Frank Odel Mason (26 July 1926 – 8 May 2012) was a Vincentian cricketer who played for the

Windward Islands french: Îles du Vent , image_name = , image_caption = ''Political'' Windward Islands. Clockwise: Dominica, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada. , image_alt = , locator_map = , location = Caribbean SeaNorth ...

and Combined Islands in West Indian domestic cricket. He played as a right-arm

fast bowler Fast bowling (also referred to as pace bowling) is one of two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket, the other being spin bowling. Practitioners of pace bowling are usually known as ''fast'' bowlers, ''quicks'', or ''pacemen''. T ...

. Mason made his senior debut for the Windward Islands in March 1954, against the touring English team. He also appeared against the touring Australians the following season, although the team's matches at that time did not have first-class status. In December 1959, Mason was selected to captain the Windwards in the team's inaugural first-class match, against England. He opened the bowling with Theo Redhead in the match, and thus had the distinction of bowling the team's first over. Mason also captained the Windwards in their next first-class fixture, against another English team (organised by E. W. Swanton) in March 1961. His third and final first-class appearance came for the Combined Islands, against the touring Indians in April 1962. Aged 35, Mason took career-best figures in the Indians' first innings (5/32 from 13.5 overs), and finished with eight wickets for the match. His victims included four top-order batsmen – Vijay Mehra, Motganhalli Jaisimha,

Dilip Sardesai Dilip Narayan Sardesai (; 8 August 1940 – 2 July 2007) was an Indian international cricketer. He played Tests for the Indian national team as a batsman, the first Goa-born cricketer to play for India, and was often regarded as one of India' ...

, and the

Nawab of Pataudi The term Nawab of Pataudi refers to the lineage of rulers of the former princely Pataudi State in Northern India. Pataudi was established in 1804 by the British East India Company, when Faiz Talab Khan, an Afghan Muslim Pashtun of the Barech tri ...

(India's captain). After retiring from playing, Mason remained involved in cricket as an

umpire An umpire is an official in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The term derives from the Old French nonper, ''non'', "not" and ''per'', ...

, and also refereed football. He worked as a policeman and as a prison officer, eventually being appointed St. Vincent's superintendent of prisons. Mason died in May 2012, aged 85."A Brief History of Frank Odel Mason"
Retrieved 25 February 2016.

References

External links

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CricketArchive
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ESPNcricinfo
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mason, Frank 1926 births 2012 deaths Combined Islands cricketers Saint Vincent and the Grenadines cricketers Windward Islands cricketers People from Saint Patrick Parish, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines