not available for the full tour, played in one Test and four other first-class matches, and George Francis
George Francis (cricketer)
George 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 with a renowned pace.Francis was born in Trents, St. James, Barbados...
, also engaged in League cricket, played in the first Test at Lord's, but was not called on for any other first-class matches. Rolph Grant
Rolph Grant
Rolph Stewart Grant was a West Indian cricketer who captained them in their 1939 tour of England.Grant was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.-References:...
, brother of the captain and an undergraduate at Cambridge University, played in the match against the university and Clifford Inniss, an undergraduate at Oxford, played in the match against Oxford University
Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...
and in one other first-class match against MCC
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
.
Constantine, Francis, Griffith, Hoad, Martin and Roach had been members of the 1928 West Indies side
West Indian cricket team in England in 1928
The West Indian cricket team that toured England in the 1928 season was the first to play Test cricket. The team was not very successful, losing all three Tests by an innings and winning only five of the 30 first-class matches played....
which toured England and was the first to play Test cricket. All six of them played in Tests on that tour. Achong, Barrow, Da Costa and Headley had made their Test debuts in the 1929-30 season against the England team. Jackie Grant's first Test appearances were on the 1930-31 tour of Australia
West Indian cricket team in Australia in 1930-31
The West Indies cricket team toured Australia in 1930-31 and played 5 Test matches against Australia. Australia won the series 4-1.-Test series summary:* at Adelaide Oval – Australia won by 10 wickets...
. Christiani, Martindale, Merry, Sealey and Wiles had not played Test cricket before this tour and all of them except Christiani played Tests in the 1933 series. Christiani made his Test debut in the 1934-35 series against England
English cricket team in West Indies in 1934-35
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 MCC for a tour lasting for two-and-a-half months in 1934-35...
, as did Rolph Grant. The other co-opted player on this tour, Clifford Inniss, never played Test cricket.
The manager of the team was John Kidney, who played 11 first-class matches for Barbados between 1909 and 1932. He later managed the 1939 touring team in England.
First Test, at Lord's, June 24, 26, 27
England (296) beat West Indies (97 and 172) by an innings and 27 runs.Constantine's Lancashire League employer Nelson
Nelson Cricket Club
Nelson Cricket Club, based at Seedhill in Nelson, Lancashire, are a cricket club in the Lancashire League. They play at the Seedhill ground in Nelson. Their captain for the 2011 season is Thomas Lord and their professional is New Zealand international player Luke Woodcock.Nelson Cricket Club was...
refused to release him for the match, but Francis, contracted to Radcliffe in the Bolton League, played. Rain restricted play on the first day to 90 minutes in which England made 43 without loss. On the second day, they batted for a further four hours. Cyril Walters
Cyril Walters
Cyril Frederick Walters was a Welsh cricketer who had most of his success after leaving Glamorgan to do duty as captain-secretary of Worcestershire. In this role he developed his batting to such an extent that for a brief period he became an England regular and even captained them in one match as...
, in his first Test, made 51 and Leslie Ames an unbeaten 83. Martindale, with four for 85 and Griffith, three for 48, had the best bowling figures, but Wisden noted that Achong bowled "uncommonly well". West Indies lost six first-innings wickets for 55 before the end of the second day, and the other four in 65 minutes on the final morning. Walter Robins
Walter Robins
Robert Walter Vivian Robins was a dynamic English cricketer and footballer.Walter Robins was born in Stafford and was educated at Highgate School and Cambridge University. He played football for Nottingham Forest and first-class cricket for Middlesex, Cambridge University and England...
took six wickets for 32 runs. Following on 199 behind, West Indies did better, with Headley making 50 out of 64 and Hoad and Grant adding 52 for the fourth wicket. But George Macaulay
George Macaulay
George Gibson Macaulay , was a professional English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club between 1920 and 1935. He played in eight Test matches for England from 1923 to 1933, achieving the rare feat of taking a wicket with his first ball in Test cricket...
and Hedley Verity
Hedley Verity
Hedley Verity was a professional cricketer who played first-class cricket 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 in 40 Tests he took 144 wickets at an average of 24.37...
each took four wickets and the match was won in mid-afternoon.
