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I have been reading up on some past cricketers and stumbled on Charlie Davis.I read that he was more than a medium pacer who could bat a bit,career ended after 15 tests with an average of 54,yes peeps 15 blood clart tests.The excuse for dropping him was,new talents were coming to the fore,if allyuh have better excuses come tell meh nah.
I know who coming here fuss,I'll give a hint,he is from Guyana.

The profanity was really not necessary!

Charlie Davis was not dropped but declared himself "unavailable" for the 1973 tour of England, yet reportedly turned up in England to watch every test!
Moreover, he also reportedly had some personal issues which stymied, and later ended, his career.

In reply to granite

You just read this article?


HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I will later on point out a few "INACCURACIES" in that article.

What allyuh doan realize is that I have read extremely widely, have the memory of an elephant and know a thing or two about cricket.

Where,s the Guyanese I was expecting,wah him waiting pon,come eeen say yuh bit.

In reply to granite

Was that the article that prompted this thread?
If so do you believe everything in the article?

In reply to Dukes
Dukesy I know yuh know yuh cricket but ordinary people like me must depend on journalists reports,what have they got to gain by telling blatant lies,I also understand that sensationalism sells papers,and expect some untruths but with some common sense,you can work out truth from false.One of the accusation was Davis made himself unavailable for the tour of in 73 but was seen at every test,the fact is he told the selectors,so why punish him in such a way,finish with him fuh dat,we doh want him again ever,that was harsh.Suppose he had something very personal to do in England but chose to take in a day of all the tests.
Anyway I know why he never played again,he was too good looking,the guy had starboy looks no doubt bout that.

In reply to granite

You have not answered the question of whether this article prompted the thread!!!!!!!!

In reply to Dukes

I think the problem with Davis is that he spanned the era of the part time and the professional cricketer. Davis was a part time who probably had a decent job and didn't want to go all in like the guys in the Lloyd era. Lots of decent players in that era gave up the game early to concentrate on their day job. Maurice Foster also comes to mind.

In reply to DukesI forgot but the answer is yes.

In reply to FuzzyWuzzy
That is a possibility,I'm sure his father and grand father came from a background of a colonial elite,father a white man with everything you can imagine,no problem for the kids,education jobs,women,you name it they had it.Anyway C.Davis was ahead of Foster he was safer in a job outside cricket.

In reply to granite

I will address each of these statements later

One possible explanation for the short career of Charlie Davis is that as an "amateur" he was not well paid, and compared to what he could earn in a developing business career, it did not make financial sense for him to devote 3 months in England to playing cricket. By comparison, his brother Bryan played professionally in England for Glamorgan.

I remember Charlie well in 1971 against India and 1972 against New Zealand. He and Sobers did a lot batting together in those series.He was a very well organized player

In reply to granite

This is unbelievable.
Charlie Davis prior to the Trinidad match vs the touring Indians was18 years old and had played 3 first class matches.On his debut against EW Swanton's XI he made a half century along with his brother and Joey Carew.In his next match North vs South Trinidad he scored 115 and then in his 3rd first class match vs British Guiana in Berbice he scored 127 and 97 at age 17.That match created waves in Berbice simply because the captain of the B.G team was the LEGENDARY Clyde Walcott.Remember Sobers was playing for South Australia and only arrived in Trinidad the night before the beginning of the first test in Trinidad and Worrell did not play in the first class season in late 1961 where all matches were played in B.G.Neither Sobers nor Worrell had ever seen Davis bat and it stands to reason that the person most likely to influence their judgement of Davis would be....... Clyde Walcott.REMEMBER THAT FOR LATER.
It is mind boggling that Worrell would be willing to play Davis at age 18 in a test match ahead of both Solomon and Nurse That Charlie Davis was not selected for either the 1963 nor 1966 tour of England despite being thought of so highly by Worrell seems far fetched.

In reply to granite

In the Guyana test we were in trouble as usual.
I watched that test match and it was severely rain affected.In fact the close of play scores are
Day 1 - West Indies 1st innings 231/6 (DM Lewis 1*)
Day 2 - India 1st innings 114/1 (SM Gavaskar 48*, AL Wadekar 16*)
Day 3 - India 1st innings 256/5 (DN Sardesai 5*, ED Solkar 6*)
Day 4 - West Indies 2nd innings 63/1 (MC Carew 21*, CA Davis 34*)
Day 5 - India 2nd Innings 123/0, 30.0 overs - end of match
The WI scored 363 in their first innings and India scored 376 for a lead of 13 runs.Freddo made 47 in the first innings and 5 in the second inningsIn the first innings he was dismissed by Venkat and in the second by Solkar bowling medium pace.As you can see at the beginning of the last day we were 50 runs ahead with 9 wickets intact.The comment about Indian spinners causing Freddo headache so he start swiping is manifestly UNTRUE.This is the same Freddo who the Aussies nicknamed CONCRETE HEAD because he got hit on the head so many times by Graham McKenzie. A man who went to India in 1974-75 and despite having to retire ill in the first test and then bat at # 7 due to diarrhea in the second test.He ended up scoring century in the 3rd and 5th test match despite not being a great player of spin bowling.I find Davis' remarks about Freddo's attitude DISGUSTING!!!The comment about Freddo being a professional and being paid $1,000 dollars and Davis being paid $100 can only be described as a BALD FACED LIE.Freddo first played County cricket on May 1st 1971 for Glamorgan some 2 months after that test match.It was his 13th test match and Davis 6th. Freddo's scored a 40 in each of the 4 test matches against India in 1971 and was dropped for the 5th test match at QPO for Joey Carew who apparently scored a double century for his club just before that test matchThat was a GROSS INJUSTICE. People like Carew,Bynoe and Camacho could walk into a West Indies team ahead of better players just because.....I remember a WI cricket official talking about how they were grooming Camacho to be the WI captain!!!!

