English cricket team in West Indies in 1934-35
Encyclopedia
The English cricket team in the West Indies in 1934-35 was a cricket touring party sent to the West Indies under the auspices of the MCC
for a tour lasting for two-and-a-half months in 1934-35. The team played four Test matches
against the West Indies
, winning one match but losing two – the first series defeat of an England
side by the West Indies.
The team comprised 14 players, but less than half of them were regular Test players. It "could scarcely be regarded as representative of the full strength of England", Wisden
reported in its 1936 edition coverage of the tour. By contrast, the West Indies side had developed since its disappointing tour of England in 1933. In Martindale, Constantine and Hylton it had a trio of high-class fast bowlers, and Jackie Grant was an experienced captain not given to the eccentricities that the England captain Wyatt inflicted on his team.
Of the 14, only six had appeared in the Test matches against the Australians
in the previous English cricket season. These six were Wyatt, Ames, Farnes, Hammond, Hendren and Leyland. Harbord had not played any first-class cricket in 1934 and only a dozen matches in the previous five years, Townsend did not play for a first-class county side, though he had had some success for Oxford University
, and Farrimond was Lancashire
's second-choice wicketkeeper, though he had played Test cricket in South Africa in 1930-31. In the event, Harbord and Farrimond played only four matches each on the tour.
lost two of the three Test matches by an innings, and won only five first-class matches across a hot and sunny summer. The tour was disappointing: "The team did not play as well as we in this country had been led to believe they would," wrote Wisden in a critical report. Exceptions to the criticism of the team included captain Jackie Grant
, batsman George Headley
, who had averaged 66 runs per innings in making 2320 first-class runs in the season, and fast bowler Manny Martindale
, who took 103 wickets at less than 21 runs apiece.
The 1933 experience may have led the MCC to underestimate the West Indies side it would face in the Caribbean. In addition, the previous Test-playing tour to the West Indies in 1929-30 had seen a very unsettled home side, with each community selecting the team for its Test match and little continuity in the side.
By contrast, the 1934-35 West Indies side had a stable core of seven or eight players who played in all or most of the Tests. Grant remained as an experienced captain; Headley led the batting; Martindale was joined by a second fast bowler in Leslie Hylton
and backed up by Learie Constantine
, who had been available for only a few matches on the 1933 tour because of a Lancashire League commitment.
, Trinidad
, British Guiana
, and Jamaica
. The Tests were each scheduled for four days.
First Test at Kensington Oval
West Indies (102 and 51 for six declared) lost to England (81 for seven declared and 75 for six) by four wickets. Rain was the principal factor in a low-scoring match on a treacherous surface. Wyatt put the West Indies in on a rain-affected pitch and Farnes took four wickets for 15 runs as half the side were out for 31. George Headley
rallied the team with 44 before being run out, but Paine and Hollies finished the innings off. England in turn collapsed to 81 for five by the end of the first day. Overnight rain then saturated the wicket to such an extent that play could not resume until after tea on the second day, and then, after Leslie Hylton
took two wickets in the first over, Wyatt declared 21 runs behind. West Indies captain Jackie Grant
shuffled his batting order in the hope the pitch would ease, but three wickets fell for four runs before Hylton and Cyril Christiani
played out time on the second day. A further overnight deluge made play impossible until 3.30 on the third day. West Indies then lost three more wickets in adding 18 runs and Grant declared, setting England just 73 to win. Wyatt also rejigged his batting order with the aim that his tail-enders might blunt the West Indies attack. The move did not work, but Hammond with an unbeaten 29 and Hendren with 20 saw England through to victory. Manny Martindale
took five second innings wickets for 22 runs.
Second Test at Queen's Park Oval
West Indies (302 and 280 for six declared) beat England (258 and 107) by 217 runs. Wyatt again won the toss and put the West Indies in, but innings of 92 from Derek Sealy
and of 90 from Learie Constantine
led to a respectable total. England lost their first five wickets for 23 runs to the West Indies fast bowlers. Hendren and Iddon put on 71, then Iddon and Holmes made 74 together, and Holmes, who made 85, put on 62 with Farrimond. West Indies' second innings was a determined effort with 93 from Headley and contributions from almost all the other batsmen. England were set 325 to win and Wyatt – in what Wisden termed an "amazing and inexplicable course" – all but reversed the batting order. Five wickets fell before tea on the last day and the innings was over with one ball of the day remaining with Leyland and Holmes the last pair.
