Remembering Charlie Ollivierre: St. Vincent is No Johnny Come Lately where West Indies cricket is concerned

While We applaud the performance of McCoy in our last World Cup game against Afghanistan, let us remember that we were there from the very beginning. It started in 1900with Charlie Ollivierre,

continued with his brother Richard Ollivierre in 1906 and then with Alphie Roberts in New Zealand in 1956 at the tender age of 18. Other Vincentians starting with Michael Findlay would have been of a later era. I am highlighting Charlie Ollivierre because it all started with him when he was selected to a West Indian touring team to England. He was then 23 years old. His brother Richard followed him. A name which should at least be mentioned in a footnote is Frank O Mason who had to give way to Wes Hall following the intrigues of Garfield Sobers and Everton Weekes, Sobers admitting in his autobiography that Mason was the better bowler.

Charlie’s father was Helon Ollivierre, after whom Charlie’s younger brother was named. He lived on Back Street, and I mention this because Reds Perreira while doing commentary on a game in Kingstown, falsely stated that Charlie was from Bequia. Helon was a nominated member of the Kingstown Town Board and was considered “one of the most popular and respected coloured gentlemen in the island”.

Charlie was educated at Queen’s Royal College in Trinidad and played cricket for his school. An inning he played in 1893 against Maraval CC for which the father of Learie Constantine played must have brought him to the attention of the cricket authorities. He might have been sent to Queen’s Royal College for that purpose. Alphie Roberts had followed that same route. He did his Higher School Certificate Exams also at Queen’s Royal College, the result of a talent scout by Everton Weeks and the award of a scholarship by the Bermudez Biscuit Company. Ian Neverson, another Vincentian prospect was also sent to Trinidad but apparently severed one of his hands working in Trinidad.

In an earlier article “Remembering the Ollivierres and Our Early Cricketing Encounters”, I made mention of James Vanloo, also an outstanding cricketer, who had captained the Vincentian team on a number of occasions. I noted however, that Charlie Ollivierre “was the cream of the crop. He dominated local cricket and established his reputation against all comers,…” In a match against St. Lucia in 1897, the SENTRY newspaper stated that “Charlie Ollivierre played an exceedingly brilliant innings (he)… negotiated it to the lively tune of 141. This at present is the record individual score in a single innings for local batsmen. It includes 11 hits clean out of the ground and the same number of boundaries for 4.” His brothers Richard and Helon who played in that game also performed remarkably well.

The SENTRY reported that in a match against the Grammar School prior to his visit to England in 1900, he scored 59, and in another match against a selected team he “compiled 130 in a faultless style. We understand he gave not a single chance, but played a steady and almost perfect innings until he got run out – and not through his fault… His innings was made up of 2 sixes, 1 five, 14 fours, 4 threes, 10 twos and 23 singles.”

The West Indian team which included 4 coloured players, Burton of British Guiana, Constantine and Woods of Trinidad, and Ollivierre of St. Vincent arrived in England by the Royal Mail Service at the end of June and was met by a delegation that included Lord Hawke. The SENTRY newspaper of June 29, 1900, stated that “Ollivierre’s reputation as the best all round cricketer on the side has spread throughout the country, being reproduced in several of the daily papers”.

Writing in 1933 CLR James stated that “Up to a few years ago there were experienced West Indian cricketers who believed that Ollivierre was the best batsman the West Indies had ever produced. He was a big powerful man who at school threw 125 yards and cut one handed for 6. He made most of the strokes with a few of his own, chiefly a glorious lofting drive over extra cover’s head.”

He headed the batting average with 32.70 in 29 innings- twice not out, with the highest score of 159. His partnership with Pelham Warner of 238 for the first wicket against Leicestershire was considered one of the highlights of the year. He had another first wicket stand with Percy Cox of 209. (Historian Dr Michael Dennie is the great, great grandson of Charlie Ollivierre.) (To be continued).

• Dr Adrian Fraser is a social commentator and historian