Historic First: West Indies As World Champs, May, 1965

By: Dr The Hon. Ralph E. Gonsalves, Prime Minister of ST Vincent and the Grenadines

Hail The Champions of 1965!

At the end of the West Indies vs Australia Cricket Test Series on May 17, 1965, at Queens Park Oval in Trinidad, the West Indies were crowned unofficial world champions, for the first time ever, since their official entry into test cricket in 1928. Led by the legendary Garfield Sobers, the West Indies defeated, also for the first time ever, the mighty Australians in the five-match test series, two matches to one; two matches were drawn.

The results of the matches, in summary form, were as follows:

March 2nd – 7th: First Test at Sabina Park, Jamaica: The West Indies won by 178 runs; March 25th – 31st: Second Test at Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad: Drawn; April 13th – April 19th: Third Test at Bourda, Guyana: West Indies won by 212 runs;

May 4th – 10th: Fourth Test at Kensington Oval, Barbados: Drawn; and May 13th – 17th: Fifth Test at Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad: Australia won by 10 wickets.

So, even though the West Indies were defeated in the final test match, they had already secured by the end of the fourth test match, an unassailable lead of two matches to nil.

It is unfortunate that the historic triumph by the West Indies over Australia, and its unofficial champion status, has not been remembered by Cricket West Indies (CWI). It is not too late for CWI to remedy this forgetfulness. Hopefully, the need to forget is not stronger than the need to remember. The majestic Arnos Vale Cricket Stadium in St. Vincent and the Grenadines is being offered as a possible locale for any appropriate cricket match(es) to mark our remembrance. The government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines accordingly pledges its practical support in the celebration of this memory.

IMMEDIATE JOURNEY TO THE STATUS OF CHAMPIONS

Victories in the preceding two test series, West Indies versus India in 1962, and the West Indies versus England in 1963, had set up the 1965 series against the undefeated Australians as the show-down for the unofficial cricket championship. Indeed, Australia had last defeated the West Indies in Australia in the tightly-contested series in 1960-61. In that series, the West Indies, captained by the exemplary leader of the highest quality, Frank Worrell, played such extraordinary cricket that experts and fans alike concurred that “the Windies had saved test cricket”.

In 1962, at home, the West Indies, again under Worell, defeated a strong Indian team, five matches to nil. And in England in the summer of 1963, the West Indies, still under Worrell’s leadership, demolished a superb England, three matches to one; one test was drawn.

At the end of the 1963 Test series, Frank Worrell retired from test cricket. At Worrell’s determined urgings, the West Indies cricket authorities appointed the 28-year-old Garfield Sobers as his successor in preference to 33-year-old Conrad Hunte, a brilliant opening batsman from Barbados and a strong moral leader. Worrell’s assessment of Sobers’ strategic and tactical cricketing genius, combined with his confirmed status as the greatest all-round cricketer, proved compelling despite Hunte’s considerable appeal.

The 1965 series against Australia was Sobers’ first as captain. Australia possessed a talented and experienced team led by the tough-minded and highly-gifted Bob Simpson. Ten years earlier, in 1955, Australia, on their tour of the West Indies, outplayed their hosts in a five-match series.

Worrell’s team bequeathed to Sobers was near its pinnacle of all-round strength. But how would they fare under a new captain against a rampaging Australia? We were soon to find out; excitement was high for West Indies fans, tempered by the reality of the outstanding Australians, though somewhat weakened by the absence of Richie Bernard (captain, quality spinner, all-rounder) and Allan Davidson (fast bowler of the highest quality).

THE TEAMS

The West Indies’ batting prowess resolved around Conrad Hunte (opener), Rohan Kanhai (number 3 in the batting order), Basil Butcher, and the incomparable Garfield Sobers who seven years earlier at Sabina Park had chalked up, against Pakistan, an unbeaten 365 as the highest test score ever. These top four were supported by the solid Joe Solomon and the graceful stroke-player Seymour Nurse. Bryan Davis of Trinidad emerged as a competent opening partner for Hunte.

The West Indies’ bowling department centred on four of the best: Fast bowlers Wesley Hall and Charlie Griffith; Garfield Sobers (left arm medium fast, two-in-one spinner); and Lance Gibbs, undoubtedly the best off-spinner ever produced by the West Indies. Bowling support also came from Joe Solomon; and in two tests from off-spinner/all-rounder Tony White of Barbados. Jackie Hendricks, arguably the best wicket-keeper ever for the West Indies, completed the squad save and except for one match when he was unavailable and was replaced by the modest David Allan of Barbados. The equally modest Willie Rodriguez, right-arm leg spinner of Trinidad, played in one match.

