Sir Everton DeCourcy Weekes,
KCMG,
GCM,
OBE (26 February 19251 July 2020) was a cricketer from
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 estima ...
. A right-handed batsman, he was known as one of the hardest hitters in world cricket. Weekes holds the record for consecutive Test hundreds, with five. Along with
Frank Worrell and
Clyde Walcott, he formed what was known as "The Three Ws" of the
West Indies cricket team
The West Indies cricket team, nicknamed the Windies, is a multi-national men's cricket team representing the mainly English-speaking countries and territories in the Caribbean region and administered by Cricket West Indies. The players on ...
. Weekes played in 48
Test matches for the West Indies cricket team from 1948 to 1958. He continued to play
first-class cricket
First-class cricket, along with List A cricket and Twenty20 cricket, is one of the highest-standard forms of cricket. A first-class match is one of three or more days' scheduled duration between two sides of eleven players each and is officiall ...
until 1964, surpassing 12,000 first-class runs in his final innings. As a coach he was in charge of the Canadian team at the
1979 Cricket World Cup
The 1979 Cricket World Cup (officially called the Prudential Cup '79) was the second edition of the Cricket World Cup. Organised by the International Cricket Conference, it was held in England from 9 to 23 June 1979.
The tournament was once aga ...
, and he was also a commentator and international match referee.
Youth and early career
Born in a wooden shack on Pickwick Gap in
Westbury,
Saint Michael, Barbados
The parish of St. Michael is one of eleven parishes of Barbados. It has a land area of and is found at the southwest portion of the island. Saint Michael has survived by name as one of the original six parishes created in 1629 by Governor Sir Wil ...
, near
Kensington Oval
The Kensington Oval is a stadium located to the west of the capital city Bridgetown on the island of Barbados. It is the pre-eminent sporting facility on the island and is primarily used for cricket. it has hosted many important and exciting c ...
, Weekes was named by his father after English
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...
team
Everton (when Weekes told English cricketer
Jim Laker
James Charles Laker (9 February 1922 – 23 April 1986) was an English professional cricketer who played for Surrey County Cricket Club from 1946 to 1959 and represented England in 46 Test matches. He was born in Shipley, West Riding of Yo ...
this, Laker reportedly replied "It was a good thing your father wasn't a
West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion Football Club () is an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was formed in 1878 and has pl ...
fan.")
[Walcott p. 14.] Weekes was unaware of the source of DeCourcy, his middle name, although he believed there was a French influence in his family.
Weekes's family was poor and his father was forced to leave his family to work in the
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 ...
oilfields when Weekes was eight. He did not return to Barbados for eleven years.
[Weekes p. 4.] In the absence of his father, Weekes and his sister were raised by his mother Lenore and an aunt, whom Weekes credits with his successful upbringing.
Weekes attended St Leonard's Boys' School, where he later bragged that he never passed an exam (although he would later successfully study Hotel Management) and preferred to concentrate on sport.
[Sandiford, K. (1995) ''Everton DeCourcey Weekes'', Famous Cricketers Series: No 29, Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians, Nottingham. ] In addition to cricket, Weekes was also a keen football player, representing
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 estima ...
. As a boy Weekes assisted the groundsmen at Kensington Oval and often acted as a substitute fielder in exchange for free entry to the cricket, giving himself the opportunity to watch leading international cricketers at close range.
[Walcott p. 20.] At age 13 Weekes began playing for Westshire Cricket Club in the
Barbados Cricket League (BCL). He would have preferred to have played for his local club,
Pickwick, but the club only catered to white players.
[Sandiford (1995) p. 6.]
Weekes left school in 1939, aged 14, and, not having a job, spent his days playing cricket and football. He later attributed much of his cricketing success to this time spent practising. In 1943 Weekes enlisted in the
Barbados Regiment and served as a
lance corporal
Lance corporal is a military rank, used by many armed forces worldwide, and also by some police forces and other uniformed organisations. It is below the rank of corporal, and is typically the lowest non-commissioned officer (NCO), usually equi ...
until his discharge in 1947 and while he never saw active service,
the fact he was in the military meant he was eligible to play cricket for Garrison Sports Club in the higher standard Barbados Cricket Association in addition to Westshire in the BCL.