Third Test at Bourda
England (226 and 160 for six declared) drew with the West Indies (184 and 104 for five). Wyatt won the toss again and batted after a start delayed by rain. Subdued batting, in which Paine, sent in as nightwatchman
top-scored with 49, meant that the total only reached 198 by tea on the second day. An England collapse followed, but West Indies also batted slowly, with the exception of Headley. Hollies took seven wickets for 50 runs. England, with 71 from the captain, failed to force the pace in the second innings and the declaration left West Indies just two hours to make 203. When early wickets fell, the attempt was given up.
Fourth Test at Sabina Park
West Indies (535 for seven declared) beat England (271 and 103) by an innings and 161 runs. West Indies set a record for their highest Test score against England and Headley's 270 not out was the highest individual score for the West Indies. Headley shared partnerships of 202 with Sealy for the third wicket and of 147 for the seventh wicket with Rolph Grant
. When England batted, Martindale inflicted a compound fracture of the jaw on Wyatt and four other wickets fell for 26 runs. Ames, with 126, turned the innings around with Iddon, who made 54, but England followed on 264 behind. Against Martindale and Constantine, there was limited resistance and the match ended soon after lunch on the fourth day.
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
for a tour lasting for two-and-a-half months in 1934-35. The team played four Test matches
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...
against the West Indies
West Indian cricket team
The West Indian cricket team, also known colloquially as the West Indies or the Windies, is a multi-national cricket team representing a sporting confederation of 15 mainly English-speaking Caribbean countries, British dependencies and non-British dependencies.From the mid 1970s to the early 1990s,...
, winning one match but losing two – the first series defeat of an 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...
side by the West Indies.
The team comprised 14 players, but less than half of them were regular Test players. It "could scarcely be regarded as representative of the full strength of England", Wisden
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
reported in its 1936 edition coverage of the tour. By contrast, the West Indies side had developed since its disappointing tour of England in 1933. In Martindale, Constantine and Hylton it had a trio of high-class fast bowlers, and Jackie Grant was an experienced captain not given to the eccentricities that the England captain Wyatt inflicted on his team.
The touring party
The team consisted of 14 players, including two wicketkeepers. The party was:- Bob WyattBob WyattRobert "Bob" Elliott Storey Wyatt was an English cricket player. He played for Warwickshire, Worcestershire, and the English cricket team....
, captain - Errol HolmesErrol HolmesErrol Reginald Thorold Holmes, born at Calcutta on 21 August 1905 and died in London on 16 August 1960, was a cricketer who played for Oxford University, Surrey and England....
, vice-captain - Leslie Ames, wicketkeeper
- Ken FarnesKen FarnesKenneth Farnes was an English cricketer. He played in 15 Tests from 1934 to 1939.Farnes was born in Leytonstone, Essex, and was educated at the Royal Liberty School in Gidea Park. He made his first-class debut for Essex in 1930, aged only 19. He took 5-36 in his second county match against Kent...
- Bill FarrimondBill FarrimondWilliam Farrimond was an English cricketer who played in four Tests from 1931 to 1935....
, wicketkeeper - Walter Hammond
- William HarbordWilliam Harbord (cricketer)William Edward Harbord played first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club as an amateur player between 1929 and 1935. He also played once for Oxford University in 1930 and for the MCC in 1934 and 1935...
- Patsy HendrenPatsy HendrenElias Henry Hendren better known as Patsy Hendren was an English cricketer. Patsy was one of the most prolific English batsmen of the period between the wars, averaging 47.63 in his 51 Test matches...