BTW he says the WI had to bat all day to save the match. In fact the WI declared with 3 wickets down with both Davis and Sobers on unbeaten centuries!!!!!!
Prasanna got Freddo out once in that series.

In reply to granite

This is the most EGREGIOUS.
I was present at this test match too and I remember the incident like it was yesterday.
Davis starts off the narrative by mentioning Burnham to emphasize the notion that there was political interference in WI team selection.He also leaves the impression that Lloyd has not forgiven him for this run out.I say that because he goes out of his way to say that Garry was not mad with him for Davis running him out.
BTW Burnham defended his decision to bring Lloyd home from Australia because he wanted him to represent Guyana.Remeber Lloyd was selected for Rest of the World Teams in both 1970 as well as 1971-72 in England and Australia respectively.The picture that Davis paints of a female spectator rushing toward him with a broken bottle and a policeman on horseback diving off the horse and bringing the woman to the ground is a FIGMENT OF HIS FERTILE IMAGINATION.His assertion that he =was escorted from the ground by 8 policemen as well as the Commissioner of Police must be out of a Hollywood Script.He tops it off by talking about a guard at the hotel to protect him all of these while I know they are false I can not prove but what I can say that there is a glaring omission in the narrative which would change there whole p[erception of the events.I will come back to that just now.
Lloyd hits the ball to Mid-Off and calls Davis for a run. Davis is ball watching and belatedly says NO.By this time Lloyd is more than half way down the pitch and has to stop, turn around and make it back to his crease.Lloyd is run out at the batting end.The crowd went crazy and start booing.Some idiots in the "RAILS" start pelting bottles and the game is held up..The Famous Sports Commentator B.L Crombie leaves the Radio Demerara commentary booth and goes to the WI dressing room and persuades Lloyd to come to the Booth and calm the crowd90% of the bottles are coming from the RAILS i.e the cheap area near the football ground No cricket is going on and the crowd is chanting Davis go home. Shortly after Lloyd and B.L Crombie emerge from the Pavilion and walk on the ground towards the Commentary Booth.The crowd start cheering and Lloyd waves at them.Lloyd then goes into the Booth and appeals to the crowd to behave.He says it was a misunderstanding and Davis and he had a mix up and such things happen in cricket.He appealed to the crowd to stop booing a fellow West Indian cricketer and a little while later the match resumed.
DO YOU THINK THAT DAVIS FORGOT ABOUT THIS?????
I can still remember Lloyd with that Languid walk strolling out in his civilian clothes and leather slippers with B.L Crombie,yet there is no mention of it in this narrative.

In reply to granite

I believe that Jacksprat mentioned what I stated on this board several years ago.I do not know exactly what transpired with the Australian tour of 1973 wrt Charlie Davis.I can not remember what I was told in 1974 in London by Clive Lloyd about that tour but I do know that he told me that Davis was present in the dressing room for ALL THREE TEST MATCHES when they toured England.He also told me that this was surprising because Davis told the selectors that he was unavailable for the tour.Now Davis claims that Walcott told him that he would not be selected for a tour during the 2nd test, but yet Davis was selected for the 4th and 5th test match which makes no sense.I knew Clyde Walcott and found him to be as honest and jocular man as can be.He loved WI cricket and I can not imagine him discriminating against Davis,particularly when it is almost certain that it was BIG CLYDE himself who whispered in Worrell's ear about Davis in the first place.Circumstantially he would be the only person that could sing Davis's praise so much that Worrell would consider playing an 18 year old in a test match ahead of both Solomon and the elegant Seymour Nurse.
Many years later when I found out that Davis had multiple sclerosis,I speculated that maybe he started having problems with it and that is why he cut short his career and made himself unavailable but now I really don't know.

I find all this poisonous rather like what we have been subjected to recently.

Incidentally after that run out of Lloyd in 1972,Davis played at Bourda and made 5 and 16.I do not remember any incident with him, maybe because Lloyd made 178 glorious runs though we lost that test match.

I'll take some time to read later,I hope it explains his short test career.

In reply to Dukes
Dukesy, as usual, you are well read and well informed. I can't say that I remember all the finer details, but to the best of my recollection of that series, you chronicled the main ones correctly. I want to offer one caveat, and that relates to the question of Comacho being considered for WI captaincy. That is true and Comacho was, without a doubt, one of the best options for captaincy at the time. He truly deserved that consideration. Unfortunately, his batting went south (he was found out by the short-pitched stuff!!) and that cost him a place in the team and possibly the captaincy.

In reply to granite

In talking about Rohan Kanhai recently,I mentioned that the failed to average 40 in only four series out of the 15 he played.He averaged in the 20's in his first and last series, both against England(1957 and 1974) and averaged in the 30's in his second series and in the 1968-69 series in Australia he averaged 37.10.He was troubled with a knee injury on that tour and missed the subsequent series in New Zealand because he had to have knee surgery.Do you understand what Davis has done here??????

