Andy Ganteaume
Encyclopedia
Andrew Gordon Ganteaume (born January 22, 1921) is a West Indian former cricketer
who played as an opening batsman and occasional wicketkeeper. He was born in Belmont, Port of Spain
, Trinidad and Tobago
. He is noteworthy for scoring 112 in his only Test
innings, against England
at Port of Spain in 1947/48, which gives him a higher batting average
than Donald Bradman
, who is universally considered the greatest batsman in the game's history. However, lists of all-time averages rarely include those who have played fewer than 20 innings.
There are several possible reasons why this proved to be his only Test innings. He was selected because several players were injured and these players soon returned. The West Indies had a strong batting line up during his prime with Frank Worrell
, Clyde Walcott
and Everton Weekes
dominating the middle order. Jeff Stollmeyer
, who missed the match with a pulled hamstring, wrote: "Andy's innings in its later stages was not in keeping with the state of the game and his captain Gerry Gomez
was forced to send a message out to him to 'get on with it'." The game was drawn and perhaps Ganteaume took the blame in the eyes of the selectors.
In the West Indian domestic game, Ganteaume played first-class cricket
for Trinidad
from 1940/41 until 1957/58, hitting five centuries in all, although his batting declined in effectiveness after 1950/51. Nevertheless he was chosen for the 1957 party for England, and in fact played 19 of his 50 first-class matches on this tour. As the second or even third wicket-keeper, he did not make it into the Test side, however, with Gerry Alexander
as the first choice and young Rohan Kanhai
the challenger, and after his return played only two more first-class games: one against the touring Pakistanis
in 1957/58, and a final match - at the age of 42 - for the renamed Trinidad and Tobago
side five years later.
Ganteaume acted as match referee
in a Red Stripe Cup game between Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana
in 1996/97.
Cricketer
A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
who played as an opening batsman and occasional wicketkeeper. He was born in Belmont, Port of Spain
Port of Spain
Port of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population...
, Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
. He is noteworthy for scoring 112 in his only Test
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
innings, against England
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
at Port of Spain in 1947/48, which gives him a higher batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
than Donald Bradman
Donald Bradman
Sir Donald George Bradman, AC , often referred to as "The Don", was an Australian cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time...
, who is universally considered the greatest batsman in the game's history. However, lists of all-time averages rarely include those who have played fewer than 20 innings.
There are several possible reasons why this proved to be his only Test innings. He was selected because several players were injured and these players soon returned. The West Indies had a strong batting line up during his prime with Frank Worrell
Frank Worrell
Sir Frank Mortimer Maglinne Worrell is sometimes referred to by his nickname of Tae and was a West Indies cricketer and Jamaican senator...
, Clyde Walcott
Clyde Walcott
Sir Clyde Leopold Walcott, KA, GCM was a West Indian cricketer. Walcott was a member of the "three W's", the other two being Everton Weekes and Frank Worrell: all were very successful batsmen from Barbados, born within a short distance of each other in Bridgetown, Barbados in a period of 18...
and Everton Weekes
Everton Weekes
Sir Everton DeCourcy Weekes, KCMG, GCM, OBE is a leading former West Indian cricketer. Along with Frank Worrell and Clyde Walcott, he formed what was known as "The Three Ws" of West Indian cricket.-Youth and early career:...
dominating the middle order. Jeff Stollmeyer
Jeff Stollmeyer
Jeffrey Baxter Stollmeyer was a Trinidad and Tobago cricketer and footballer. He played 32 Tests for the West Indies, captaining 13 of these....
, who missed the match with a pulled hamstring, wrote: "Andy's innings in its later stages was not in keeping with the state of the game and his captain Gerry Gomez
Gerry Gomez
Gerry Ethridge Gomez was a West Indian cricketer who played 29 Tests for the West Indies between 1939 and 1954, scoring 1,243 runs and taking 58 wickets. He captained in one match for the West Indies when England toured in 1947/8.Gomez was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad...
was forced to send a message out to him to 'get on with it'." The game was drawn and perhaps Ganteaume took the blame in the eyes of the selectors.
In the West Indian domestic game, Ganteaume played first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
for Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
from 1940/41 until 1957/58, hitting five centuries in all, although his batting declined in effectiveness after 1950/51. Nevertheless he was chosen for the 1957 party for England, and in fact played 19 of his 50 first-class matches on this tour. As the second or even third wicket-keeper, he did not make it into the Test side, however, with Gerry Alexander
Gerry Alexander
Franz Copeland Murray "Gerry" Alexander was a Jamaican cricketer who played 25 Tests for the West Indies...
as the first choice and young Rohan Kanhai
Rohan Kanhai
Rohan Bholalall Kanhai is a former West Indian Cricket player of Indo-Guyanese descent. He is widely considered as one of the best batsmen of the 1960s. Kanhai featured in several great West Indian teams, playing with, among others, Sir Garfield Sobers, Roy Fredericks, Lance Gibbs, and Alvin...
the challenger, and after his return played only two more first-class games: one against the touring Pakistanis
Pakistani cricket team
The Pakistan cricket team is the national cricket team of Pakistan. Pakistan, represented by the Pakistan Cricket Board , is a full member of the International Cricket Council, and thus participates in , and cricket matches....
in 1957/58, and a final match - at the age of 42 - for the renamed Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
side five years later.
Ganteaume acted as match referee
Match referee
A match referee is an official appointed to oversee professional cricket matches. Match referees for Test matches and One Day Internationals are appointed by the International Cricket Council...
in a Red Stripe Cup game between Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
in 1996/97.