Early first-class career
Weekes's performances in Barbados club cricket led to his selection in a 1945 trial match to select a first-class side to represent
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 estima ...
on a Goodwill tour of
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...
. Weekes scored 88 and 117 retired and was selected for the tour,
[ making his first-class debut on 24 February 1945, aged 19 years, 364 days, for Barbados against ]Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...
at Queen's Park Oval
The Queen's Park Oval is a sports stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, used mostly for cricket matches. It opened in 1896. Privately owned by the Queen's Park Cricket Club, it is currently the second largest capacity cricket ground in ...
, Port of Spain
Port of Spain ( Spanish: ''Puerto España''), officially the City of Port of Spain (also stylized Port-of-Spain), is the capital of Trinidad and Tobago and the third largest municipality, after Chaguanas and San Fernando. The city has a muni ...
. Batting at number six, he scored 0 and eight as Barbados lost by ten wickets.
Weekes scored his maiden first-class half century in his next match, making 53 as an opener against Trinidad in March 1945 (where he also bowled for the first time in a first class match, conceding 15 runs in four wicketless overs). In his first two first-class seasons Weekes was only a moderate success with the bat, averaging 16.62 by the end of the 1945/46 season[ but began to find form in 1946/47, when, batting at number four, his maiden first-class century, 126 against ]British Guiana
British Guiana was a British colony, part of the mainland British West Indies, which resides on the northern coast of South America. Since 1966 it has been known as the independent nation of Guyana.
The first European to encounter Guiana was ...
at Bourda
Bourda, or officially Georgetown Cricket Club Ground, is a cricket ground in Georgetown, Guyana, used by the Guyanese cricket team for matches with other nations in the Caribbean as well as some Test matches involving the West Indies. The gro ...
, Georgetown, and averaged 67.57 for the season.[ The 1947/48 season included a tour by MCC and Weekes impressed West Indian selectors with an unbeaten 118 against the tourists prior to the first Test in Bridgetown.][
]
The Three Ws
Weekes was one of the "Three Ws", along with Clyde Walcott and Frank Worrell, noted as outstanding batsmen from Barbados who all made their Test
Test(s), testing, or TEST may refer to:
* Test (assessment), an educational assessment intended to measure the respondents' knowledge or other abilities
Arts and entertainment
* ''Test'' (2013 film), an American film
* ''Test'' (2014 film), ...
debut in 1948 against England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
. The three were all born within seventeen months of each other and within a mile of Kensington Oval in Barbados and Walcott believed that the same midwife delivered each of them. Weekes first met Walcott in 1941, aged 16, when they were team mates in a trial match.[Walcott p. vii.] They shared a room together when on tour and, along with Worrell, would go dancing together on Saturday nights after playing cricket.
The name "Three Ws" was coined by an English journalist during the 1950 West Indian tour of England. Walcott believed that Weekes was the best all-round batsman of the three, while Worrell was the best all-rounder and modestly referred to himself as the best wicket keeper of the trio. After their retirement from cricket, the three remained close and, following the death of Worrell in 1967, Weekes acted as one of the pallbearers at his funeral. The 3Ws Oval
The Three Ws Oval (Most commonly styled '3Ws Oval') is a cricket field at the entrance of the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies in Barbados. Mostly known for the sculpture in the shape of three large wickets that stand tall o ...
, situated on the Cave Hill campus of the University of the West Indies
The University of the West Indies (UWI), originally University College of the West Indies, is a public university system established to serve the higher education needs of the residents of 17 English-speaking countries and territories in the ...
was named in their honour, and a monument to the three Ws is opposite the oval. Worrell and Walcott are buried on ground overlooking the oval.
Test career
Weekes made his Test debut for the West Indies against England at Kensington Oval on 21 January 1948, aged 22 years and 329 days. He was one of 12 debutants; seven from the West Indies (the others were Walcott, Robert Christiani
Robert Julian Christiani (19 July 1920 – 4 January 2005) was a West Indian cricketer who played in 22 Tests from 1947–48 to 1953–54. At domestic level he played first-class cricket for British Guiana.