In reply to Dukes

Yuh too defensive. Kanhai had a reputation of not liking to field. I remember he dropped a slip catch and went off the field for the rest of the day.

In reply to CricSham

It was a bit more than that. On the 1973(?) tour to England Comacho was selected as the number two opener for the tour. In a tour game WI vs Hampshire, Andy Roberts who was a pro for Hampshire hit the bespectacled Comacho, who was a compulsive hooker at the best of times, in the face and put him out of the tour. When he came back he was just not the same batsman and his career ebbed out after that.

In reply to FuzzyWuzzy

Yeah, can you imagine Dukes quoting Kanhai stats back to him? Knahai musta been like, "who the fuck is this fella?"

In reply to FuzzyWuzzy

What did I state that was not a fact???????

In reply to Larr Pullo

Sobers pretty much told me the same thing in Trinidad a couple years ago!!!!

In reply to Dukes

Stalkerish!

In reply to Larr Pullo

That is exactly what I am referring to Larr when I said "somewhat politely" that he got found out by the short stuff. Yes, the game against Hampshire is well known. It also happened at Bourda if memory serves correctly. Andy gave him a torrid time. He looked a shell of the batsman we, including me, all thought he was. It was quite embarrassing. C'est la vie. Who would have "thunk it" though when we looked at him prior to those incidents.

In reply to FuzzyWuzzy

Kanhai had a reputation of not liking to field.

And the evidence you provided was that after missing a catch he went off the field for the rest of the day. Anyone familiar with cricket could recall you dozens of situations where a player missed a catch or miss-fielded, damaged a finger, and went off the field. You seem to be reaching here Fuzzy.

In reply to CricSham

That was merely one example not the sum total. Charlie Davis corroborated that view which was widely held in cricket circles.

In reply to FuzzyWuzzy

Ah still waiting on you to show where what I stated was not factual!!!!!!

In reply to Larr Pullo

I have NEVER asked a player for an autograph!!!!

In reply to Dukes

I only reacted to your highlighting of the quote about Kanhai not liking to field

In reply to Dukes

You know; I saw a lot of cricket back in those days at Bourda, and later on at other W.I. venues.

And I was present at all of those matches you mentioned at Bourda.

You don’t recall everything that transpired shortly after the Lloyd-Davis runout incident!!

Yes, a young woman did run onto the field to accost Charlie. She wore short shorts and a tank top.

The woman took of her Slipper and tried to assault Davis with it. Davis retreated and positioned himself behind the umpire near the stumps at the non-strikers end.

The police came and escorted her off the field. There was no broken bottle however. Just a cheap, Made in Taiwan Slipper.

Everything else you said seems accurate. Lloyd was still in his whites when he went to the commentary booth.

In reply to FuzzyWuzzy

The point was that Kanhai suffered that entire Australian tour with a knee injury that required surgery causing him to miss cricket for 3 months.Did Davis mention that??? Do you think that when Davis gave that interview in 1996 he knew Kanhai had missed the New Zealand leg of the tour because he had to have knee surgery?

In reply to Dukes

Man dem old cricketers does always embellish dem stories....so dont expect pinpoint recollections.

In reply to Elsie

I do not recall this incident but am willing to concede it took place.I would say that the sight of a policeman on horseback diving off of his horse would have made an impression on me that I would not forget.The fact that you do not recall the "John Wayne" incident either suggests that it is FICTIONAL.

However my main point is that Lloyd's appeal from the Commentary box is such a glaring omission that it strikes at the credibility and motives of Charlie Davis.

In reply to FuzzyWuzzy

I agree that they embellish stories but the embellishments must not be to the detriment of others.When Wes talks about bowling a bouncer that went for 6 wides, everybody laughs because it is funny.To tell stories about other players getting paid $1000 dollars and you getting $100 dollars and you are more committed to WI cricket ",IS NOT CRICKET".

In reply to Dukes

It was one Police Inspector on foot who escorted the woman off the field. No John Wayne stuff.

Trinidad sports teams coming to Guyana in those days were well treated, because the fellas were always interested in whatever sporting event was going on at the same time in GT. Be it Rugby, Footfall , Horse Racing or Cycling.

Us kids provided that information for them..

Joey Carew, for all the flak that he got on this message board, was one of the friendliest cricketers. Him and Jack Noriega. Davis was a businessman. Did not seem to have time for ordinary people.

In reply to Elsie

Carew knew how to make friends and influence people.He was a consummate politician.

In reply to CricSham

AME Roberts terrorized a lot of batsmen in the WI and the counties prior to playing for the WI. Comacho was a solid batsman. He was just unfortunate.

In reply to Larr Pullo

What was Camacho's nick name?

When are we going to start discussing the white Bajan test player, Geoffrey Greenidge?

Was he given a place because he was white?

Then there was Prof Edwards...let's not forget him.

In reply to Dukes

Counxie...why?

In reply to Larr Pullo

Just checking if you knew.

Charlie Davis' anecdotes on the rocks

I couldn t remember leave alone identify Charlie Davis when he walked into the bar at the Queen s Park Oval. He looked older than 67. There was a slight limp in his walk, a lisp in his voice, and he wore spectacles. The face was still boyish in some ways. The laughter was definitely boyish, a chuckle that was filled with innocence. There is no better way to describe that lovely laugh.

He now suffers from alzheimer's.

In reply to sgtdjones

Wow. sorry to hear that... I hope he's getting the best care available..

In reply to Larr Pullo

Camacho, as a mention for W.I. captaincy would not have been too outrageous...

