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Lawrence Rowe

 
spider 2016-12-15 12:44:01 

Who was the most popular sportsman in Jamaica in the 1970s? That was the question I posed to persons who I knew lived on the Island at the time and were of age to remember. Two names kept coming up. One was Donald Quarrie, the famous sprinter who claimed silver in the 100 metres and gold in the 200 metres at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. The other was Lawrence Rowe.
Rowe was worshipped in Jamaica. He had an insatiable appetite for runs in his early days, but it was the ease and poise of his strokeplay that enthralled those fortunate enough to see him in action. No batsman was more rapturously cheered as Rowe made his way to the Sabina Park square; and there was none whose dismissal triggered the kind of sudden stillness that his did. Ear-splitting roars accompanied every boundary stroke, while defensive ones attracted equally loud shouts of “NO!”
It was something that had to be seen. I doubt if there could have been many examples of this kind of idolatry in the game’s history. Sachin Tendulkar, for sure, held the Indian fans in the palm of his hand. Sir Don Bradman, too, was much revered in his time. Viv Richards was treated like the cricketing royalty he was all over the Caribbean. Yet not even he, nor Sobers, for that matter, could snatch the top billing away from Rowe in Jamaica.


Sportstar

 
Yadi 2016-12-15 14:46:57 

In reply to spider

Lawrence "Yagga" Rowe.

 
mikesiva 2016-12-15 14:51:30 

In reply to spider

Growing up in Jamaica in the 1970s, I heard more reverence for Quarrie than for Rowe....

I guess it depends on your circles and circumstances.

 
spider 2016-12-15 14:58:01 

In reply to mikesiva

I guess so

 
camos 2016-12-15 15:35:05 

In reply to mikesiva
you are correct Quarrie was more popular than Rowe.

 
WestDem 2016-12-15 20:10:17 

In reply to camos

My cappo while playing for my avatar played against Rowe to this day and still is haunted by looking at him sanding his bat singing to quote a few words ..' Dem Guyanese bowlers running down de Blue Mountains to de Yagga and de strokes will run up de mountains from de Yagga bat!

He dropped a double ton on them fuh real!

 
rudebway 2016-12-15 21:35:02 

In reply to spider

easily Quarrie. its not even close

 
FanAttick 2016-12-15 22:10:34 

In reply to mikesiva

Quarrie beat them all, up at Montreal

lol

 
alfa1975 2016-12-15 22:50:34 

In reply to camos The writer of that article is sadly and overly misinformed.The majority of people going to Sabina Park were not going to see Rowe,they were going to watch cricket Rowe or no Rowe.Cricket following was almost at its zenith.Note the number of fans trekking down to Montego Bay to watch Shell Shield, when Sabina Park was under construction.Note also that Sabina Park was filled to capacity for the 5th Test vs Pakistan, despite the fact no Jamaican(s) were in the WI team.
Also remember going to Kensington Park to watch Melbourne vs Kensington.It is the only Senior Cup game that I ever paid an admission to watch.It was in reality Holding vs Rowe and Kensington's plethora of Jamaican players.If you were going to see Rowe you would be disappointed, Holding bowled him less than 10.
Rivalry at club level between WI players tended to draw cricket fans.My brother told me of similar situations in the 1950s between Railway and Boys Town-Gilchrist vs Collie Smith.
In my opinion after 1976 Holding was more popular than Rowe.Rowe needed to perform- 'Mi due' was not cutting it.