Christiani played his first Test in ...
, Wilfred Ferguson
Wilfred Ferguson (14 December 1917 – 23 February 1961) was a West Indian cricketer who played in eight Tests from 1947-48 to 1953–54. He played first-class cricket for Trinidad from 1943 to 1956.
Career
Ferguson was a leg-spin bowler and h ...
, Berkeley Gaskin
Berkeley Bertram McGarrell Gaskin (21 March 1908 - 2 May 1979) was a West Indian cricketer and administrator who played in two Tests in 1947-48.
Gaskin played first-class cricket as a medium-pace bowler and lower-order batsman for British Guian ...
, John Goddard John Goddard may refer to:
* John Goddard (engraver) (fl. 1645–1671), engraver
*John Goddard (cricketer) (1919–1987), West Indian cricketer
*Johnathan Goddard (1981–2008), American football player
*John Goddard (adventurer)
John Goddard (Ju ...
and Prior Jones) and five for England; Jim Laker
James Charles Laker (9 February 1922 – 23 April 1986) was an English professional cricketer who played for Surrey County Cricket Club from 1946 to 1959 and represented England in 46 Test matches. He was born in Shipley, West Riding of Yo ...
, Maurice Tremlett, Dennis Brookes
Dennis Brookes (29 October 1915 – 9 March 2006) was an English cricketer who played for Northamptonshire between 1934 and 1959 (and as captain between 1954 and 1957). He also played in one Test match for England against West Indies in 1948. ...
, Winston Place and Gerald Smithson
Gerald Arthur Smithson (1 November 1926 – 6 September 1970) was an English cricketer who played in two Tests for England in 1947–48. He was born at Spofforth, West Riding of Yorkshire and died at Abingdon, Oxfordshire.
Life and career
S ...
. Batting at number three, Weekes made 35 and 25 as the match ended in a draw.
Weekes's performance in his next two Tests, in the words of ''Wisden'', "did little to indicate the remarkable feats which lay ahead"[Belson, F. (1951) "Cricketer of the Year – 1951 Everton Weekes", ''Wisden Cricketer's Almanack''] and was initially dropped from the Fourth and final Test of the series against England before an injury to George Headley allowed Weekes to return to the side. After being dropped on 0, Weekes scored 141, his maiden Test century[Sandiford, K. (2004) "Everton Weekes – West Indies' Whirlwind", ''The Journal of the Cricket Society'', vol. 21 no. 4 Spring 2004] and was subsequently chosen for the West Indies tour of India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
, Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
and Ceylon
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
.
In his next Test, the First against India, at Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
, in November 1948 (the first by West Indies in India),[ Weekes scored 128, followed by 194 in the Second Test in ]Bombay
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...
and 162 and 101 in the Third Test in Calcutta
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, commer ...
. Weekes then made 90 in the Fourth Test in Madras
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
, being controversially run out[ and 56 and 48 in the Fifth Test at Bombay. Weekes's five Test centuries in consecutive innings is a Test record, passing the record previously held by Jack Fingleton and ]Alan Melville
Alan Melville (19 May 1910 – 18 April 1983) was a South African cricketer who played in 11 Tests from 1938 to 1949. He was born in Carnarvon, Northern Cape, South Africa and died at Sabie, Transvaal.
Early life and cricket career
Melville wa ...
as was his achievement of seven Test half-centuries in consecutive innings,[ passing the record previously jointly held by Jack Ryder, Patsy Hendren, George Headley and Melville. ( Andy Flower and ]Shivnarine Chanderpaul
Shivnarine "Shiv" Chanderpaul (born 16 August 1974) is a 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 play 100 Tests fo ...
have since equaled Weekes' record of seven half centuries).
