My first memory was the rest of the world vs. Barbados. I remember that Conrad Hunte scored something like an attractive 36.'
Then In 1969/70 I recalled Gary Sobers smacking Jeff Jones for 4 consecutives 4's. The last one with his feet off the ground.
In 1972 I saw Lawrence Rowe score 51 against New Zealand. One shot was this exquisite square drive that raced TO THE BOUNDARY
I watched Lawrence Georege score 302.
In 1975 I saw the most terrifying display of fast bowling I had ever seen, complements of Andy Roberts.Bajan batsmen were shell shocked.
In 1976 I saw Wayne Daniel produced an equally fast spell against Trinidad on a dicey wicket. I was in fear for the tits live. Then this little frail guy walked out and started to bat like he was on a different wicket. No running, ducking or swiping. Saw the same Larry Gomes faced down Thommo years later with the relaxed calm displaying absolutely no fear.
Message Board Archives
Best cricket memories from Kensington Oval
In reply to Baje
My best cricket memory was June 21st, 1975 at Lords.It is a day I will cherish as long as I have life.It started out with deep disappointment when my hero Roy Fredericks stepped on his wicket and ended with exhilaration when Thompson was run out at 9:45PM for the West Indies to win the first ever World Cup.
In reply to Baje
Was this in Trinidad also? You should change the thread title and remove Kensington Oval
GStA walking to the wicket in his last innings at Kensington.
LG's 302 but in particular the partneship with Kalli...batting at its gorgeous best.
Holding...the overs to Boycott and Botham.
lloyd's 140 something against Pakistan when we were in a real spot of bother.
Wasim Raja's glorious ton against our formidable pace attack
Thommo's displays of outrageous pace one afternoon...Greenidge, Richards, Kalli in the bag.
Viv flat batting Thommo (Yes that Thommo spell)onto the Kensington stand roof
David Gower pushing Holding onto the kensington stand
All caressed boundaries by Hoops 
Lara 156 (won a case of Banks off a fella who thought Sir Carl would do it instead)
Kelli 100 in the same innings Rowe scored his 302.
Rowe late in the evening first 50 of 302.
Roberts bowling all day against Bim with Findley up to the wicket (best Kepping I ever saw. No diving no byes)
Daniel (man child ) running around U-19 batsmen 1974.
Sobers batting and Greame Vivian in the covers
Watching British Guiana and Barbados destroy each others bowling.
In reply to Baje
Probably the most under-rated WI batsman ever. He always saved his best for Australia.
Freddo put a masterclass 250 on Bdos at Kensington, in the late 1970's. Kalli chipped in with a century too. Crofty cleaned up Bdos, with Gordon Greenidge and a few others auditioning for a spot in the then rising WI team.
In reply to Oilah
Listened to that one on the radio
Saw that memorable innings live and direct. That was the match in which both Garner and Croft debut for the WI.
Saw that one in person also. I was afraid for the lives of the WI batsmen that evening.
Kalli was the only WI batsman who impressed me during that Thommo spell. Viv was swiping ...
It's probably a tie between you and Cherri for the biggest Carl Hooper fan
In reply to seaegg99
Listened to that one on the radio and there was a buzz around Barbados that evening that something special was going to happen at Kensington the following day.
A few years back Sarwan made a 50+ at Kensington and was not out overnight. So fluent, effortless and elegant was that innings that I mentioned to a friend that something special would happen at Kensington the following day. I even mentioned the Rowe 302 to this friend. Ronnie was dismissed for 291 the next day.
In reply to Walco
The Bajans were breaking down the fences early next day, trying to get into Kensington.Yagga on song was no doubt a sight to behold.
I hated it when Yagga was on song against Guyana. The man was unstoppable!
Didn't they declare and left him not out?
In reply to seaegg99
It was 48* with 10 fours and 1 flat six for Rowe dat afternoon. Next day people were queuing up from early morning
In reply to Norm
Cappo Lara declared, supported by Twissy, citing rain dat never came, leaving de man high and dry on 261. WI won wid a day to spare
In reply to Maispwi
And never a word of complaint from Sars or his fans!
Sarwan is still helping Guyana cricket these days - in his usual unselfish way.
In reply to Norm
The declaration was when he made 261 in Jamaica. The innings that I am talking about was in 2009 against England. Sarwan was out bowled by Sidebottom for 291. I was pissed that he did not get the triple
291
261
In reply to Walco
Thanks. I too was a bit disappointed, on the "291" occasion. Anyway, Sars will always remain a regional cricket hero.
In reply to Walco
Checked out those scores in Bim...like dem was batting pon Spring Garden Highway
In reply to Dukes
I would have loved to be there
In reply to Norm
Larry Gomes was very good when it came to fast bowling especially on hard wickets
We used to have two spin bowlers Holford and Howard who used to run through regional batsmen. In 1973 I saw the Chappels dish out serious licks against them. It was a shocker.
In reply to Baje
For Bajans, perhaps. David Holford wasn't too bad. Could bat a bit too. Howard was just a regional bully with illusions of grandeur!
Best regional spin bowling bullies were probably Clyde Butts and Inshan Ali tho.
In reply to Baje
Sir Carl lightening the Oval with a ton.
In reply to Baje
Larry gomes batting and his role was unique. Australia always enjoyed seeing the back of him.
In my eye , what cemented his importance to the team, was the way Viv had comfortable interaction with him,
especially if Viv was out cheap and Gomes went about his usual business in the middle.
To the viewer Viv had this.. distance he kept....but to see him and Gomes interact was to see a heavyweight respect
an important flyweight 
In reply to Baje
Brian Charles
Lara 153 n.o...........magical match, magical innings
In reply to seaegg99
Rowe late in the evening first 50 of 302.
My favorite memory on that was Henry Blofeld's summary of the day's play.
Paraphrased: "Poor Bob Willis, the faster he bowled, the faster the ball left for the boundary. He even tried a bouncer, only to watch it land in the Kensington Stand".
In reply to Oilah
wrong kallicharan was not out the only one that didn't run
Glenn Turner dish out some serious lick against Howard in 1972 too!
In reply to Baje
I remember that over as if it were yesterday. Those particular strokes from Sobers have had everlasting imprint on my memory, as much as the excitement of him coming down the Kensington pavilion steps to walk out to bat. The Gary Sobers walk - shirts opened midway down his chest, collars up and upper body bent over.
Those days, they were no twirling of bat overhead with both hands, no squatting, no twisting of the body from side to side with bat, nor no jumping up or running in place. All those modern day nervous tits would have taken away from the beauty and grace of a Gary Sobers walk out to the middle to bat. That walk alone, for a young man, was worth the price of attendance.
But back to that Jeff Jones over. It was that exaggerated lift of the bat coming down to meet ball and it racing each time in the arc between point and extra cover. Those days there were actually boundary boards, as wooden boards, and I recall a couple of Gary’s shots, all along the ground, hitting the board with such force, they would come about a quarter of way back onto the field.
I will never forget that day, that over, those strokes.
In reply to Casper
The next day I went back all excited only to see Garry hole out to John Snow at deep midon within the first hour of play
In reply to FanAdict
Kalli was dismissed boss. He got a nasty delivery from Thommo and was out caught. Haynes was the not out batsman. He witnessed the carnage from the non-striker's end
In reply to Baje
My best day was 1977, West Indies Vs Pakistan at the Queens Park Oval.
Croft had figures of 8 for 29.
Future, Former Prime Ministers Basdeo Panday and George Chambers seated a few rows in front me in their drunken stupor, provided the side entertainment.
One of the best from Kensington Oval - the Combined Islands whipped Bdos, as a prelude to the Tanti Merle match!
Jim Allen and Andy Roberts were glorious in that match and the Combined Islands' victory was a huge shocker at the time. Fans were glued to their transistor radios, as Allen unleashed shot after shot on the Bajan attack, ably assisted by Viv. To put things into perspective, Allen's hundred was the first ever by a Combined Islands batsman in Barbados.
Everyone sensed that something special was about to happen that season - that the Combined Islands were about to shed that perpetual underdog moniker for good. And they did!
Listen to Tanti Merle At de Oval, by Paul Keenes Douglas. It is about 13 minutes long, but well, well worth the time. Listen to it again and again, dammit! Listen to Paul Keenes Douglas's other works too. The man is in a class by himself!
In reply to Norm
Saw part of that match live...clearly remember Jim Allen's ton. Have a clear memory of him hitting a flat six onto the players pavilion.
No justice for Narsingh Deonarine bowling out Bim for about 58 or something like dat only a few years ago?
Hoops maiden FC ton!
[b]In reply to Casper[/Baje/b]
The last 4 he hit was unbelievable, he jump about 4’ in the air and hit it between point and cover point.Sobers walking out was worth the admission of the ticket.My last test match before moving to the concrete Jungle.
However,I was told the collars up style came from Sir Frank as well as the hankie around the neck,
What about Nurse 201 against the Aussie, also the Old man Sir Everton 105 against the same Aussie. .
My friends told me about Rowe 48 that evening, he was whispering good tunes.
Jk Holt 166 in 1954. Wasn't there but my father told me it was on of the best tons ever hit at kensington. Are there any posters here who saw it?
In reply to Oilah
Or Massiah Street
In reply to Walco
Very windy in the evening if my memory is correct.
In reply to tc1
Man wuh you know bout Massiah Street?
In reply to Walco
Played a couple of games there against your team..
In reply to WestDem
Westdem....dat was not a good memory
best
Lara 153 . my second test at KO. was only 8 yrs old.
worst. Langevelt ripping the tail as WI gave it away.
In 1977when Robert's returned to Kensington Oval I was a bit fearful. However Emmerson Trotman (99)and Skeete gave him so much licks that we raced to 511 in no time.
He came back in 1980 and Trotman(158 ) and Payne (140)shared even more licks as we raced to 555
Then in 1981 Trotman (167)gave him a proper cutass...
In those 3 years each time Roberts dropped it short Trotman hit him clean out of the grounds
In reply to Baje
Can U think if Trotman was around now how much of a factor in WI team...
Looks like only me and a few Bajans still enjoy talking about cricket here. Everybody else obsessed with Trump.
In reply to Baje
You just called two names who came at the wrong time...Trotman and Thelston. Definitely seen some wonderful strokeplay from Trotman at Kensington. My memory of Skeete was that he was a t20 player about 40 years too early.
In reply to FanAdict
2nd Test, Australia tour of West Indies at Bridgetown, Mar 17-19 1978
CG Greenidge c Cosier b Thomson 8
DL Haynes c †Rixon b Higgs 66
IVA Richards c Clark b Thomson 23
AI Kallicharran c Yardley b Thomson 8
CH Lloyd (c) c Serjeant b Clark 42
RA Austin c Serjeant b Clark 20
DL Murray † c Darling b Thomson 60
DR Parry c Serjeant b Simpson 27
AME Roberts lbw b Thomson 4
J Garner not out 5
CEH Croft lbw b Thomson 3
288 all out
Sir Carl's return to first class cricket, with the bajan crowd booing Corey Collymore when he bowl a bouncer at Carl.
Surprised no mention of that first over from Holding to Boycott
In reply to imusic
It was a very exciting over especially seeing boycott stumps being knocked over. However by the next over Gower showed up and Mikey was looking fairly ordinary.
Yeah I should have mentioned that cause the noise level went through the roof.
I would have loved to have seen the spell by Ambrose against England. Reports were that at delivery his knees were at the height of Lloyd's Barker head
My best cricket memory was when I met Garner, Holding and Croft. It was around 1980 and West Indies was playing England in an ODI at the Arnos Vale playing ground.
West Indies batted first and made 127 (ish). England were 125 for 9 going in to the last over.
I was sitting right on the boundary edge with Garner standing just in front of me. The crowd was shouting for Lloyd to give the ball to Croft to bowl the last over, as Holding had given away a few runs.
Lloyd chucked the ball to Holding, and I remarked, "What has Lloyd done". Garner turned to me and said, "What do you know?" And I replied, "He should have given it to Croft, we will lose now".
Garner then said, "Do you want to bet?". Well long story short, we bet a beer (I was only 13 years old), but I thought well, regardless, I won't see Garner again...
West Indies won the game - Holding bowled the last batsman....
Later that night I am sitting at my mother's bar (Mariners Inn) and in walks Garner,Holding and Croft - Garner spots me, holds me by my shirt and says "Hey, you, you owe us a beer".
MOM!!!
