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West Indian cricket team

The West Indian cricket team, also known colloquially as The Windies, is a national cricket team representing a sporting confederation of the Caribbean countries: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Turks and Caicos Islands, Trinidad and Tobago. (These are the countries of the former West Indies Federation, plus Guyana on the South American mainland, being originally British colonies.) The team is administrated by the West Indies Cricket Board.

The West Indian team is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and one-day international status. It played its first Test match in 1928 (against England at Lord's in London), becoming the fourth Test nation.

In 1958, they scored their highest ever 790 runs in a test innings losing just 3 wickets against Pakistan at Kingston. Their biggest test win came in January 1959 when they beat India by an innings and 336 runs at Calcutta. They were involved with Australia in the first of the two tied test matches in test history (December 1960, Brisbane).

The West Indies were a relatively minor force in world cricket until they swept India in a 5-Test series in 1961-62.They grew in strength throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s, culminating in a then-record streak of 11 consecutive Test victories in 1984 as they dominated the game with a fearsome fast bowling attack including the greats Joel Garner, Michael Holding, and Malcolm Marshall, and flamboyant and talented batsmen such as Viv Richards and Clive Lloyd.

Throughout the 1990s, however, West Indian cricket declined, in part due to the rise in popularity of basketball in West Indian countries, and the team today is struggling to regain its past glories.

In May 2003, they won a test match against Australia at St. John's scoring a world record 418 runs in the 4th innings breaking a 27-year-old record of India who had scored 406 runs in the 4th innings to win a match incidentally against the West Indies. It was only the third time in the history of test cricket that over 400 runs had been scored in the 4th innings to win a match. As of 2004, they are one of only 3 test playing nations to have played over 400 test matches, the others being Australia and England.