By the end of the series, which also included a century against Ceylon, at that time a non-Test cricketing nation, and a half-century against Pakistan in a match not classed as a Test match, Weekes had a Test batting average of 82.46 and had passed 1,000 Test runs in his twelfth innings, one fewer than Donald Bradman
Sir Donald George Bradman, (27 August 1908 – 25 February 2001), nicknamed "The Don", was an Australian international cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time. Bradman's career Test batting average of 99.94 has b ...
. Early in the tour the West Indian team's cricket kit disappeared and Weekes was surprised to see Indian fishermen wearing flannels and West Indian cricket jumpers. As a result of his series, Weekes was named one of the 1949 Indian Cricket "Cricketers of the Year". The next season saw no Test cricket played by West Indies but Weekes scored 236* against British Guiana at Bridgetown, averaged 219.50 for the season and raised his career first-class average to 72.64.
West Indies in England 1950
In 1950 West Indies toured England and Weekes continued his excellent form, scoring 338 runs at 56.33 and playing a significant part in the West Indies 3–1 victory in the Test series, as well as 2310 first-class runs at 79.65 (including five double centuries, a record for a West Indian tour of England).[Sandiford (1995) p. 17.] By the end of the series, Weekes had scored 1,410 Test runs at 74.21 and had enhanced his reputation as one of the finest slip fielders in world cricket, taking 11 catches in the series. Additionally, his 304* against University of Cambridge
, 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 ...
remains the only triple century by a West Indian on tour in England. In recognition of his performance, Weekes was named a 1951 Wisden Cricketer of the Year
The ''Wisden'' Cricketers of the Year are cricketers selected for the honour by the annual publication '' Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'', based primarily on their "influence on the previous English season". The award began in 1889 with the naming ...
.[
]
West Indies in Australia and New Zealand 1951/52
Named as a member of the West Indian team to tour Australia in 1951/52, Weekes was troubled by a range of injuries throughout the tour, including an ongoing thigh injury and a badly bruised right thumb when a door slammed shut on it while he was helping an injured Walcott out of his room, subsequently leaving his performances below expectations.
Additionally, as the leading West Indian batsman, Weekes was targeted by the Australian fast bowlers, in particular Ray Lindwall
Raymond Russell Lindwall (3 October 1921 – 23 June 1996) was a cricketer who represented Australia in 61 Tests from 1946 to 1960. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time. He also played top-flight rugby leag ...
, subjecting him to Bodyline
Bodyline, also known as fast leg theory bowling, was a cricketing tactic devised by the English cricket team for their 1932–33 Ashes tour of Australia. It was designed to combat the extraordinary batting skill of Australia's leading batsman ...
-like tactics of sustained short pitched bowling. Reviewing the series, the ''Sydney Morning Herald
''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper ...
'' claimed that the Australian tactics to contain Weekes may have been just within the laws of cricket but infringed on the spirit of the game. Leading cricket commentator Alan McGilvray
Alan David McGilvray (6 December 190917 July 1996) was an Australian cricketer who played several first-class seasons for New South Wales in the mid-1930s before becoming the doyen of Australian cricket commentators. He became identified as the ...
later wrote "I remain convinced to this day the bumpers hurled at Weekes had a definite influence on charging up West Indian competitiveness in future series." Following the Australian tour, the West Indies visited New Zealand. In a tour match against Wellington
Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by ...
, Weekes kept wicket in the absence of the injured Simpson Guillen and effected the only stumping of his first class career.
India in the West Indies 1952/53
During the Port of Spain Test against India in February 1953, Weekes surpassed George Headley's record of 2190 as West Indies' highest Test run scorer. Weekes would hold this record until June 1966 when surpassed by Gary Sobers.
Australia in the West Indies 1954/55
Weekes took his sole Test wicket in this series. In the First Test at Sabina Park, Kingston, with Australia requiring just 20 runs in their second innings to win the Test, Weekes opened the bowling and had Arthur Morris caught by Glendon Gibbs. The Australians were surprised at the level of racism evident throughout the West Indies at the time, and were embarrassed to find that Weekes, Worrall and Walcott had not been invited to a cocktail party at the home of a white West Indian player.