Best three beers my mother ever bought. Got to hang out with the guys for a short while too - great memories
Scorecard
In reply to Baje
I wasn’t there LIVE for that display by Ambi but that was the finest exhibition of fast bowling I’ve ever seen (TV or LIVE)
https://youtu.be/cmat224iTrA" target="_" >46 ALL OUT
Rivalled by this
https://youtu.be/F7UOy5thUig" target="_" >7 FOR 1
In reply to Baje
I wasn’t there LIVE for that display by Ambi but that was the finest exhibition of fast bowling I’ve ever seen (TV or LIVE)
46 ALL OUT
Rivalled only by this
7 FOR 1
In reply to laynew
Good story
I remember a close match at Kensington that WI lost during CWC 2007 during which the Gayle was fielding at conventional long-on and the crowd in the 3Ws stand were begging him to move to wide long-on because the batsmen had hit a few boundaries in the wide long-on area. Gayle definitely heard the crowd because he kept looking back into the 3Ws stand, but he remained at conventional long-on while two additional boundaries were hit in the wide long-on area. Lara was captain, not Gayle.
What about the historic 1st ever test match against SA at Kensington?
Famous for 3 things:
Historic 1st ever meeting between the 2 countries
WI coming back to win in dramatic fashion
Bajans boycott the match because Anderson Cummins wasn’t selected
Just remember W.I. vs India think around 1997 bowling out India on the last day for 81 when they needed about 140+ to win. Ambrose, Rose, Dillion and Bishop.
In reply to seaegg99
Great match.
Infamous match was when we collapse against Harmison and co
And of course the mound stand match. That wasn’t at Kensington tho.
In reply to laynew
West Indies batted first and made 127 (ish). England were 125 for 9 going in to the last over.
I was sitting right on the boundary edge with Garner standing just in front of me. The crowd was shouting for Lloyd to give the ball to Croft to bowl the last over, as Holding had given away a few runs.
Lloyd chucked the ball to Holding, and I remarked, "What has Lloyd done". Garner turned to me and said, "What do you know?" And I replied, "He should have given it to Croft, we will lose now".
Garner then said, "Do you want to bet?". Well long story short, we bet a beer (I was only 13 years old), but I thought well, regardless, I won't see Garner again...
West Indies won the game - Holding bowled the last batsman....
Later that night I am sitting at my mother's bar (Mariners Inn) and in walks Garner,Holding and Croft - Garner spots me, holds me by my shirt and says "Hey, you, you owe us a beer".
MOM!!!
Best three beers my mother ever bought. Got to hang out with the guys for a short while too - great memories
Great story and I know exactly how you feel. I remember as a youngster standing next to the players pavilion and seeing my stars only a few yards away...maaaannnn happy fi days and sometimes you actually got to meet a few of them and shake dem hand
In reply to laynew
Dat story sweeeeeet bad!!!!!!!!!
NICE!!!!
In reply to imusic
That match was easily the worse of my life!!!!
I travelled to Jamaica to watch the match.I met Larr,Chrissy,365,Mich Mac,Zimzimma and others.Match started nice with Devon Smith scoring a century and Fidel Edwards and Tino Best doing well and then disaster on the Sunday when we were bowled out for 47.To add insult to injury my boy Ronnie Sarwan scored a double duck.
We all went to Port Royal to drown our sorrows.It was like a wake!!!!
In reply to Dukes
We all went to Port Royal to drown our sorrows.It was like a wake!!!!
Is that the time when Pollo struck out?
In reply to Dukes
I just posted a quiz, you should have the answer without checking cricket archive.
In reply to imusic
I watched the debacle in Trinidad on television. I thought that the wicket was just horrible, so I enjoyed it, but I did not rate it as Ambis best. The match I mentioed against England was in 1990. The wicket was dead, and we were heading for a draw:
Ambi destroys England
In reply to openning
Pity I did not see it at the time.I looked it up after to see if I was correct and of course I was.Pity I could not remember my school work like I remember his stats!!!LOL
In reply to Drapsey
Reportedly, that took place in Barbados
Not sure if thats the same time he begged Lara for an autograph and was overlooked
In reply to Maispwi
My old man dropped me to Kensington at 7am despite my protestations it was too early. He simply said just watch and see. When we got there spectators were already lined up. Those were the days when crowds came out to watch Test cricket. At one point the crowd was climbing over a section of one of the stands with electrical wires nearby. An announcement came over the PA. Do not climb over please because you may be executed.....long pause by electrocution. Men brek dung wid laff.