- Eric HolliesEric HolliesWilliam Eric Hollies was an English cricketer, who is mainly remembered for taking the wicket of Donald Bradman for a duck in Bradman's final Test match innings, in which only four was needed for a Test average of 100...
- Jack IddonJack IddonJohn Iddon was an English cricketer who played in five Tests in 1935....
- Maurice LeylandMaurice LeylandMaurice Leyland , christened 'Morris Leyland', was an English cricketer who played 41 Test matches between 1928 and 1938 and proved himself one of the best left-handers of his generation....
- George PaineGeorge PaineGeorge Alfred Edward Paine was an English cricketer who played in four Test matches in 1934-35....
- Jim SmithJim Smith (cricketer)Cedric Ivan James Smith was an English cricketer who played in 5 Tests from 1935 to 1937....
- David Townsend
Of the 14, only six had appeared in the Test matches against the Australians
Australian cricket team in England in 1934
Australia won the 1934 Ashes series against England, winning two of the matches and losing one, with the other two tests drawn. The Australian tourists were captained by Bill Woodfull, while the home side were led by Bob Wyatt, with Cyril Walters deputising for Wyatt in the first Test.In the second...
in the previous English cricket season. These six were Wyatt, Ames, Farnes, Hammond, Hendren and Leyland. Harbord had not played any first-class cricket in 1934 and only a dozen matches in the previous five years, Townsend did not play for a first-class county side, though he had had some success for Oxford University
Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...
, and Farrimond was Lancashire
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
's second-choice wicketkeeper, though he had played Test cricket in South Africa in 1930-31. In the event, Harbord and Farrimond played only four matches each on the tour.
The West Indies team
The 1933 West Indies team in EnglandWest Indian cricket team in England in 1933
The West Indies cricket team toured England in 1933, playing three Test matches, losing two of them and drawing the other. In all, the side played 30 first-class matches, winning only five and losing nine....
lost two of the three Test matches by an innings, and won only five first-class matches across a hot and sunny summer. The tour was disappointing: "The team did not play as well as we in this country had been led to believe they would," wrote Wisden in a critical report. Exceptions to the criticism of the team included captain Jackie Grant
Jackie Grant
George Copeland Grant was a West Indian cricketer who captained the side through several series.Grant was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. He captained the West Indies' team in the 1930-31, 1933, 1934-35 series...
, batsman George Headley
George Headley
George Alphonso Headley was a West Indian cricketer who played 22 Test matches, mostly before the Second World War. Considered one of the best batsmen to play for West Indies and one of the greatest cricketers of all time, Headley also represented Jamaica and played professional club cricket in...
, who had averaged 66 runs per innings in making 2320 first-class runs in the season, and fast bowler Manny Martindale
Manny Martindale
Emmanuel Alfred Martindale was a West Indian cricketer who played in ten Tests from 1933 to 1939. He was a right-arm fast bowler and a lower-order right-handed batsman....
, who took 103 wickets at less than 21 runs apiece.
The 1933 experience may have led the MCC to underestimate the West Indies side it would face in the Caribbean. In addition, the previous Test-playing tour to the West Indies in 1929-30 had seen a very unsettled home side, with each community selecting the team for its Test match and little continuity in the side.
By contrast, the 1934-35 West Indies side had a stable core of seven or eight players who played in all or most of the Tests. Grant remained as an experienced captain; Headley led the batting; Martindale was joined by a second fast bowler in Leslie Hylton
Leslie Hylton
Leslie George Hylton was a West Indian cricketer, a fast bowler who played in six Test matches between 1935 and 1939 for the West Indies...
and backed up by Learie Constantine
Learie Constantine
Learie Nicholas Constantine, Baron Constantine MBE was a West Indian cricketer who played 18 Test matches before the Second World War. He took West Indies' first wicket in Test cricket and was the team's leading all-rounder and opening bowler for the entirety of his career...
, who had been available for only a few matches on the 1933 tour because of a Lancashire League commitment.
The Test matches
The tour followed the itinerary of the previous Test-playing MCC tour in 1929-30, with four Tests arranged in the main cricket-playing territories in the West Indies: BarbadosBarbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
, 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...