Other achievements include three centuries in consecutive innings against New Zealand in 1956, and a partnership of 338 with Worrell against England in 1954, still a West Indian record for the third wicket. In 1954 Weekes was chosen as the first tenured black captain of Barbados and the second black captain overall following Herman Griffith's temporary captaincy in 1941.
West Indies in England 1957
Weekes was affected by sinusitis throughout the tour, requiring five operations, and broke a finger in late June. Reporting on the final day of the 1957 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 ...
Test where Weekes had made a rearguard 90 as the West Indies slumped to an innings defeat, ''The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
s cricket correspondent wrote "It had been a day to quicken one's feeling for cricket, glowing with freshness and impulse and friendliness, and it had belong to Weekes."[ Denis Compton said of Weekes following this innings; "In every respect, it was the innings of a genius." During the tour Weekes became only the fourth West Indian to pass 10,000 first-class runs. Weekes was the first West Indian to pass 3,000 Test runs, in 31 Test matches, and the first to score 4,000 Test runs, in 42 Tests.
]
Lancashire League
In 1949 Weekes accepted an offer of £500 to play as the professional for Bacup
Bacup ( , ) is a town in the Rossendale Borough in Lancashire, England, in the South Pennines close to Lancashire's boundaries with West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester. The town is in the Rossendale Valley and the upper Irwell Valley, east of ...
in the Lancashire League. When he first arrived in Bacup, Weekes was greatly affected by the cold and took to wearing an army great coat everywhere, to the extent it became part of his League image.[Edmundson p. 69.] His homesickness for Barbados was tempered by his landlady's potato pies and the presence of Worrell and Walcott, who were playing for League clubs Radcliffe
Radcliffe or Radcliff may refer to:
Places
* Radcliffe Line, a border between India and Pakistan
United Kingdom
* Radcliffe, Greater Manchester
** Radcliffe Tower, the remains of a medieval manor house in the town
** Radcliffe tram stop
* ...
and Enfield
Enfield may refer to:
Places Australia
* Enfield, New South Wales
* Enfield, South Australia
** Electoral district of Enfield, a state electoral district in South Australia, corresponding to the suburb
** Enfield High School (South Australia)
...
respectively. The three Ws would regularly meet at Weekes's house midweek for an evening of piano playing and jazz singing.[Edmundson p. 71.]
In all, Weekes played seven seasons in the Lancashire League between 1949 and 1958, passing 1000 runs in each. His 1,518 runs scored in 1951 is still the club record and for 40 years was the League record, until broken by Peter Sleep
Peter Raymond Sleep (born 4 May 1957) is a former Australian cricketer who played 14 Test matches for Australia between 1979 and 1990.
Nicknamed "Sounda", Sleep made his national debut during the World Series Cricket period, and although hi ...
. Weekes scored a total of 9,069 runs for Bacup at 91.61, with 25 centuries, including 195* against Enfield
Enfield may refer to:
Places Australia
* Enfield, New South Wales
* Enfield, South Australia
** Electoral district of Enfield, a state electoral district in South Australia, corresponding to the suburb
** Enfield High School (South Australia)
...
, a score that remains a League record, as does his 1954 batting average of 158.25. Weekes also had success with the ball, taking at least fifty wickets in all but one season at Bacup, including 80 wickets in 1956.
During the 1954 season he also played for neighbouring Central Lancashire League club Walsden as sub professional in the Wood Cup Final. His 150 runs and 9 wickets helped the village club to their first trophy in the seventy years since they became founder members of the CLL. Weekes's performances were a significant contribution to League crowds, with over 325,000 spectators attending Lancashire League matches in 1949, a record as yet unsurpassed. He also played up for the crowds; batting in a match against Rawtenstall Cricket Club
Rawtenstall Cricket Club is a cricket club in the Lancashire League, which plays its home games at the Worswick Memorial Ground in Rawtenstall. For the 2016 season its captain is Keith Roscoe the club was unable to get a professional as Brett Pe ...
, Weekes waited until a ball had passed him before taking his left hand off his bat and hitting the ball around his back through square leg for four.
Style
Weekes had a classic batting style, possessed a variety of shots on both sides of the wicket, and is considered one of the hardest hitters in cricket history.[Armstrong p. 122.] ''The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'' described him as lightly bow-legged, with a wonderful eye, wrists the envy of any batsman, and feet always in the right place to play a shot,[Our Cricket Correspondent, "Weekes and West Indies earn Honour in Defeat", ''The Times'', 24 June 1957.] and Richie Benaud
Richard Benaud (; 6 October 1930 – 10 April 2015) was an Australian cricketer who, after his retirement from international cricket in 1964, became a highly regarded commentator on the game.
Benaud was a Test cricket all-rounder, blending l ...
stated that many Australians who saw Weekes in action said he was the closest batsman in style to the pre-World War II Donald Bradman
Sir Donald George Bradman, (27 August 1908 – 25 February 2001), nicknamed "The Don", was an Australian international cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time. Bradman's career Test batting average of 99.94 has b ...
. He was also compared to Bradman in his ability to keep the scoreboard moving and in using his feet to come down the pitch to slower bowlers.[Walcott p. 21.] Additionally, Weekes was an excellent fielder, initially in the covers before moving into the slips, and produced a training manual entitled ''Aspects of Fielding''.
Retirement and post-cricketing career
Weekes retired from Test cricket in 1958 due to a persistent thigh injury but continued in first-class cricket until 1964, his final first-class match being against Trinidad and Tobago in Port-of-Spain, scoring 19 and 13. Weekes passed 12,000 first-class runs in his final innings, becoming only the third West Indian, after Worrell and Roy Marshall
Roy Edwin Marshall (25 April 1930 – 27 October 1992) was a West Indian cricketer who played in four Tests from 1951 to 1952. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1959.
Early career
The son of a wealthy plantation owner, Marshall was bo ...
, to do so.
Post-retirement, Weekes would make occasional appearances in charity and exhibition matches, including for the International Cavaliers.[Bailey (1968) p. 52.] In one 1967 match, aged 42, Weekes, out of practice and in borrowed gear, dominated a bowling attack half his age. Weekes also participated in a Cavaliers tour of Rhodesia
Rhodesia (, ), officially from 1970 the Republic of Rhodesia, was an unrecognised state in Southern Africa from 1965 to 1979, equivalent in territory to modern Zimbabwe. Rhodesia was the ''de facto'' successor state to the British colony of S ...
in the early 1960s, where he was the focus of racial discrimination, including having a match against a Bulawayo
Bulawayo (, ; Ndebele: ''Bulawayo'') is the second largest city in Zimbabwe, and the largest city in the country's Matabeleland region. The city's population is disputed; the 2022 census listed it at 665,940, while the Bulawayo City Council cl ...
side moved to a substandard ground in a black area due to a local bylaw banning blacks from playing in a white area. Feeling humiliated, Weekes and fellow West Indian Rohan Kanhai
Rohan Babulal Kanhai (born 26 December 1935) is a Guyanese former cricketer of Tamil Indo-Guyanese origin , who represented the West Indies in 79 Test matches. He is widely considered to be one of the best batsmen of the 1960s. Kanhai featur ...
threatened to abandon the tour but remained following an apology from Rhodesian government officials.
While Weekes was never coached as a young player, he was appointed a Barbados Government Sports Officer in 1958 and found great success as a coach, encouraging young players to obey their instincts and develop their own style. Such was his success, Weekes was appointed coach of the Canadian side at the 1979 Cricket World Cup
The 1979 Cricket World Cup (officially called the Prudential Cup '79) was the second edition of the Cricket World Cup. Organised by the International Cricket Conference, it was held in England from 9 to 23 June 1979.
The tournament was once aga ...
. Additionally, Weekes served on the executive of the Barbados Cricket Association
The Barbados Cricket Association is the ruling body for cricket in Barbados. The BCA was established in 1933 by an Act of Parliament to replace the Barbados Cricket Challenge Cup Committee, which had administered Barbadian cricket since its format ...
for many years and helped develop many leading Barbadian players, including Conrad Hunte
Sir Conrad Cleophas Hunte, KA (9 May 1932 – 3 December 1999) was a Barbadian cricketer. Hunte played 44 Test matches as an opening batsman for the West Indies.
