Clyde Walcott, favored stroke play off the back foot with immense power

 It is clear Gary Sobers influenced Roy Fredericks. Perhaps, Leslie Amsterdam, and Charles Paul, an uncle of Roy Fredericks, influenced Roy Fredericks. Certainly, Clyde Walcott had profound influence upon Rohan Kanhai, Basil Butcher, Clive Lloyd, Roy Fredericks and Alvin Kallicharran and numerous unheard and unsung Guyanese batsmen of the 1950s and 1960s. 

Clyde Walcott, favored stroke play off the back foot with immense power. And most definitely Clive Lloyd seems to be a left handed batting Clyde Walcott. Roy Fredericks was Mimi left handed batting Clyde Walcott.

I have not favored the helmeted era. I refused to compare people more suited to be Knights of the Round Table than entertainers with those of 1900-1977.  I consider Roy Fredericks, the last of three great West Indies test match openers. Clifford Roach and Conrad Hunte are the two preceding Roy Fredericks. 

During the West Indies tour of Australia 1975 and 1976, Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thomson, Gary Gilmour and Max Walker completely intimidated, and humiliated Gordon Greenidge. After four completed innings those of the first and third test matches Gordon Greenidge managed a grand total of eleven runs.  Thus eleven in four innings is the albatross around Gordon Greenidge’s career. I am of the opinion scoring centuries against Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thomson, Gary Gilmour and Max Walker 1975-1976 in test matches in Australia is the yardstick of outstanding batsmen. Fredericks, Kallicharran, Lloyd, Rowe, and Richards were successful. Gordon Greenidge was an abysmal failure. Lloyd hid Gordon Greenidge for eight consecutive test matches.  In summer 1976, after the first two test matches, in most familiar environment and less formidable bowlers, I began wondering whether Lloyd’s judgment is rational.   Gordon Greenidge seemed to be a lost cause continuum. And I guess much to the relief of Clive Lloyd, Gordon Greenidge finally stomped his authority. Gordon Greenidge recorded a century in each innings in the third test, He didn’t stop there.  Roy Fredericks and Gordon Greenidge enjoyed a blistering opening stand of 192 runs. Following the century and dismissal of Roy Fredericks; Gordon Greenidge completed his third consecutive test century. Finally, Gordon Greenidge began fulfilling the promise he showed in his debut test match where he scored 93 and 107 against India in India. Viv Richards’s performance in his first test match was awful.

 

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