, British Guiana
British Guiana
British Guiana was the name of the British colony on the northern coast of South America, now the independent nation of Guyana.The area was originally settled by the Dutch at the start of the 17th century as the colonies of Essequibo, Demerara, and Berbice...
, and Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
. The Tests were each scheduled for four days.
First Test at Kensington OvalKensington OvalThe Kensington Oval is located to the west of the capital-city Bridgetown on the island of Barbados. "The Oval" is one of the major sporting facilities on the island and is primarily used for cricket...
, BridgetownBridgetownThe city of Bridgetown , metropolitan pop 96,578 , is the capital and largest city of the nation of Barbados. Formerly, the Town of Saint Michael, the Greater Bridgetown area is located within the parish of Saint Michael...
, BarbadosBarbadosBarbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
, 8, 9, 10 January
West Indies (102 and 51 for six declared) lost to England (81 for seven declared and 75 for six) by four wickets. Rain was the principal factor in a low-scoring match on a treacherous surface. Wyatt put the West Indies in on a rain-affected pitch and Farnes took four wickets for 15 runs as half the side were out for 31. George HeadleyGeorge Headley
George Alphonso Headley was a West Indian cricketer who played 22 Test matches, mostly before the Second World War. Considered one of the best batsmen to play for West Indies and one of the greatest cricketers of all time, Headley also represented Jamaica and played professional club cricket in...
rallied the team with 44 before being run out, but Paine and Hollies finished the innings off. England in turn collapsed to 81 for five by the end of the first day. Overnight rain then saturated the wicket to such an extent that play could not resume until after tea on the second day, and then, after Leslie Hylton
Leslie Hylton
Leslie George Hylton was a West Indian cricketer, a fast bowler who played in six Test matches between 1935 and 1939 for the West Indies...
took two wickets in the first over, Wyatt declared 21 runs behind. West Indies captain Jackie Grant
Jackie Grant
George Copeland Grant was a West Indian cricketer who captained the side through several series.Grant was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. He captained the West Indies' team in the 1930-31, 1933, 1934-35 series...
shuffled his batting order in the hope the pitch would ease, but three wickets fell for four runs before Hylton and Cyril Christiani
Cyril Christiani
Cyril Marcel Christiani was a West Indian cricketer who played in four Tests in 1934-35. He played wicketkeeper in all four Tests of the 1934-35 series.Christiani died in 1938 of malaria...
played out time on the second day. A further overnight deluge made play impossible until 3.30 on the third day. West Indies then lost three more wickets in adding 18 runs and Grant declared, setting England just 73 to win. Wyatt also rejigged his batting order with the aim that his tail-enders might blunt the West Indies attack. The move did not work, but Hammond with an unbeaten 29 and Hendren with 20 saw England through to victory. Manny Martindale
Manny Martindale
Emmanuel Alfred Martindale was a West Indian cricketer who played in ten Tests from 1933 to 1939. He was a right-arm fast bowler and a lower-order right-handed batsman....
took five second innings wickets for 22 runs.
Second Test at Queen's Park OvalQueen's Park OvalQueen's Park Oval, in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, is currently the largest capacity cricket ground in the West Indies and has hosted more Test matches than any other ground in the Caribbean. It also hosted a number of matches in the 2007 Cricket World Cup. It is privately owned by the...
, Port of SpainPort of SpainPort 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...
, TrinidadTrinidadTrinidad 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...
, 24, 25, 26, 28 January
West Indies (302 and 280 for six declared) beat England (258 and 107) by 217 runs. Wyatt again won the toss and put the West Indies in, but innings of 92 from Derek SealyDerek Sealy
James Edward Derrick Sealy was a West Indian cricketer who played in 11 Tests from 1930 to 1939....
and of 90 from Learie Constantine
Learie Constantine
Learie Nicholas Constantine, Baron Constantine MBE was a West Indian cricketer who played 18 Test matches before the Second World War. He took West Indies' first wicket in Test cricket and was the team's leading all-rounder and opening bowler for the entirety of his career...
led to a respectable total. England lost their first five wickets for 23 runs to the West Indies fast bowlers. Hendren and Iddon put on 71, then Iddon and Holmes made 74 together, and Holmes, who made 85, put on 62 with Farrimond. West Indies' second innings was a determined effort with 93 from Headley and contributions from almost all the other batsmen. England were set 325 to win and Wyatt – in what Wisden termed an "amazing and inexplicable course" – all but reversed the batting order. Five wickets fell before tea on the last day and the innings was over with one ball of the day remaining with Leyland and Holmes the last pair.
Third Test at BourdaBourdaThe Bourda 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. Located in Bourda in Georgetown, Guyana, between Regent Street and North Road, it is home to the Georgetown...
, Georgetown, GuyanaGeorgetown, GuyanaGeorgetown, estimated population 239,227 , is the capital and largest city of Guyana, located in the Demerara-Mahaica region. It is situated on the Atlantic Ocean coast at the mouth of the Demerara River and it was nicknamed 'Garden City of the Caribbean.' Georgetown is located at . The city serves...
, 14, 15, 16, 18 February
England (226 and 160 for six declared) drew with the West Indies (184 and 104 for five). Wyatt won the toss again and batted after a start delayed by rain. Subdued batting, in which Paine, sent in as nightwatchmanNightwatchman (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a nightwatchman is a lower-order batsman who comes in to bat higher up the order than usual near the end of the day's play...
top-scored with 49, meant that the total only reached 198 by tea on the second day. An England collapse followed, but West Indies also batted slowly, with the exception of Headley. Hollies took seven wickets for 50 runs. England, with 71 from the captain, failed to force the pace in the second innings and the declaration left West Indies just two hours to make 203. When early wickets fell, the attempt was given up.
Fourth Test at Sabina ParkSabina ParkSabina Park is the home of the Kingston Cricket Club, and is the only Test cricket ground in Kingston, Jamaica and is often referred to as "The Holiday Home of Cricket"....
, Kingston, JamaicaKingston, JamaicaKingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
, 14, 15, 16, 18 March
West Indies (535 for seven declared) beat England (271 and 103) by an innings and 161 runs. West Indies set a record for their highest Test score against England and Headley's 270 not out was the highest individual score for the West Indies. Headley shared partnerships of 202 with Sealy for the third wicket and of 147 for the seventh wicket with Rolph GrantRolph Grant
Rolph Stewart Grant was a West Indian cricketer who captained them in their 1939 tour of England.Grant was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.-References:...
. When England batted, Martindale inflicted a compound fracture of the jaw on Wyatt and four other wickets fell for 26 runs. Ames, with 126, turned the innings around with Iddon, who made 54, but England followed on 264 behind. Against Martindale and Constantine, there was limited resistance and the match ended soon after lunch on the fourth day.
Other matches
The MCC team played eight other first-class matches of three day's duration, two each against the four main cricketing territories, each set of two games preceding the Test match in the same venue. The touring side won only one of these games, the second match in British Guiana, but they were not beaten in any, though more than once they were close to defeat when the game ended.- In the first match Barbados hit 382 with 92 from Derek SealyDerek SealyJames Edward Derrick Sealy was a West Indian cricketer who played in 11 Tests from 1930 to 1939....
and 69 from Teddy HoadTeddy HoadEdward Lisle Goldsworthy Hoad was a West Indian cricketer who played in West Indies' inaugural Test tour of England. He was the captain in the West Indies' first home Test in 1930....
, both Test batsmen, and a late flourish with the bat from Test bowlers Herman GriffithHerman GriffithHerman Clarence Griffith was a West Indian cricketer who played in West Indies' first Test match in their inaugural Test tour of England and was one of the leading bowlers on that tour....
and Manny MartindaleManny MartindaleEmmanuel Alfred Martindale was a West Indian cricketer who played in ten Tests from 1933 to 1939. He was a right-arm fast bowler and a lower-order right-handed batsman....