Early life and career
Hunte was born in rural St Andrew Parish in the ...
and Seymour Nurse
Seymour MacDonald Nurse (10 November 1933 6 May 2019) was a Barbadian cricketer. Nurse played 29 Test matches for the West Indies between 1960 and 1969. A powerfully built right-hand batsman and an aggressive, if somewhat impetuous, shotmaker, ...
, both deeply influenced by Weekes. Weekes also found time to work as a television and radio cricket commentator, known for his acerbic wit and deep knowledge of the game and began to play Dominoes
Dominoes is a family of tile-based games played with gaming pieces, commonly known as dominoes. Each domino is a rectangular tile, usually with a line dividing its face into two square ''ends''. Each end is marked with a number of spots (also ca ...
and Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
competitively, representing Barbados in regional Bridge championships. ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' referred to his style as "aggressive".
In 1994 Weekes was appointed as an International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is the world governing body of cricket. Headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, its members are List of International Cricket Council members, 108 national associations, with 12 List of Internation ...
match referee, refereeing in four Tests and three One Day International
A One Day International (ODI) is a form of limited overs cricket, played between two teams with international status, in which each team faces a fixed number of overs, currently 50, with the game lasting up to 9 hours. The Cricket World C ...
s. Weekes published his memoirs ''Mastering the Craft: Ten years of Weekes, 1948 to 1958'' in December 2007, when it was announced that the book will be included in the curriculum of the Caribbean Civilisation Foundation course at the University of the West Indies. Outside of cricket, Weekes became a Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...
and served on a number of Barbados Government bodies, including the Police Service Commission. Weekes' cousin Kenneth Weekes and son David Murray also played Test cricket for the West Indies, while his grandson Ricky Hoyte
Ricky Hoyte (born 15 October 1969) is a former West Indian cricketer. He was a left-handed batsman and a wicket-keeper. He played first-class and List A cricket for Barbados in West Indian domestic cricket from 1990 to 1999. He didn't play Test c ...
played first-class cricket for Barbados and his nephew Donald Weekes played one first-class match for Sussex
Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English ...
.
In June 2019, Weekes was placed in intensive care, after suffering a heart attack in Barbados. On 1 July 2020, he died at the age of 95 in Christ Church.
Honours and legacy
Following the end of his cricketing career, Weekes received a range of distinctions, including being made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
(OBE), the Barbados Gold Crown of Merit
The Order of Barbados is a national Order of honours and decorations for Barbados.
History
The first Order of Barbados was instituted by Queen Elizabeth II by letters patent dated 25 July 1980. With Barbados becoming a republic on 30 November ...
(GCM) and in 1995 Weekes was made a Knight
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...
of the Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, George III, King George III.
...
(KCMG) for his services to cricket. For the 2000 edition of ''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'', Weekes was asked to be a member of the 100 strong electorate to select the Five Cricketers of the 20th Century. All voters were allowed to nominate five players and while there was no disclosure of which five each voter chose, ''Wisden'' editor Matthew Engel
Matthew Lewis Engel (born 11 June 1951) is a British writer, journalist and editor.
Early life and education
Engel was born in Northampton, son of solicitor Max David Engel (1912-2005) and Betty Ruth (née Lesser). His grandfather had escaped anti ...
revealed that Weekes voted for Dennis Lillee
Dennis Keith Lillee, (born 18 July 1949) is Australian retired cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation". and, as Sir Donald Bradman
Sir Donald George Bradman, (27 August 1908 – 25 February 2001), nicknamed "The Don", was an Australian international cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time. Bradman's career Test batting average of 99.94 has b ...
received 100 votes, it is obvious Weekes voted for Bradman as well.
The former Prime Minister of Barbados
The prime minister of Barbados is the head of government of Barbados. The prime minister is appointed by the President of Barbados, president under the terms of the Constitution of Barbados, Constitution. As the nominal holder of executive aut ...
