David Anthony Jerome Holford (16 April 1940 – 30 May 2022) was a West Indian
cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
er who played in 24
Test matches between 1966 and 1977.
Career
Holford was born on 16 April 1940
at
Upper Collymore Rock,
Saint Michael
Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...
,
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate). ...
, and was a middle-order batsman and leg-spinner. In his second Test, at
Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground, commonly known as Lord's, is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and ...
in 1966, he and his cousin
Garry Sobers
Sir Garfield St Aubrun Sobers, (born 28 July 1936), also known as Sir Gary or Sir Garry Sobers, is a former cricketer who played for the West Indies between 1954 and 1974. A highly skilled bowler, an aggressive batsman and an excellent fielder, ...
put on an unbroken partnership of 274 for the sixth wicket after West Indies had lost five for 95 in their second innings and were leading by only nine runs. Holford scored 105 not out, his only Test century. He took 5 wickets and made 80 in the First Test against
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
in 1966–67, but then suffered an attack of
pleurisy
Pleurisy, also known as pleuritis, is inflammation of the membranes that surround the lungs and line the chest cavity (pleurae). This can result in a sharp chest pain while breathing. Occasionally the pain may be a constant dull ache. Other sy ...
and had to return home. He never had a regular place in the Test team after that. His best Test bowling figures came in 1975–76 when he took 5 for 23 on the first day against India in the First Test at
Bridgetown
Bridgetown (UN/LOCODE: BB BGI) is the capital and largest city of Barbados. Formerly The Town of Saint Michael, the Greater Bridgetown area is located within the parish of Saint Michael. Bridgetown is sometimes locally referred to as "The Ci ...
.
Holford played for
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate). ...
from 1960–61 to 1978–79 (apart from a season in
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...
in 1962–63), captaining the team in most matches from 1969–70 until 1978–79. His highest first-class score was 111 for Barbados against the touring Indians in 1970–71, when he put on 213 with Sobers for the fourth wicket. His best first-class bowling figures were 8 for 52 (12 for 115 in the match) for the West Indian touring team against
Cambridge University
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
in 1966. He also took 4 for 89 and 6 for 61 for Barbados against Combined
Leeward
Windward () and leeward () are terms used to describe the direction of the wind. Windward is ''upwind'' from the point of reference, i.e. towards the direction from which the wind is coming; leeward is ''downwind'' from the point of reference ...
and
Windward
Windward () and leeward () are terms used to describe the direction of the wind. Windward is ''upwind'' from the point of reference, i.e. towards the direction from which the wind is coming; leeward is ''downwind'' from the point of reference ...
Islands in 1969–70. He was the first player in the
Shell Shield
The Regional Four Day Competition, formerly known as Shell Shield and Carib Beer Cup, is the first-class cricket competition in the West Indies. It is administered by the Cricket West Indies. In the 2013-2014 season the winner of the tourname ...
to score 1000 runs and take 100 wickets.
He later played in
Kerry Packer
Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer (17 December 1937 – 26 December 2005) was an Australian media tycoon, and was considered one of Australia's most powerful media proprietors of the twentieth century. The Packer family company owned a controlling ...
's
World Series Cricket
World Series Cricket (WSC) was a commercial professional cricket competition staged between 1977 and 1979 which was organised by Kerry Packer and his Australian television network, Nine Network. WSC ran in commercial competition to establishe ...
. He served on the West Indies selection panel and also served as team manager. During his time as a selector he discovered
Shivnarine Chanderpaul
Shivnarine "Shiv" Chanderpaul (born 16 August 1974) is a Guyanese people, Guyanese cricket coach and former captain of the West Indies cricket team. Considered one of the greatest batsmen of his era, Chanderpaul is the first Indo-Caribbean to pla ...
, who went on to become West Indies' second highest run scorer of all time.
Personal life and death
Holford had a degree in agriculture and worked as a soil scientist, and another degree in computer studies.
[Garry Sobers, ''My Autobiography'', Headline, London, 2002, p. 71.] After retiring, he became the president of
Harrison College in Barbados.
On 30 May 2022, Holford died at the age of 82 in Barbados.
Citations
General and cited sources
*
Martin-Jenkins, C. (1983), ''The Complete Who's Who of Test Cricketers'', Rigby: Adelaide. .
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Holford, David
1940 births
2022 deaths
Soil scientists
Barbadian cricketers
Barbados cricketers
North Trinidad cricketers
People educated at Harrison College (Barbados)
People from Saint Michael, Barbados
Trinidad and Tobago cricketers
West Indies Test cricketers
World Series Cricket players