The Australia touring team’s batting centred on Bob Simpson, Bob Cowper, Bill Lawry, Norman O’Neill, and Brian Booth, a formidable line-up. Their main bowlers were three fast/medium fast bowlers (Graham Mc Kenzie, Neil Hawke, and Laurie Mayne; and a main leg-spinner, Peter Philpott). Behind the stumps was the top-class Wally Grout.

THE FIVE TEST MATCHES

The first test match at Sabina Park saw the West Indies winning with scores of 239 and 373 in the first and second innings respectively. Australia made 217 and 216 in their innings at the crease.

The second test match at Queen’s Park Oval ended in a draw. The West Indies scored 429 and 386 in each of their innings; Australia racked up 516 in their one innings.

In the third test at Bourda, the West Indies won with scores of 355 and 180 against the paltry Australian batting performance of 179 and 144.

In the fourth test at Kensington Oval, a high-scoring encounter, ended in a draw: Australia piled up 650 for 6 declared, and 174 for 4 declared; the West Indies responded with 573 and 242 for 5.

The fifth test at Queen’s Park Oval resulted in an Australian triumph with scores of 294 and 63 without loss of a wicket, as against the West Indies’ totals of 224 and 131.

INDIVIDUAL STAND-OUT PERFORMANCES

Conrad Hunte was the West Indies’ outstanding batsman in the series with a batting average of 61.11, and a highest score of 89. In the first test, he scored 41 and 81; in the second test, 89 and 53; in the third test he scored 39 runs in the low-scoring innings for the West Indies of 144. In the fourth test his scores were 75 and 81; and in the fifth test, he batted throughout with 80 not out in the West Indies second innings score of 131. Hunte’s consistency was remarkable throughout the series, the last in which he played.

Rohan Kanhai averaged 46.2 runs in his batting; he scored two centuries: one in the first innings of the fourth test at Kensington Oval; and the second of 121 in the first innings of the fifth test in Trinidad out of a West Indies total of 244. In the fourth test, Kanhai (129) and Seymour Nurse (201) were majestic; Nurse’s average for the series was 36.37 runs.

Basil Butcher averaged 40.50; he scored one century (117) in the second test at his home ground, Bourda in Guyana.

The outstanding bowler for the West Indies was Wes Hall with 16 wickets at an average per wicket of 28.37; his best bowling performance was 5 for 60 in the first innings of the first test at Sabina.

Lance Gibbs took 18 wickets at an average of 30.89 apiece; his best performance was 6 for 29 at Bourda.

Garfield Sobers performed creditably but below his usual expectational standards: with the bat he averaged 39.11 with two scores of above 50, but no century: and with the ball he took 12 wickets at an average of 40.83 runs apiece.

On the Australian side, the stand-out performances were: In batting, Bob Cowper topped their average with 52.12 runs: he scored two centuries. Three other Australians had batting averages in the 40’s: Bob Simpson (49.87) with one century: Bill Lawry (46.0) with one century; and Norman O’Neill (44.3).

In the bowling department for Australia, Neil Hawke took 24 wickets at an average of 21.83; he was followed by part-time bowler, O’Neill (9 wickets at 25.56 apiece); Laurie Mayne (9 wickets at 29.0 runs apiece) and Peter Philpott (18 wickets at an average of 34.94).

TITAN GOT US HERE

Between our test cricket infancy of 1928 and our status as unofficial champions in 1965, titans galore got us there. The roll-call of the West Indies cricketing greats includes: George Headley, Learie Constantine, Frank Worrell, Everton Weekes, Clyde Walcott, Sonny Ramadhin, Alf Valentine, Garfield Sobers, Rohan Kanhai, Basil Butcher, Conrad Hunte, Seymour Nurse, Wes Hall, Charlie Griffith, and Lance Gibbs.

Cricket, a game brought to us in our Caribbean by the British colonies, became our own existential instrument to aid our quest for national liberation, liberty, equality, fairness, and justice. We absorbed this English sport; mastered it; transcended its limits; made it our own; redefined it through the prism of our own eyes and with especial flair; took it beyond the boundaries; through it, confronted the imposters of defeat and victory; drove it into the consciousness of our people; and ensured that a cricketing culture remains vital to the further ennoblement of our Caribbean Civilisation. The rude mechanics who, from time to time, especially in recent years, have preponderated in the oversight and management of our cricket in the West Indies, are advised to abandon the sterile path of our cricket’s demise by a thousand cuts. The requisite is to return a love for the game. To do this, the pre-requisite is elemental love for people generally; love, faith of our fathers and mothers, and hope will prompt appropriate works. History and its remembrances help. To avoid the further desecration of our cricketing future, we must come home to ourselves. Let’s restart with commemorating meaningfully our first ascent to the status of cricket champions. We cannot live in history, but we cannot go forward without our understanding of it.