He probably would not have gotten in because of his inconsistent play..

Can't blame him for his complexion..

In reply to Dukes

What was the runout incident between Lloyd and Sobers when they ran into each other at Bourda. I think Lloyd was knocked out or something like that?

I believe it was against India if memory serves?

In reply to Elsie

I never heard of him being in the running for captain. Comacho was not an established member of the WI team, and only captained Guyana when Kanhai and Lloyd weren't around.

Lemme see.
Do I believe Davis who was on the team or Dukes who relies on second hand information .Tough choice

In reply to CricSham

Kanhai was never a great fieldman, and from what I remember he did not like to field, Joe Soloman and Conrad Hunte seldom miss the stumps with their throws.

In reply to Larr Pullo

Your memory is correct.1971 They were both ball watching and ran into each other and Lloyd was run out for a half-century.To add insult to injury Sobers got out 5 minutes later.

In reply to grugru

Come on, get specific.

In reply to tc1

Let me see if I understand correctly - That Solomon and Hunte seldom miss the stumps proves Kanhai was never a great fieldsman. Now that is what I call the very essence of pure reason (Kant would be proud!).
By the way if memory serves correctly when Kanhai retired from Warwickshire he held the record for most catches for that County. I guess he took those catches in the pavilion.
I done.

I remembered watching these old-timers play Dominoes and talking about the sixties to eighties WI cricket, One old-timer mentioned Charlie Davis, and another guy said, "go away. He and Toni White could hold hands".
Whatever that meant, cricket wise...

In reply to TheTrail

(Half?)caucasian?

In reply to FuzzyWuzzy

How did Tony White play TEST CRICKET? He never made a century for Barbados and he took 5 wickets in an innings only once, in 1961.Absolutely remarkable!!!!.In addition to playing 2 test matches he actually toured England with the WI team in 1963.He reminds me of this song

Desmond Lewis never scored a FC century yet he averaged something like 80+ in his limited run with the West Indies!

In reply to Dukes

Luck! And get dropped after making 65 because a trini had to play in Trinidad?

Those days there were horses for courses. A trini had to play in Trinidad and a muddie in BG.

I really don't know much about Tony White however

In reply to jacksprat

Wasn't Desmond Lewis a wicketkeeper?

In reply to Dukes

Btw Tony White did not tour 1963 to England

In reply to FuzzyWuzzy

One of the statements is correct.
Guess which one??

In reply to Dukes

I dont know much about...
But I do know that...

Another bajan white but not tony...

In reply to FuzzyWuzzy

How certain are you that Tony White did not tour England with the West Indies team in 1963?

In reply to Dukes

Very

In reply to FuzzyWuzzy

How surprised would you be if I posted every tour match that Tony White played in 1963 in England?

BTW This will not be pay per view like Larr!!!

In reply to Dukes

Desmond Lewis was an opening batsman-partnering Sam Morgan- who also kept wicket

In reply to jacksprat

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA


Arrite boss.

In reply to Dukes

Very

In reply to FuzzyWuzzy

Mek sure yuh gat yuh cardiologist,neurologist and ED doctor at your side OK.

In reply to Dukes

You can be my physician

In reply to FuzzyWuzzy

Full name: Anthony Wilbur White
Born: 20th November 1938, Brighton, St Michael, Barbados
Batting: Right-hand batsman
Bowling: Right-arm off-break, Right-arm medium pace
Teams: West Indies (Test: 1964/65); Barbados (Main FC: 1958-1965/66); West Indians (Other FC: 1963); The Rest (Other FC: 1963/64); Sir FMM Worrell's XI (Other FC: 1963/64); West Indies (Other FC: 1964/65); All teams
Lists of matches and more detailed statistics
Test Career Batting and Fielding (1964/65)
M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct
West Indies 2 4 1 71 57* 23.66 0 1 1
Test Career Bowling (1964/65)
Balls Mdns Runs Wkts BB Ave 5wI 10wM SRate Econ
West Indies 491 27 152 3 2-34 50.66 0 0 163.66 1.85
First-Class Career Batting and Fielding (1958-1965/66)
M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct
Overall 31 46 7 996 75 25.53 0 9 32
First-Class Career Bowling (1958-1965/66)
Balls Mdns Runs Wkts BB Ave 5wI 10wM SRate Econ
Overall 6991 362 2665 95 6-80 28.05 1 0 73.58 2.28

I am slowly releasing the information!!!!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

In reply to FuzzyWuzzy

FIRST-CLASS BATTING AND FIELDING FOR EACH TEAM BY TONY WHITE
Team Matches Inns Not Out Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St
Barbados 18 25 3 584 75 26.54 0 6 21
Sir FMM Worrell's XI 1 1 0 42 42 42.00 0 0 0
The Rest 1 2 0 71 71 35.50 0 1 1
West Indians 9 14 3 228 68* 20.72 0 1 9
West Indies 2 4 1 71 57* 23.66 0 1 1

Do you see 9 matches played for "West Indians"?

In reply to FuzzyWuzzy

Me doan do dem kine ah wuk no mo.

All I doing now is SOCIAL DISTANCING and SHOOTING THE BREEZE!!!!!

