Simpson Clairmonte "Sammy" Guillen (24 September 1924 – 1 March 2013) was one of the few men to have played Test cricket for two countries. He played five

Test matches Test match in some sports refers to a sporting contest between national representative teams and may refer to: * Test cricket * Test match (indoor cricket) * Test match (rugby union) * Test match (rugby league) * Test match (association football) ...

for the West Indies and three for New Zealand in the 1950s, including New Zealand team's first victory, over the West Indies. He sealed the win by

stumping Stumped is a method of dismissing a batsman in cricket, which involves the wicket-keeper putting down the wicket while the batsman is out of his ground. (The batsman leaves his ground when he has moved down the pitch beyond the popping crease ...

Alf Valentine in what was his final Test.

Life

Born 24 September 1924 at

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 municip ...

, Trinidad and Tobago, Guillen came from a family of cricketers which include:

Victor Guillen Victor Guillen (1892 – 23 July 1968) was a Trinidadian cricket umpire. He stood in two Test matches between 1935 and 1948. He also played in one first-class match for Trinidad and Tobago in 1921/22. See also * List of Test cricket umpire ...

(Simpson's father, a Test umpire in the West Indies), Noel Guillen (Simpson's brother, whom the Queen's Park Oval's outdoor practice nets are named after), Jeffrey Guillen (a well-known real estate mogul who played cricket competitively throughout his teens and well into his 30s; Noel's son), Charles Guillen (a former player who played a major factor in the coaching of West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo) and

Justin Guillen Justin Christopher Guillen (born January 2, 1986) is a West Indian cricketer who plays for the Trinidad and Tobago national cricket team. He made his debut for the side in the 2008 Stanford Super Series, and has since played over fifteen first-cla ...

, an all-rounder for Trinidad and Tobago. His grandson Logan van Beek plays for the Canterbury Wizards in cricket and for the

Christchurch Cougars The Christchurch Cougars were a New Zealand basketball team based in Christchurch. The Cougars competed in the National Basketball League (NBL) and played their home games at Cowles Stadium. The Cougars pulled out of the NBL in 2011 after just ...

in the NBL. Internationally, he represents the Netherlands in cricket. Simpson resided in Christchurch with his wife Val Guillen, a former wicketkeeper for the province of Canterbury women's team. In 2004 he published his memoirs, ''Calypso Kiwi''. On the death of Colin Snedden on 24 April 2011, Guillen became the oldest surviving New Zealand Test cricketer; he was also the second-oldest surviving West Indian Test cricketer. He died at Christchurch on 1 March 2013.ESPNCricinfo Sammy Guillen dies aged 88
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Soccer career

Guillen held the further rare distinction of also playing in the final of New Zealand's premier association football competition, the Chatham Cup, gaining a runners-up medal for Western AFC in

1954 Events January * January 1 – The Soviet Union ceases to demand war reparations from West Germany. * January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting. * January 7 – Georgetown-IBM experiment: The fir ...

. Unsurprisingly for a wicket-keeper, his position in the Western side was goalkeeper.

References

External links

*
Obituary
by Bryan Davis {{DEFAULTSORT:Guillen, Sammy 1924 births 2013 deaths Canterbury cricketers Dual international cricketers New Zealand Test cricketers New Zealand cricketers Trinidad and Tobago cricketers West Indies Test cricketers Cricketers from Port of Spain New Zealand people of Caribbean descent Trinidad and Tobago emigrants to New Zealand Wicket-keepers