Owen Arthur
Owen Seymour Arthur, PC (17 October 194927 July 2020) was a Barbadian politician who served as the fifth prime minister of Barbados from 6 September 1994 to 15 January 2008. He is the longest-serving Barbadian prime minister to date. He also ...
paid tribute to Weekes for his role in bringing social change to Barbados and the Caribbean, stating "Through his excellence on the cricket field, Sir Everton helped in a fundamental way to change Barbados for the better, forever, by proving that true excellence cannot be constrained by social barriers." In addition to the 3Ws Oval, Weekes has been honoured throughout Barbados, including having a roundabout in Warrens, St. Michael named after him. In January 2009 Weekes was one of 55 players inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame
The ICC Cricket Hall of Fame recognises "the achievements of the legends of the game from cricket's long and illustrious history". It was launched by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in Dubai on 2 January 2009, in association with the Fed ...
and will choose new inductees to the Hall of Fame.
Weekes had a Test batting average of nearly 97.92 in innings immediately after those in which he scored a hundred, the second highest (after Vijay Hazare
Vijay Samuel Hazare (11 March 1915 – 18 December 2004) was an Indian cricketer. He captained India in 14 matches between 1951 and 1953. In India's 25th Test match, nearly 20 years after India achieved Test status, he led India to its first ...
) for those who had scored five Test centuries. As of 2 July 2020, Weekes' career Test batting average of 58.61 is the ninth highest of all players with 30 or more innings. An oddity of his career was the first innings bias averaging 71.44 compared with 36.64 in the second, and only one of his fifteen tons came in the second innings.
Records
* Fastest in world to reach 1000 Test runs (shares the record with Herbert Sutcliffe
Herbert Sutcliffe (24 November 1894 – 22 January 1978) was an English professional cricketer who represented Yorkshire and England as an opening batsman. Apart from one match in 1945, his first-class career spanned the period between the tw ...
) by achieving the feat in the 12th innings of his career.
* The only cricketer in history to have scored five successive Test centuries.
Notes
References
* Armstrong, G. (2006) ''The Greatest 100 Cricketers'', New Holland: Sydney. .
* Bailey, T. (1968) ''The Greatest of My Time'', Eyre & Spottiswoode: London. SBN 41326910.
* Beckles, H. (1998) ''The Development of West Indian Cricket'', Pluto Press .
* Belson, F. (1951) "Cricketer of the Year – 1951 Everton Weekes", ''Wisden Cricketer's Almanack''.
* Dyde, B. (1992) ''Caribbean Companion: The A-Z Reference'', MacMillan Press, .
* Edmundson, D. (1992) ''See the Conquering Hero: The Story of the Lancashire League 1892–1992'', Mike McLeod Litho Limited, Accrington. .
* McGilvray, A. (1989) ''Alan McGilvray's Backpage of Cricket'', Lester Townsend Publishing, Paddington.
* Majumdar, B. & Mangan, J. (2003) ''Cricketing Cultures in Conflict: World Cup 2003'', Routledge. .
* Sandiford, K. (1995) ''Everton DeCourcey Weekes'', Famous Cricketers Series: No 29, Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians, Nottingham. .
* Sandiford, K. (1998) ''Cricket Nurseries of Colonial Barbados: The Elite Schools, 1865–1966'', Press University of the West Indies, .
* Sobers, G. (2002) ''My Autobiography'', Headline, London. .
* Walcott, C. (1999) ''Sixty Years on the Back Foot'', Orion, London. .
* Weekes, E. (2007) ''Mastering the Craft: Ten Years of Weekes 1948 to 1958'', Universities of the Caribbean Press Inc, Barbados. .
External links
*
* Obituary o
Cricbuzz
{{DEFAULTSORT:Weekes, Everton
1925 births
2020 deaths
West Indies Test cricketers
Barbadian cricketers
West Indian cricketers of 1945–46 to 1969–70
Barbados cricketers
Barbadian knights
Afro-Barbadian
Commonwealth XI cricketers
International Cavaliers cricketers
Wisden Cricketers of the Year
Cricket players and officials awarded knighthoods
Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
Officers of the Order of the British Empire
Cricket match referees
British Army personnel of World War II