In reply to FuzzyWuzzy

FIRST-CLASS BATTING AND FIELDING IN EACH SEASON BY TONY WHITE
Season Matches Inns Not Out Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St
1958 (West Indies) 2 4 0 110 53 27.50 0 2 4
1958-59 (West Indies) 2 3 0 84 53 28.00 0 1 4
1959-60 (West Indies) 1 1 1 6 6* 0 0 1
1960-61 (West Indies) 2 3 0 30 19 10.00 0 0 5
1961-62 (West Indies) 3 4 1 182 75 60.66 0 2 3
1962-63 (West Indies) 2 3 0 55 38 18.33 0 0 1
1963 (England) 9 14 3 228 68* 20.72 0 1 9
1963-64 (West Indies) 5 8 1 210 71 30.00 0 2 4
1964-65 (West Indies) 4 5 1 88 57* 22.00 0 1 1
1965-66 (West Indies) 1 1 0 3 3 3.00 0 0 0

Who do you think TONY WHITE was playing for in England in 1963???

In reply to Dukes

Who dem?

Fuzzy mih boy ah gats to go.Ah gat chores to do.

See yuh in 2 hours

In reply to Dukes

 

Technicality

In reply to FuzzyWuzzy

So when I see it says Tony White,it is not really Tony White but Willie Rodriguez??
The Tony White who played 9 matches is only TECHNICALLY Tony White but in reality it is Willie Rodriguez!!!!

[b]In reply to Larr Pullo[/b

Yes, as a child I remember my mom telling me about Andy Roberts knocking down Comacho.
I recall her also complaining that he couldnt catch. He was always dropping crucial catches.

In reply to tc1

My memory of Kanhai as a fielder is very different. He was a fine fielder and along with Hunte was fast
in the outfield anywhere.He was a joy to watch.Speedy too just as he was in running between the wickets.

Sobers would be closer to the bat..but Kanhai became a specialist slipper earlier than expected,perhaps early
signs of leg problems ,but mainly because one Clive lloyd came on the scene mid 60s and who was electric in the field and was peerless at cover/extra /coverpoint.
Like Kanhai he also had to take up slip duty earlier too.

Kanhai ia being a lazy fielder is fake news to me.He was also a fine slip fielder,usually at first with Sobers at 2nd.
Dukes has pointed well to some inaccuracies in the tale. Charlie being considered for Tests in 1962 is News to me.

What seems credible though is the Lester King episode...King was mean.Played for my Parish St. Mary and hated dropped catches.
Knew himwell as he became a consistent domino opponent and he hated to lose. He told me the story in part but the catches were
in his words''undrids'. It was no more than four in reality

It was probably the main reason he did not play any of the 8 Tests on that 68-69 tour and he quit the game really after that.
A very good swing bowler at pace too,he was responsible for the abondonment of the the ALL Schools cricket tour of the Parishes
in the 60s as he knocked down a young batsman in the final game of the tour at Agualta Vale, St.Mary. Was not there
but as recounted to me a player straight him for four and said something ..King was asked to bowl less than full pace to
many of us when we went to Trials in a bid to make the Parish team.And the same applied for him and others such as Chester Watson
in Westmoreland, for the ALL Schools games..( Maurice Foster was part of the ALL Schools squad that tour)
but King retaliated next ball and that young man never pursued cricket further.

I cannot shed any light on the run out incident at Bourda. I had migrated to the USA late 1971,and missed the New Zealand tour
completely.
But where run outs are concerned I had to experience of seeing Lloyd and Kanhai being involved in two run outs between them at the 4-day Sabina Park
against India in 1971..It was surreal. But as a young journalist, I got to meet the great One and shared , drink with him and gained
some knowledge,insight and wisdom thanks to our friend in common, John Prescod.

As far as I know,Davis made himself unavailable for the 1973 tour of England, following the home campaign against Australia.
He was good against India 71 and NZ 72,but his 73 regional season was below his best.Still he came into the team late in the series..
Sobers missed that series and Rowe got hurt midway in the Test where he did not bat and WI lost by less than 40 runs.
The Board was probably ticked that he opted from the England tour. I suspect the onset of health issues played a major part in his
decision.
He was areal talent.When debutant Michael Holding clean bowled him in the Shell Shield game at Sabina Park,it was probably the first time
he was dismissed in that manner.The word around the Caribbean was that 'you don't clean bowl Charlie Davis'.
When Holding dismissed Redpath in the similar manner a few weeks later,many saw great things in the the 19 year old.
One thing for sure, Charlie could bat...but this article could have been better on facts.

In reply to hubert

It has been my life experience that whenever people have such an impressionist is usually the individual himself who has perpetuated the myth.I remember listening to cricket commentary in England in 1980 and Joel Garner dropped a catch in the gully.Freddie Trueman who was doing comments said that now Joel Garner can no longer boast that he does not drop any catches. Of course Charlie Davis has been bowled several times including at Sabina Park in the test vs New Zealand.
As Fuzzy pointed out, these guys exaggerate and that is fine but we have to be objective and check out the facts.

When people question just how good Headley was and how he only played 22 test matche, I counter that by looking at his first class record and it is just as impressive. Headley averaged 60.83 in 22 test matches and in 81 other first class matches he averaged 72.93!!!
Charlie Davis first class record is an average of 41 and without the test matches it is under 40.That helps to put his career in perspective

P.S I just remembered a quip from Berkley Gaskin. He said that Sobers and Weekes are all in the first pew in the Cathedral of WI batting but that Headley is with the choir!!!!!!!

