British Guiana's One-Man Army

A year ago, a young and aspiring sportswriter had selected a Best of Guyana XI, and not even once did he mention the name of Robert Christiani. This, to my mind, is unpardonable.

It is indeed sad when someone who had not done his homework properly, and simply chose to ignore and show total contempt to one who had served as it was then British Guiana so diligently, and by whose sterling performances had made himself a certainty on any Best of Guyana XI.

It is tantamount to selecting the Best of West Indies X1, without the inclusion of the legendary George Headley. Matter of fact, Robert Christiani was to British Guiana as what George Headley was to the West Indies. He was a one-man army!

Christiani, who lived in Canada for decades, had suffered with Alzheimer?s disease, before succumbing six months before his 85th birthday.

Ever since he became the first Guyanese to score a century on Trinidad?s matting wicket, fans and cricket authorities in the island have often spoken of him in glowing terms.

Christiani monopolized BG?s batting records during his prime. He made an encouraging start to his international career when he was leg before for 99 in the second innings of the match against England in 1948 -- even his untimely departure caused him to shed tears of disappointment in the dressing room.

It was the second time in the history of Test cricket that a batsman on Test debut had been denied a century by one run. It had happened to the Australian Arthur Chipperfield against England at Trent Bridge in 1934.

In the first innings, Christiani made one run. In the second, when West Indies was floundering at 87 for four, he contributed a dashing 99, to top score, which enabled his side to reach 351 for nine declared.

If figures can be deceptive, this is truer of Christiani than for most other cricketers. The number of runs he scored was less important than how he scored them.

What the English cricket writer, Neville Cardus had said of Victor Trumper is true of Christiani: he was an artist cricketer. He combined instinctive improvisation and aerobatic skill with the precision and delicacy of a ballet dancer.

The West Indies tour to India in 1948-49 marked the first time since 1928 that three Guyanese had been included in an oversees tour. In addition to Christiani, there were that excellent stumper and aggressive Clifford ?Baby Boy? McWatt, and speed merchant Berbice-born John Trim.

Christiani was not a big man standing at 5ft 10in., and with his spectacles he cut a more sedate figure than he was. He played in all five Tests, and by all accounts, it was for him a resounding successful tour amassing over 984 runs.

In the first innings of the first Test, he and Everton Weekes put on 117 for the seventh wicket, and he went on to score a classy 107, his only test century.

His was the fourth century of the innings and was always referred to as the best. What was interesting, however, is that Christiani went in at No. 8, way down the batting order, after Gerry Gomez.

West Indies skipper, Jeff Stollmeyer said of him: ?He batted well on that tour, for he was quick of eye and fleet of foot. He was incidentally, the finest hooker of the short ball I have seen who wore thick-lens spectacles.?

With the swiftness of a fawn and the grace of a swallow, Christiani left his impression in September 1950-over 50 years ago-at cricket holiest of holies Lord?s when West Indies played Middlesex.

The power and glory was to belong to Robert Christiani, who achieved the unique distinction of completing two centuries - one in each innings- without being dismissed. In the first innings, Christiani running on the tide of his form scored 131 not out which, included one six and 21 fours -- five of them in one over from Sims.

Frank Worrell himself said it was ?the best innings I had ever seen.?

Only Headley had previously achieved that feat at Lord?s.

After the 1950 tour to England, Christiani went to Australia in 1951-52. The contrast between those two tours is quite revealing, when West Indies dominated England 3:1 in 1950, Christiani did badly; but when Australia humiliated West Indies in 1951-52 4:1, he did a good deal better.

In the second Test at Adelaide, he played a heroic innings, hoisting the top score of 76 when the fortunes on his side were low. He also played brilliantly against Victoria at Melbourne, scoring 107 in 100 minutes to help West Indies win that match.

One cannot escape the feeling that too many of Christiani?s innings were cut short before his prime. One reason is that his most productive years happened to face mostly in the early 1940s when there was no Test cricket being played.

Then, by the late 1940s and early 50s when Test cricket resumed after World War Two, it just happened that West Indies were blessed with the extraordinary talents in three batsmen -- Weekes, Worrell and Walcott who permanently occupied the top order of the team. If all or one of these batsmen succeeded, there was less opportunity for Christiani to shine. It was generally on the rare occasion when all the Ws fail that Christaini?s talents were fully stimulated.

For those reasons, his best performances are not those, which he played alongside the Ws in Test matches, but in inter-colonial tournaments when he represented BG, and it fell on Christaini alone, more times than we can remember to carry the entire Guiana batting on his slender shoulders and placed us firmly on the road to international respectability.

More often than not, when the team was in a crisis -- and crisis was the order of the day -- Christiani would respond by scoring 75 percent of the total.

Performances like those explained why Christiani?s record in first-class matches from 1938 to 1954 when he scored 5,103 at an average of 40.50. This included 12 centuries, 97 catches, 12 stumpings and 18 wickets completely outdistanced his Test match figures.

A versatile player who also represent Guyana at hockey, Robert Christiani used his bat as a sword to puncture the field of opponents. The latest of late cuts and the hook to square-leg were among his vast repertoire.

When V.J. Hazare?s Indians visited us in 1953, Christiani played in two tests.

On Len Hutton?s MCC tour to the Caribbean in 1954, Christiani played in only one Test, the one at his backyard, Bourda. He obviously was in the twilight of his playing days. Quite ironical, it was Robert?s last Test match in which he scored 25 and 11. And as for me, I was witnessing my first!

His mother was a passionate cricket fan, often keeping the scores at matches and you wouldn?t believe this she would often inspect the placid Bourda pitch before the first ball was bowled and encouraging her four sons, all of whom played for BG. His elder brother, Cyril played for the West Indies too, but he died from malaria at the youthful age of 25.

In a story I wrote last year: ?Don?t we ever shun our backs on the icons of yesteryear? I had this to say: ? The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), regrettably, unlike the rest of the Caribbean had showed great resentment to some of our players, who not only brought us great joy and satisfaction, but gave our cricket the recognition as well. A few of our national heroes, Basil Butcher, Rohan Kanhai, Alvin Kallicharran, Lance Gibbs and Colin Croft are not fully utilized and are left in the cold. As for Robert Christiani, he had been a lost and forgotten soul.

There is nothing, absolutely nothing, to remind us, and the children unborn about the exploits of the likes of Christiani and others. This son of the soil who had graced Bourda with a number of sterling performances at a time when our cricket was down, way down in the doldrums, and yet for all, no one saw it fit, to have his name engraved among the selected few at Bourda. What a shame!

The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) should do what should have been done decades ago, by naming a stand in his honor. It would be a living monument to a great player. Do it now while the man is alive, Chetty! We as a nation love to hand out posthumous awards. Come on Chetty! Make my wish come true!?

Christiani was one of four members of the victorious 1950 West Indies team, which beat England-a victory, which raised Caribbean cricket metaphorically, as well as literally to its place in the sun.

The remaining three players are, ?the two little pals of mine are down to one?, Sonny Ramadhin, two of the famous thee Ws, Weekes and Walcott and opening batsman Allan Rae.

Rae was honored two years ago by the Jamaica Cricket Board (JCB) at a gala function at attaining the magical age of 80.