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(Part 18.) Silent assassin.
Andy Roberts was a ground-breaker—the first from Antigua and Barbuda to play senior international cricket for the West Indies. He was also a jaw-breaker.
Many an unsuspecting batsman fell victim, painfully, to his clever variations of pace and the other impressive tools which made him the complete fast bowler.
So, with 33 days to go to the 50th anniversary of the culmination of the West Indies’ 1975 Cricket World Cup triumph, we look at the man whose arrival on the Test stage in 1974 is now sign-posted as marking the start of the Caribbean’s seemingly endless supply of world-class pacers.
That arsenal of pace was a key factor in an unprecedented level of global dominance, which saw the West Indies lift successive World Cups and then go 15 years unbeaten in Test series.
Copyright: Patrick Eagar/ Popperfoto via Getty Images.
Match figures of three for 124 on his debut in that drawn Test against England in Barbados saw him omitted for the two remaining matches of the series, even though he struck early in the second innings with the wickets of the prolific Dennis Amiss and his Warwickshire teammate John Jameson.
But Roberts was clearly earmarked by the selectors as a long-term investment. Their faith paid rich dividends in the West Indies’ next assignment: seven Tests in India and Pakistan in 1974/75 on pitches generally considered to be a graveyard for fast bowlers.
His haul of 44 wickets across the two series therefore immediately elevated him to the level of world-class. However, those who had seen him in action in the English domestic season—sandwiched between the England series and the sub-continental campaign—already knew that.
(via CWI Media.)
He wreaked havoc through there, taking 119 wickets in 21 matches at 13.62 runs apiece to take Hampshire to the verge of a second consecutive county championship crown. Only rain ruined their chance of a successful title defence in the final match of the season.
Roberts was the potent spearhead for every team he represented, including the Combined Islands.
And at a time when there is continuous discussion about workload—especially on fast bowlers—in this franchise-dominated era, it should be noted that Antigua’s silent assassin, in the aftermath of a lengthy English season and a four-month sojourn through India and Pakistan, was back in action at the start of the 1975 Shell Shield campaign eight days after the conclusion of the final Test in Karachi.
(via Indian Expresss.)
In reflecting last month on the 50th anniversary of the famous match between Combined Islands and Trinidad and Tobago at Queen’s Park Oval, which was immortalised by Tanty Merle and saw the Islands pipped for their first title by Guyana, opening batsman Lockhart Sebastien observed that he had never seen anyone bowl so quickly so consistently as Roberts did that season.
And then it was on to the World Cup where this sullen, brooding man not only underlined his fast-bowling credentials but also, crucially, displayed determination with the bat when it was most needed.
Next: Lance Gibbs: the classical off-spinner.
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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.