In reply to Dukes

Nice quote that Dukesy but that’s all it is, a quote. Headley will not be in that lineup, in my humble opinion, and yes it is precisely because he played only 22 test matches, his first class record not withstanding. Maybe another day we will have a chat.

In reply to CricSham

You have to admit Berkley Gaskin was a GREAT GAFF MAN!!!!!

Charlie Davis was known to be a great "gaff man" from way back in his early playing days, and was said to be particularly good at story telling after close-of-play every day.

He declared himself unavailable for the tour of England, for reasons unknown, and never really got back into his stride.

Kanhai was prone to cramps, and to a sore knee earlier in his career. When he fielded, however, he was usually as good as just about anyone else. Given Kanhai's great productivity at making runs in the first half of his career, it would make sense for the captain to rest him (Kanhai) as much as possible, if he was having trouble fielding (from a sore knee or cramps.)

Shiv too had a similar problem. If he made a hundred in the first innings, he was almost sure to stay off the field as much as possible after that, and he was very unlikely to make much runs in the second innings.

About George Headley, I agree with Dukes. Headley was indeed in the choir, while Sobers and the rest were in the front pews.

Even Headley came for criticism from the foreign press, however. Some writer alleged, in the very earliest days of WI test cricket, that Headley was soft and not really Test material. That writer was opining that WI did not deserve Test status.

Ultimately, everything beyond statistics about sportsmen is an opinion, that could not be proved. That George Headley and Charlie Davis have higher Test averages than 95 percent of all WI players is a fact. Jack Noriega had 9 for 95, the best figures by a WI bowler in Tests, but he is never mentioned among outstanding WI Test bowlers.

That we rarely remember Charlie Davis when discussing outstanding WI batsmen, however, sums the general opinion about his contribution to WI cricket.

In reply to Dukes

Yes we have heard on this Board in the past assailed Headley's short career. Only West Indians have done this. One Graeme Pollock of South Africa
also played a similar number of Tests...not a word..and he average 60ish too..and included in an All time list of greats.And Barry Richards only played
4 Tests yet he is on the experts', all time South Africa team.

Headley had no control over how many Tests he played..He played all that west Indies played once he got on the team in 1930. His feats are legendary
but for the 2nd World War would have played more in his Prime.But to that point he was rated as the 2nd best on wet wickets to Hobbs and was compared
favourably to the Don up to the beginning of the war. Five Test centuries each,home and away and double immortal earned at Bourda and Lord's
were massive feats and all against the two top countries, Australia and England.

His average was closer to 70 when war broke and his 3 Tests after the War should not have happened.He was way past his best and had a bad back to boot.
Still on Barbados first visit to Jamaica in 1947 he carried the team against Goddard's men which included the 3Ws.He was unable to conplete the 2 match series.
He was given the captaincy for the 1st and 4th Tests against England when Tests resumed in 1948..he did not complete the Test at Kensington Oval
and was still injured for the 4th and Final in Kingston. It was then he made the famous call ' Send for Weekes'. ED was dropped for that final match ,
arrived late ,made 141 and the rest is history. Goddard who was selected captain for the 3rd Test in Bourda and won, took over for the Jamaica Test
won again and was named captain for India.

Headley went on tour, it being the ice breaker between two teams that went on to forge a very Wonderful and lasting relationship to this day. But
Headley's presence was decorative mostly but all India wanted to see him.Played the first Test and became a true tourist after.
Six years later subscription was picked up in Jamaica to get him from England as most Jamaicans had not seen play a Test match,his last was in 1935.
It was only after the War when old and weary, that the WICBC really appreciated him.The people always did.The India tip was his benefit/pension.
So it was in those days.

In reply to hubert

It hasn't changed a whole lot since.

In reply to hubert

I stand corrected on Kanhai, but what I saw in 68, he seems to lack the desire to field. Was he as good as Soloman, Hunte or Collie in the field.

In reply to hubert

My father was in the schoolboy stand when Headley made 114 and 112 at Bourda in 1930.He told me about Les Ames coming to his school,Queen's College and telling them that cricket is like life with its ups and downs and so he suggested that when you make 100, you should think of the time you made 0 and when you make 0 you should think of the time you made 100.
I was at UHWI in 1983 and Mas George was a patient in the hospital.I sneaked into his room to talk to the great man and told him that I was from Guyana and that I knew Berkley Gaskin. His eyes lit up and we talked about Berkley who had died a few years before.A very pleasant man indeed.I was pleased as punch that I got the opportunity to talk with him.

In reply to Dukes
He was something..that Headley. Nice soft spoken and humble man .I don't think he could shout.
Had a calming manner about him and was a great influence when he coached.
I had the honour of being coached by him as young teen and he encouraged me to continue with the game.

I never seen a cricketer so neatly fitted from boots to cap but I was also struck at how small he was up close.
When we met later as a young man,he was the same along with Tony Becca, visited with him at his home and had many
nice conversations about cricket and life.
But one of my greatest regrets and Tony Becca's too ,was that neither of us took notes or sought to write a
biography ,,and ...we called ourselves journalists .
You and I were blessed to have been in his presence .They don't make many more like him these days.

In reply to hubert

Well said, Hubert. Here is my take on Maas George (from whom I also got a little coaching). It is a bit long but you will like it.