In reply to Drapsey
Pu55y watchman wuk aint gat no pension.So me ent know nada bout dat.
In reply to Dukes
Or is it just the case that you have no peripheral vision?
In reply to imusic
Pollo soon come and clear this all up.
In reply to RedDuppy
I showed up an hour before play started. There was no place in the Kensington stand to sit. I found a spot to stand and stayed there all day.
I must say though Duppy, that in 1976 you were looking like the second coming of Lawrence Rowe
In reply to RedDuppy
Please recount the tale of the one legged fast bowler 
In reply to Drapsey
BOB WILLIS was murdered by ViV in 1980 at Old Trafford, when the Master Blaster decided he wanted to take him on.Viv refused to run any singles and stayed at 1 end and Willis bowled 14 overs for 99 runs.He hit Willis for 13 fours in about 5 overs and then Lloyd continued where he had left off.
Test Umpire Compton Vyphuis was the friend of everyone in the neighborhood and was always ready to share his experience and opinion.
Mikey Holding was starting his climb to higher levels when he was chosen to represent the WI President's XI against England at Kensington Oval (if I remember correctly). He was accompanied by a couple of very promising Bajan quicks at the time, with Holding being a surprise pick for many, myself included.
Vyphuis umpired that match and we were anxious to hear his "report" when he got back. He was generous in his praise of all the WI bowlers, but spoke with awe about the then unknown Holding. According to Vyphuis, Holding could bowl much faster and threatening than all the other bowlers when he wanted to, but seemed to have fitness issues.
Some of us openly disagreed with Vyphuis at the time, who only shrugged his shoulders and said quietly, "We will see." And see we did. In about a year or so, Holding was making his debut in the first Test in that famous 1975/1976 series in Australia, while still an unknown. We know the rest.
Talent and ability seem to always suffer at the hands of WI cricket politics, but sometimes we took a chance and got it right. Vyphuis convinced me, however, that real talent is always there to see, if we want to see it.
In reply to Baje
Politics killed my love for the game. I have always spoken my mind which rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. Lawrence Rowe was my favorite batsman. I sat on a piece of hard ass soft stone in the boiling sun by the scoreboard to watch his 302. Never forget that day.
In reply to Norm
Interesting that you mention Umpire Vyphuis, because Umpire Kippins was very close to us and I did an Interview here on CC.Com for the Front Page where he picked his all time West Indies team.He was impressed with the teenaged Mikey Holding who came to Bourda in 1973 and was put to the sword by Roy Fredericks.Umpires are arguably the best sources of talent scouting and should be relied on more in my opinion.
In reply to Dukes
Roy Fredericks on his day could have put anyone to the sword.
In reply to anandgb
Young Crofty was blasted to pieces on his first class debut by a young Morgan at Sabina Park too. So bad was it, that Crofty gave up the game for over a year after that match! Famous match, that was.
In reply to Dukes
That would be pretty awkward at best to have umpires also be scouts, or be a source of information about players.
The optics alone would prevent that, not to mention conflict of interest
A Trini buddy told me a few years ago, that his dad when to his greave, believing he made the right call, by not sending Gavaskar.
My buddy surname is Ishmael.
In reply to imusic
IT is not really a conflict of interest.It is just a recognition that they are best positioned to know who the best players are.It does not mean that they would "cheat" for that player.I interviewed Umpire Kippins more than a decade ago and he had such vast knowledge of cricket and cricketers it was astounding.
In reply to Norm
It was claimed that Rowe used to whistle when he was batting and they said that when he was blasting Croft to all parts of the field he was whistling the Merrymen's song: You sweeten me.
In reply to Dukes
Tino Best uncle, used to do commentary when at bat.
In reply to Dukes
I am a big Merrymen fan
In reply to Oilah
Saw a lot of the Merrymen, when I worked at Pradise Beach club.
1) Lara intentionally run out at Kensington oval by Samuels, and to add insult to
injury, he had the nerve to say: He should get over it.
2) Tino test debut at Kensington Oval against Australia. That was a Tino's day he
should never forget!!
The faster he bowls, the faster the ball rocketed to the boundary. He was never the
same after that test match.
In reply to TheTrail
Tino. O-99
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