Second Test, at ManchesterOld Trafford (cricket)Old Trafford is a cricket ground situated on Talbot Road in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester. It has been the home of Lancashire County Cricket Club since its foundation in 1864, having been the ground of Manchester Cricket Club from 1857...
, July 22, 24, 25
West Indies (375 and 225) drew with England (374).Barrow and Headley made the first centuries for West Indies in Tests in England and put on 200 for the second wicket before Barrow was out for 105. Headley went on to an unbeaten 169 but of the other batsmen only Constantine, released from his club contract for this match, made much impact, his 31 coming out of 36. Martindale and Constantine used the bodyline
Bodyline
Bodyline, also known as fast leg theory bowling, was a cricketing tactic devised by the English cricket team for their 1932–33 Ashes tour of Australia, specifically to combat the extraordinary batting skill of Australia's Don Bradman...
"leg-theory" style of bowling fast and short to a packed leg-side field, and England lost four wickets for 134, including Hammond, who returned to bat after having his chin split open by a short-pitched ball. Douglas Jardine
Douglas Jardine
Douglas Robert Jardine was an English cricketer and captain of the England cricket team from 1931 to 1933–34.When describing cricket seasons, the convention used is that a single year represents an English cricket season, while two years represent a southern hemisphere cricket season because it...
led the resistance, putting on 83 with Ames and 140 with Robins. Jardine's 127 was his first Test match century. Martindale took five wickets for 73 runs. When West Indies batted a second time, England fast bowler Edward Clark
Edward Clark (cricketer)
Edward Winchester 'Nobby' Clark was a Northamptonshire cricketer of the inter-war period during which they were one of the weakest counties ever to play in the County Championship...
also bowled leg-theory, but with little success. James Langridge, in his first Test, took seven wickets for 56, but Roach made 64 and Constantine the same number, and the match was left drawn when the West Indies second innings ended.
Third Test, at The OvalThe OvalThe Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
, August 12, 14, 15
England (312) beat West Indies (100 and 195) by an innings and 17 runs.An experimental England side under the captaincy of Bob Wyatt
Bob Wyatt
Robert "Bob" Elliott Storey Wyatt was an English cricket player. He played for Warwickshire, Worcestershire, and the English cricket team....
was reliant on 107 from Fred Bakewell
Fred Bakewell
Fred Bakewell was a Northamptonshire and England opening batsman who was renowned as one of the most exciting players of his time, largely owing to his unorthodox methods, which allowed him to play some of the most brilliant innings in county cricket, despite the...
, made out of 194. Charlie Barnett
Charlie Barnett
Charlie Barnett may refer to:* Charles John Barnett , British Army officer and diplomat* Charles James Barnett , English cricketer* Charlie Barnett , English cricketer...
, with 52 in his first Test, then put on 95 in 85 minutes for the eighth wicket with Stan Nichols
Stan Nichols
Stan Nichols was the leading all-rounder in English cricket for much of the 1930s.-Career:In his youth primarily a football goalkeeper who played for some time with Queen's Park Rangers,...
, who made 49. When West Indies batted, only debutant Sealey, with 29, made much of the bowling of Clark, Nichols and another player new to Test cricket, Charles Marriott
Charles Marriott
-Life and career:Marriott was one of the best leg break and googly bowlers of the 1920s and 1930s. Born in Lancashire, he went to school at St Columba's in Ireland, coming back to Lancashire to play in his first first-class match in 1919. He then went on to Cambridge, winning blues in 1920 and 1921...
. Marriott followed his five for 37 with six for 59 in the second innings, giving match figures of 11 for 96. Roach made 56 and Da Costa 35, but the match was over early on the third day.