George Headley

When Lawrence Rowe stroked his elegant, artistic way to cricketing immortality in February 1972, Jamaicans’ joy went into overdrive. Not only had his immortality met the requirement of a century in each innings, for his scores were 214 in the first innings and an even 100 in the second, it was a feat without precedent because the match against New Zealand at Sabina Park was Rowe’s first appearance in a Test. But the joy Jamaicans felt on that wonderful occasion was born not only of Rowe’s scintillating stroke-play with impossibly fine glances to fine-leg, unblemished extra-cover drives and imperious square-cuts off the rising ball. They were rejoicing at the emergence, at last, of another Jamaican batsman in the mould of George Alphonso Headley.

Jamaica had long established its name in cricket, having as many as eight players on the West Indies team in a 1929 Test match in England. But it was a good forty years since Jamaican cricket fans were seeing anything like this, for Headley’s heyday was the 1930s.

Having announced himself with a score of 211 against Lord Tennyson’s XI in 1928, Headley went on to become the West Indies’ first immortal with a century in each innings, and he did it not at Sabina Park but against England at Lords, the palace of international cricket. The achievement was even sweeter in the hearts of the overjoyed Jamaicans because it was against England, the team of the coloniser.

Headley was supremely important to the hopes and aspirations of the marginalised Black masses of the population, and they turned out in hundreds to watch him bat – at his Lucas Cricket Club or wherever he was playing. For Arnold Bertram, Headley's genius provided the Jamaican people with evidence of their own self-worth and their possibilities in the modern world.

Michael Manley said he provided the reassurance which the Black people and middle class needed at that time... he became Black excellence personified in a White world and a White sport.

Still, in the eyes of the West Indies Cricket Board of Control, being the great cricketer and the hero of the people did not fit Headley for leadership. Paid as a professional in England, he refused to play for the West Indies when he was told they could not pay him.

Headley, a Black man, had endeared himself to the people not only by his superlative batting skills which showed that anybody could stand up to the former colonial masters, but also with his independence. His was a one-man struggle to win the right of professional players to be paid, and to break down the social and racial barriers that confronted Black players.

These barriers extended even to Kingston Cricket Club where for most of his playing days he was not allowed in the members’ pavilion. Adored for bringing the people of Jamaica and the West Indies into believing in themselves through his dominant cricketing exploits, he had been brought back to Jamaica by the people themselves.

They raised £1,183 for his voyage home, and he was named Island Cricket Coach along with Dickie Fuller who had also been playing as a professional in England. In the 1960s with a new government, he too was tossed from his job by Seaga.

George Headley was born in Panama of Jamaican and Barbadian parents on May 30, 1909, but he learned his cricket in Jamaica where he grew up, spending endless hours at the Kingston Race Course playing with boys including Wesley Powell, who later went on to found Excelsior School.

Despite comparisons with Donald Bradman, the great Australian batsman, Headley was known simply to his generation as Maas George. It was a title that proclaimed a blend of love, respect and admiration even if the utterer did not know the finer points of cricket.

Cricket cognoscenti had another name for him; for his almost solo efforts as the backbone of West Indies’ batting they called him George “Atlas” Headley after the Titan who held up the celestial sphere in Greek mythology.

He was a legend in his time. He represented the hopes and aspirations of thousands of his countrymen whose dreams of independence and nationhood were slowly being defined by his exploits and achievements.

At a time when Africa had not yet emerged from colonialism and Jamaica was still a British colony that officially looked down on anything African, Maas George knew who he was. On filling out his immigration form before the 1930-31 West Indies team landed in Australia, he proudly wrote “African” where it asked for his race. In 1948 he became the first Black man to captain the West Indies cricket team.

His exploits were extraordinary. As a result, his photograph was often displayed in the newspapers, capturing the adoring gaze. He played 22 Tests, batting in 40 innings, scored 2,190 runs at an average of 60.83. Over his longer first class career of 103 matches, he scored 9,991 runs at the phenomenal average of 69.86.

In those days, when wickets were not covered to protect them from rain, he would master the stickiest wickets with ease.

Songs and poems were written and published about him in the newspapers and sold as pamphlets on street corners and at public functions. West Indians around the world followed his batting on the radio, or were kept updated by telegraph. In villages in the Caribbean, they would hear his scores from the village spokesmen who read the newspapers aloud each night in the village square.

Headley drew on his magnetic personality to inspire the young cricketers. After demonstrating the rudiments of the crease, the batting stance and the footwork to be employed in the various strokes, he would invariably gather them around him and talk to them, telling anecdotes about West Indies cricket and its many fabled exponents.

In the end, it was his love for the game that he imparted; the rest was hero worship. You just knew you were in the presence of greatness. Often playing off the back-foot, he set the tenor and style of the great West Indian batsmen to come, and proved that the West Indies could produce players to match or better any in the world. Bertram says Headley was the first Jamaican to be acclaimed the "best in the world" in any field of international endeavour. He died November 30, 1983, at age 74.

Today, Jamaicans are known all over the world as a great sporting people, even in unlikely sports such as bob-sledding and dog-sledding. Before Headley this was not so. Stepping to the crease in 1928, his cap set at a rakish angle over his left eye, Headley emerged to stand tall among the people at a time when they were moving to wrench free from the shackles of colonialism. Cricket, after all, was the Englishman’s game. For a Black man to dominate the game in the way Headley did, with century after century after century – and elegance as well – was something completely new.

