Four Berbicians were included in the BG side to oppose the first Australian side

 Four Berbicians were included in the BG side to oppose the first Australian side

Kanhai and Butcher were batsmen of obvious promise

In common with other parts of the country, fans in the Ancient County took time off to express their pleasure as word got around that four, yes, four Berbicians were included in the British Guiana side to oppose the first Australian side to visit the Caribbean in 1955.

All over, the news was received with surprise, for even the most ardent supporters were not expecting more than three (Butcher, Kanhai and Madray), while it was more generally felt that only the first two named would be the favored ones. By their act, however, the BG selectors had tactilely admitted a fact that Bruce Pairaudeau, Glendon Gibbs and Clyde Walcott excluded, the best batsmen in what was then British Guiana are in the county.

As a schoolboy in short pants and barefooted then, my wish was for Butcher, Kanhai and (Charles) Paul to nail home this fact when facing the wiles of the Australians. Opening batsman Charles Paul-the first batsman to represent Berbice in inter-colonial cricket and uncle of Roy Fredericks-who had an indifferent outing against Trinidad was in good form, and he gave the selectors but one choice after his display in the inter-county trial match. Twenty-year-old right arm leg spinner Ivan Madray, whom the rains dwelt with so cruelly before the Barbados tour earlier in the year, was now being given his first big break.

The team which represented BG was: Bruce Pairaudea (Capt), Glendon Gibbs, Charles Paul, Clyde Walcott, Rohan Kanhai, Basil Butcher, Clifford McWatt, Ivan Madray, Wilfred Edun, Pat Legall, Norman Wight, with Neville Thomas as emergency fieldsman.

Reminiscence is a doubtful pleasure of the ageing. Therefore, looking back some sixty years or so ago to see how well the four young Berbicians performed in the match may be constructed as something less than filial respect. Nevertheless, youth should not be denied, and so to the task.

Apart from the brilliant batting of Kanhai, Walcott and Butcher, the BG batsmen never really came to grips with the left-arm spinner Jack Hill, who twice routed the side for 177 and 165. Hill, with his leg-spin, was the most destructive bowler for the Australians, claiming five for 50 and secondly five for 15 in 16 overs of which nine were maidens. He ended with a match-analysis of 10 for 65. The Australians, using their second string attack, were able to get BG out twice within less than two days. Their shock attack failed to get going and it was the spinners who provided the major worry.

In BG’s first innings of 177, the talented Rohan Kanhai was the second top scorer with a dashing 51. Kanhai and Clyde Walcott 54 produced the best stand of the innings with 75 runs. Kanhai displayed a full range of attractive shots and an unremitting urge to use every one of them as often as possible. He was leg before to Hill, made his runs in 101 minutes with nine boundaries.

The elegant Basil Butcher failed to get among the runs and was caught behind off Davidson for 8. Charles Paul was unable to take the field for some time. His ailing father had died the previous day and he had to make a speedy dash to Blairmont. He returned, however to take his place on the field and the sacrifice was greatly appreciated by the crowd. Under the circumstances, one can very well understand Paul getting 19 runs, leg before to Hill.

Our fourth player, Ivan Madray, not much of an accomplished batsman, but yet no rabbit with the willow, played back to a good length ball and was bowled by Hill. Poor Madray had failed to score.

The Australians in their knock made a mammoth 476-7 declared, due primarily to a belligerent knock of 177 by hard-hitting batsman Peter Burge. He had also score the BG total being at the wicket for 259 minutes, a longer time than the home team’s innings lasted. He found the boundaries on 23 occasions and hit one six.

Leg spinner Ivan Madray was the most impressive of the BG bowlers, taking three wickets for 122 runs. Madray secured the wickets of the main scorers Peter Burge 177, Neil Harvey 58, and Ron Archer 56.

In BG’s second innings, it was Rohan Kanhai, the young Berbice batsman who showed his fellow Guyanese that the Australian bowling could be handled. He swished pace man Archer thrice in one over for boundaries, and reached his second quarter-century of the match. Kanhai was applauded for his courage.

Kanhai, so typical of the Berbice batsmen was intent of bringing on the sweep shot … and he paid dearly. He stepped down to play the stroke and missed. Len Maddocks, the wicket-keeper, appealed half-heartedly and the umpire at square – leg raised his finger. The decision seemed unfavorable, not even the bowler appealing.

So ended Kanhai’ stunning innings of 27 made in 47 minutes. He had hit four fours.

Basil Butcher was the batsman who delighted and certainly hit the ball with tremendous power. He seemed to have a half-century for the taking when his concentration lapsed and he was bowled by off-spinner Ian Johnson with a “beauty” for 46 in 108 minutes with five fours. Charles Paul was smartly stumped by Maddocks off Johnson for 1.

Many years later, Rohan Kanhai has written about this match in his book “Blasting for Runs” and he mentioned that he cross-batted the great Keith Miller … something Miller did not enjoy at all.

Kanhai recalls: “Keith Miller… got a bit upset at the way a green 19-year-old was making a fool of the cricket manuals during the Aussies triumphant tour of the West Indies back in 1955. “I was a relatively new boy in the British Guiana side that tackled the Aussies in Georgetown that day. Miller was bowling his big out swingers and I was clouting them regularly to the square leg boundary. Nobody told me that I shouldn’t do it – that I was committing a batsman’s biggest sin by hitting across the ball. Big Keith was completely flummoxed. He knew the answer to every trick in the book, but I wasn’t playing by the rules. The madder he got the more I innocently pulled him to the fence. I piled up a fair old 51.”

“At a party after the match, Basil, Ivan and I were together. Miller came up to me with a rueful grin, wagged an accusing finger and said: “The next time you play a shot like that, kid, you’ll be in trouble.” “Perhaps I should have taken his warning but I felt it was a pity to change when I was getting a few runs. And I haven’t changed, you know.”

The Australians did not return to Bourda until ten years later, by which time, much water had flowed under the bridge as far as Kanhai and Butcher were concerned.

We will focus next on how the two surviving members of the BG team fared!

Shan Razack <shanrazack@gmail.com>

Dec 9, 2017, 1:24 PM