Notable West Indian batsmen include

• Brian Lara - world record holder for highest individual score (400 not out against England at St. John's, April 2004), also held the world record earlier from April 1994 to October 2003 (375 not out also against England at St. John's) One of four batsmen in the world to have scored 10,000 test runs and the only West Indian to do so. One of only 3 West Indian triple centurions, the other two being Lawrence Rowe and Sir Gary Sobers, second person after Sir Don Bradman and the only West Indian to score test triple century twice, 2nd West Indian batsman after Sir Gary Sobers to have scored 25 test centuries, fastest to score 10,000 test runs in terms of number of innings and only batsman to score 10,000 test runs in less than 200 test innings, scored 169 in an ODI against Sri Lanka at Sharjah in 1995, scored 18 ODI centuries, most by a West Indian, scored 1,349 ODI runs in the year 1993, most by a West Indian in a calendar year, one of only 2 West Indian batsmen to have hit 100 sixes in ODI cricket, scored the 2nd fastest century in ODI cricket (fastest by a West Indian) in just 45 balls (1999), scored the fastest fifty by a West Indian batsman in ODI cricket in just 23 balls (against Canada, 2003), scored 26 runs in an over in that match, the most by a West Indian, 2nd fastest batsman to reach 5,000 ODI runs (118 matches) (International career: 1990-)
• Lawrence Rowe - 1000 test runs in 16 test matches (2nd fastest West Indian) at an average of 71 (International career: 1972-1980)
• Vivian Richards - only West Indian batsman other than Sir Gary Sobers to score 5,000 test runs in less than 100 test matches, one of only two batsmen (the other being Chris Cairns) to have scored more than 75 sixes in a test career, scored a world record ODI innings of 189 not out against England at Manchester in 1984 breaking Kapil Dev's record innings of 175 not out in the previous year, held the record for 13 years, continues to be a West Indian record, in that innings, scored 114 runs in boundaries, another world record beating Kapil Dev's 100 runs in boundaries, another world record held for 13 years, in 1987, scored the second highest ODI innings by a West Indian player (181 against Sri Lanka at Karachi), hitting 7 sixes in that innings, a world record. 3 months later, he again hit 7 sixes in an ODI (against India at Rajkot) innings becoming the first person to do so twice, only West Indian batsman to have scored 175+ runs in an ODI innings, first West Indian to score 150 in one day international (against Australia at Melbourne, 1979), scored 11 ODI centuries, hit 126 sixes in ODIs, a West Indian record, fastest to reach 1000 ODI runs (21 matches), one of only 4 batsmen to have reached 1000 ODI runs in less than 25 ODIs, fastest batsman to reach 5,000 ODI runs (114 matches) (International career: 1974-1991)
• Sir Garfield Sobers - over 8,000 test runs at an average of 58 runs per innings with 26 test centuries, one of only 2 West Indian batsmen to score 5,000 runs in less than 100 test matches, one of the youngest cricketers to play a test match for West Indies (International career: 1954-1974)
• Gordon Greenidge - scored 11 ODI centuries, hit 8 sixes in an ODI innings against India in 1989, a world record, got 6 consecutive ODI scores of 50+ runs, only West Indian to do so, 2nd fastest to reach 1000 ODI runs (23 matches), one of only 4 batsmen to have reached 1,000 ODI runs in less than 25 ODIs, reached 5,000 ODI runs in 121 matches, in 1989, became the oldest West Indian to score an ODI century (International career: 1974-1991)
• Clive Lloyd - In 1984, at the age of 40, became the oldest West Indian to score a test century (International career: 1966-1985)
• Desmond Haynes - scored 17 ODI centuries and 57 ODI 50s making 74 innings of 50+, highest by a West Indian, hit 6 sixes in an ODI innings against India at Georgetown in 1989, in 1994, became the oldest West Indian to score an ODI century at the age of 38 (International career: 1978- 1994)
• 1987-2003)
• George Headley - played 22 test matches scoring 2200 runs at an average of 61 runs per inning, one of only 4 batsmen ever to have a test average of more than 60 runs per inning and the only West Indian to have an average of more than 60 runs per inning. First person to have scored century in both innings of test match for West Indies (1930, Georgetown), he repeated the feat 9 years later at Lord's becoming the first person ever to do so, first 1000 runs in 17 test matches at an average of 66.66 runs per innings (International career: 1930-1954)
• Everton Weekes - one of only 4 West Indian batsmen to have a test batting average above 55, only person ever to have scored centuries in 5 consecutive test innings (1948-1949) one of only 2 batsmen and only West Indian to have scored 1,000 test runs in 12 test matches (International career: 1948-1958)
• Clyde Walcott - one of 4 West Indian batsmen to have a test batting average above 55, emulated George Headley by scoring century in both innings of a test match twice, is the only person to have done so in the same season (1955) (International career: 1948-1960)
• Frank Worrell - 1000 test runs in 16 test matches at an average of 77 runs per innings (International career: 1948-1963)
• 1992-2001)
• Ricardo Powell - youngest West Indian to score an ODI century, scored 2000 ODI runs at a strike rate of 98, emulated Gordon Greenidge by hitting 8 sixes in an ODI innings against India in 1999 at Singapore, hit 7 sixes in another ODI against India at Toronto (International career: 1999-)
• Ramnaresh Sarwan - scored 1,000 ODI runs in 27 ODIs, one of the best batting averages in ODI cricket (International career: 2000-)

Notable West Indian bowlers include:

• Courtney Walsh - only West Indian bowler to take over 500 test wickets, in 2000, took 34 wickets in a test series against England at an average of 13 runs per wicket, a year in which he took 66 test wickets, the highest by a West Indian bowler since 1984, took 13 wickets in a test match against New Zealand conceding just 55 runs at Wellington in 1995, took a test hat-trick against Australia at Brisbane in 1988, the first test hat-trick by a West Indian bowler in 28 years, one of only 3 West Indian bowlers to take 5 wickets in a test innings more than 20 times (International career: 1984-2001)
• Curtly Ambrose - one of only 2 West Indians to have taken over 400 test wickets, one of 3 West Indian bowlers with a test bowling average below 21, only bowler to have taken over 400 test wickets at an average of less than 21, one of only 3 West Indian bowlers to have taken 5 wickets in a test innings more than 20 times, only West Indian bowler to have reached 400 test wickets in less than 100 test matches, finished with an ODI economy rate of 3.48 (International career 1988-2000)
• Malcolm Marshall - one of only 3 West Indian bowlers with a test bowling average below 21, took 73 wickets in the year 1984, 2nd highest by a West Indian in a calendar year, one of only 3 West Indian bowlers to take 5 wickets in an innings more than 20 times, only West Indian bowler to have taken 5 wickets in 4 consecutive test innings in 1984 against Australia, only West Indian bowler to have taken 10 wickets in a test match 4 times, finished with an ODI economy rate of 3.53 (International career: 1978-1992)
• Lance Gibbs - Took a test hat-trick against Australia at Adelaide in 1961, at the age of 41 in 1976 became the oldest player to play a test match for the West Indies (International career: 1958-1976)
• Joel Garner - one of 3 West Indian bowlers with a test bowling average below 21, strike rate of 51 balls per wicket, took 52 test wickets in his first 10 test matches, took 79 test wickets in the year 1984, a West Indian record, only West Indian to take more than 75 test wickets in a calendar year, took just 21 matches to reach 100 test wickets, took 146 ODI wickets at an average of 18.84, one of the best bowling averages in ODI cricket and an economy rate of 3.09 (International career: 1977-1987)
• Michael Holding - took 30 wickets in a test series against India at an average of 22 runs per wicket in 1983/1984, took 14 wickets in a test match against England in 1976 at The Oval, a West Indian record, finished with an ODI bowling average of 21.36 and an economy rate of 3.32 (International career: 1975-1987)
• 1974-1983)
• Wes Hall - took 52 wickets in his first 10 test matches, took 103 test wickets in his first 20 test matches, first West Indian bowler to take a test hat-trick against Pakistan at Lahore in 1958/59 (International career: 1958-1969)
• Alfred Valentine - Took 8/104 on debut at Manchester, the only West Indian bowler to take more than 6 wickets in his first innings, went on to take 11 wickets in the match, only the 2nd West Indian bowler to take 10 wickets in debut test match and best debut performance by a West Indian bowler. He took 33 wickets in that 4 test series against England at an average of 20 runs per wicket, fastest West Indian bowler to reach 50 test wickets in just 8 test matches, one of only 2 West Indian bowlers to reach 100 test wickets in less than 20 test matches (International career: 1950-1962)
• Colin Croft - best strike of all West Indian bowlers, only West Indian with a test strike rate of less than 50 balls per wicket, one of only 3 West Indian bowlers to have reached 50 test wickets in less than 10 test matches, took just 21 test matches to reach 100 test wickets, took 6/15 in an ODI against England at Kingstown in 1981, finished with an ODI bowling average of 20.66 and an economy rate of 3.47 (International career: 1977-1982)
• Charles Griffith - took 32 wickets at an average of 16 runs per wicket in a test series against England in 1963 (International career: 1960-1969)
• 1988-1998)
• Jack Noreiga - only West Indian bowler to take 9 wickets in a test innings conceding less than 100 runs against India in 1971, conceded nearly 400 runs for the remaining 8 wickets he took in that series, his only test series at the age of 33/34
• Franklyn Rose - 2nd best test debut by a West Indian bowler and best in 47 years, 2nd West Indian bowler to take 6 wickets in first test innings and first in 47 years (against India at Kingston, 1997)
• Hophnie Johnson - first West Indian bowler and 1 of only 2 West Indian bowlers to have taken 10 wickets in debut test match against England at Kingston
• Winston Davis - took 7/51 in a World Cup match against Australia at Leeds in 1983, a world record, the first time anyone took 7 wickets in an ODI, held for 8 years, currently a West Indian ODI record (International career: 1983-1988)

Notable West Indian wicketkeepers include

• David Murray - 9 dismissals in a test match (International career: 1973-1982)
• 1995-)
• 1996-)
• 1992-2002)
• Ivan Barrow - first West Indian wicketkeeper to score a test century (1933) (International career: 1930-1939)
• Clyde Walcott - first West Indian wicketkeeper to score a test century in 15 years, first West Indian wicketkeeper to score 2 test centuries in a test series (1948) (International career: 1948-1960)
• Jeff Dujon - first West Indian wicketkeeper to score a test century in 23 years (1983), only West Indian wicketkeeper with over 200 ODI dismissals (International career: 1981-1991)

History of West Indian international cricket

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