It was that double-century of 211 against Lord Tennyson's X1 in his second match that propelled him into the people’s hearts. He became their first inspiration on the field of sports, paving the way for dreams which later became fulfilled by people like Herb McKenley, Arthur Wint, Collie Smith, Michael Holding, Lawrence Rowe, Marilyn Neufville, Merlene Ottey, Bunny Grant, Mike McCallum, Deon Hemmings, Veronica Campbell-Brown, Shelly-Ann Fraser, Sherone Simpson, Melaine Walker, Yohan Blake, Warren Weir and Usain Bolt.

Headley's special contribution to the National Movement was the manner in which he motivated the people. The motivation far outlasted his cricketing days. As Tony Becca writes, long after he had put his bat to rest, Headley was regarded as a hero by people all over Jamaica and was treated that way wherever he went across the country.

"Is that George Headley? Is that Maas George?" they would ask in wonderment that they could possibly be in the presence of the great man. And when they were assured it was he, they would gather around him just to say hello or just to shake his hand. He lifted them. He made them explore the boundaries of their thinking; he showed them possibilities of achievement they might not even have dreamed of.

Above all, he showed them the Jamaican in the making, and they adored him for it. As Government cricket coach in the 1950s Headley insisted that there was value in youngsters being able to view cricket at the highest levels. His biographer Noel White said that in 1958, when the Pakistan team came, Headley raised funds to purchase tickets for schoolboys and every day he would wait for them at the Sabina Park gates, marshall them inside, and sit with them to point out various features of play in order to develop their judgement.

The impact Headley made on the emergent nation was a thing of the soul. It was the lighting of a flame of creativity even in the rarified oxygen of colonialism, but which his heroic exploits unleashed in dazzling and commanding fashion.

//

4 100s
4 50s

avg 54

1300 runs from 15 tests

that was some start

In reply to CricSham

would you like to offer a 'critique' haha

In reply to Ewart

Long and good as usual.What was amazing is that he travelled the entire Island and coached both youngsters and men in
each parish..schoolboys on Friday and the men on Saturday and move on to another location and
While we all knew him as a great batsman, his passion as coach was to find some fast bowlers as he felt that they were
the ones that would be key to tackling the Australias and Englands, having played with Francis,Griffith,Martindale and
Constantinewho prresented serious problems to the opposition in the 30s.

He saw the decline of the art post World War 2 when only a few came to fore and he lamented that Frank King the standard bearer in the mid 50s
did not have any help.
When told of Gilchrist who was discovered in St. Thomas through curry goat game,he told Wembley Club to get him to Kingston to play Senior Cup..same with Harold Price and King of St.Mary and Chester Watson of Westmoreland..He felt the boys from the country were stronger because of their diet as opposed to
the talent in Kingston.He loved to see fast bowlers in action..

Just before his return to Jamaica he played a game against one Frank Tyson who was near the tail end
of the English season in 1954, got a fifty and passed the word to some English men that they should take the then raw pacer
who was not on the radar , to Australia.

When he told such stories in his soft calming voice he would always have impish twinkle in his eyes.
He and his touring roommate Constantine were two of the finest cricket brains in the annals of West Indies cricket.
Pity they could not have been captains back in the day.

He was ahead of his time.

In reply to Ewart

I am most grateful for your wonderful treatise on Maas George.I found it to be moving and it certainly captured the essence of the Great man.People like Headley transcend cricket and inspire us to be the best that we can be in whatever field of endeavor we participate in.My father hero worshipped Headley no doubt because of the impact of seeing him score those twin centuries at Bourda and I am thankful that he caused me to love cricket and it is stories like yours that help to keep the love of cricket burning in the younger generation of West Indians.
You have provided a great service to this board and I am very thankful for your contribution.
Walk good my friend and stay safe.

In reply to doosra

Compare Charlie to this guy.


------------------M-----I----NO-----HS-----R---------AV-----100--50
Charlie Davis-----15---29----5-----183-----1301------54.21---4----4
PERSON X-------15----23---7-----174*-----1351-----84.44---4----6

In reply to Dukes

Did person x and Charlie Davis face the same attack?

In reply to hubert

This reminds me of a match we (Daily News?) played at Ward Park in Mandeville. You might have been there. A very interesting ground on a hilly terrain where if you cut square it was almost always a six as the boundary was over a gully.

But what I am remembering is a pair of country boys who were not playing but were spectators at the edge of the grounds and who were mouthing us the whole game through.

They were doing the town and country comparison saying they were strong because the ate better food than town men. And the highlight was this:






//

In reply to Ewart
That's an excellent read, Ewart!
Thanks!

In reply to Ewart

Beautifully written......

In reply to sgtdjones


Thank you sarge!


//

In reply to tops

You are welcome Sir tops!



//

In reply to hubert Regarding that biography thing, probably Becca was too overawed.
I recalled watching cricket week after week at CAC (Melbourne CC home ground),
a few of us would sit upstairs in that area with the benches(downstairs you had chairs and tables on the clubhouse verandah).
And as was customary, George Headley was always sitting up there,just watching the game nary a comment. Even when Becca would saunter up there and try to get/ elicit a comment from him, Mr Headley said very little, but continued watch the game with a knowing, relaxed demeanour.

In reply to alfa1975

What you stated is very profound.I most certainly was too .

In reply to Ewart

Was there.You and that memory box of yours.

In reply to hubert Ewart doesn't have a memory box. He has a diary where he collates all this data. Only thing about this diary, is that he used to boast that the diary has entries for Monday through Friday---Saturday and Sunday were intentionally left blank as they were reserved for Cricket.

In reply to alfa1975

In reply to Ewart

Thank you a wonderful read