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(Part 14.) No half measures.
On or off the cricket field, Keith Boyce never observed the speed limit.
Which is why, sadly, this creature of excess became a victim of his lifestyle when he died of a suspected heart attack in his native Barbados on his 53rd birthday in 1996.
In his time on the field of play though, a period shortened by a crippling knee injury in 1977, Boyce never left anyone in any doubt as to his enjoyment of the game.
And that’s also why, with 37 days to go to the 50th anniversary of the West Indies’ triumph at the 1975 World Cup final at Lord’s, it should be remembered that he was an automatic selection in the 14-man squad for the tournament—especially given his considerable experience of English conditions with Essex.
There he acquired the nickname ‘Stingray’, according to the former England fast bowler Mike Selvey, who wrote Boyce’s obituary for Wisden.
(via ICC.)
It is a reflection of the moody cricketer’s tendency to just cruise along effortlessly before a sudden strike—an intervention with either bat or ball that could change the course of the match.
He transitioned from a leg-spinner in 1965, when picked as a 22-year-old for Barbados against the Cavaliers, a touring English side.
With premier fast bowlers Wes Hall and Charlie Griffith on West Indies duty against Australia at the same time, Boyce was instructed to bowl pace… and the tweakers were abandoned forever.
Boyce claimed four wickets in the 1975 Cricket World Cup final.
(via Sportskeeda.)
Even if Lord Relator’s reference to him in the immortal calypso Gavaskar is taken with a pinch of salt (West Indies try Holder and Keith Boyce, because they had no other choice), it is true to say that his Test debut in that 1971 series against India, where he played just the one match in Georgetown, came at a time of uncomfortable transition.
The West Indies were one of the dominating sides of the 1960s and eventually became world-beaters from the mid-1970s onwards.
Recalled two years later to face the visiting Aussies, Boyce held a regular place in the side right up to the World Cup.
His finest moments with the ball came in the three-Test series in England in 1973, where he finished top of the list with 19 wickets.
Eight wickets came in the final Test at Lord’s. But the stellar performance was in the opening match at The Oval where Boyce belted 72 in the first innings and then routed the hosts with match figures of 11 for 147.
He never again matched those heights, although occasionally threatening to.
One thing he never wavered from, though, was a bullet-like throw from the boundary’s edge.
“We all backed up when Boycey had the ball,” Essex teammate and former England batsman Keith Fletcher recalled in the Wisden obituary.
It was an experience the two Murrays—David playing for Barbados and Deryck representing the West Indies—could identify with.
Next: A weight on BJ’s shoulders.
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Fazeer Mohammed is a journalist/broadcaster with almost 40 years’ experience across a range of media.
His interest in cricket, and particularly its history, started at home via his father’s small collection of autobiographies and magazines, offering perspectives and context which have informed his commentary and analysis on contemporary issues in the game.