. Hollies took five for 81 in 31.4 overs but no other MCC bowler commanded respect. England batted badly against slow-medium bowling and Ames top-scored with 26 out of 170. Barbados batted patchily too to reach 149 for seven before declaring, and MCC, with 50s from Wyatt and Hendren, were not in danger.
- The second Barbados match was dominated by an unbeaten 281 from Hammond, the highest innings of the tour, and a devastating last wicket partnership of 122, to which Smith contributed 83 with five sixes and nine fours in 45 minutes. MCC's 601 was some distance too far for Barbados, whose 177, with 68 from George CarewGeorge Carew (cricketer)George McDonald Carew played four Tests for the West Indies. He was a right-hand batsman from Barbados, where he ran a taxi business. He is best remembered for his century against England in 1947-48 when his first wicket partnership with Andy Ganteaume put on 173 runs.-References:...
was followed by a short follow-on second innings before rain moved in.
- In the first TrinidadTrinidad and Tobago cricket teamThe Trinidad and Tobago cricket team is the representative cricket team of the country of Trinidad and Tobago.The team takes part in inter-regional cricket competitions in the Caribbean, such as the Regional Four Day Competition and the WICB Cup, with the best players selected for the West Indies...
match the hosts failed to snatch victory by just 19 runs, though they also had only two wickets to lose. Hammond scored a second century, 116 and Ames made an unbeaten 60 and Smith a hard-hit 54 out of a ninth wicket partner of 80. Trinidad's Arthur MaynardArthur MaynardArthur Maynard was a West Indian cricketer who played for Trinidad. He was born in Trinidad. A right-hand batsman, he played two first-class matches against the touring MCC side of 1934/35....
, whose only first-class cricket was in these two warm-up matches, scored an unbeaten 200 as Trinidad headed MCC's 348 and declared at 371 for seven. The second highest score was 37 by Rolph GrantRolph GrantRolph Stewart Grant was a West Indian cricketer who captained them in their 1939 tour of England.Grant was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.-References:...
. MCC's second innings relied on Townsend (48) and Leyland (77 not out), and set Trinidad 177 to win in 23 overs.
- Trinidad were even closer to victory in the second drawn game. MCC needed 67 from Ames to reach 226 against four for 40 from Learie ConstantineLearie ConstantineLearie Nicholas Constantine, Baron Constantine MBE was a West Indian cricketer who played 18 Test matches before the Second World War. He took West Indies' first wicket in Test cricket and was the team's leading all-rounder and opening bowler for the entirety of his career...
. Wyatt took five wickets for 10 runs and Trinidad were 42 for six, but later runs left by Constantine and his brother EddieEddie ConstantineEddie Constantine was an American-born French actor and singer who spent his career working in Europe....
brought the island a small first innings lead. MCC were then bowled out for 103, five wickets falling to Ben SealeyBen SealeyBenjamin James Sealey - An attacking, middle-order batsman, a medium-pace, leg-break bowler and an athletic fielder anywhere on the pitch, Ben Sealey’s career spanned the years 1924 to 1941. Despite once turning out for a ‘Barbados Born’ side against the Rest of West Indies, he was a Trinidad...
's medium page, and Leyland hitting 59 of the runs. Trinidad needed 100 in 80 minutes and just failed while losing six wickets.
- The first match in British Guiana was drawn. Hollies took five for 29 as British Guiana were bowled out for 102. Hendren hit 148 and Iddon 68 as MCC totalled 421, but scores of 70 and more from three Guyanese batsmen, including the Test player Charles JonesCharles Jones (cricketer)Charles Ernest Llewellyn Jones - A competent batsman and a useful slow left-arm bowler, Charles Jones was born in British Guiana on 3 November 1902 and died there on 10 December 1959, aged 57. He made his first-class debut in October 1925 in the Inter-Colonial match against Barbados in which his...
, enabled the hosts to make 284 for two and save the game easily.
- MCC won the second match with British Guiana after one of Wyatt's unorthodox captaincy moves, for once, paid off. On a pitch damaged by rain, the home side declared at 188 for eight with Paine taking six wickets for 67 runs and both other dismissals coming from run outRun outRun out is a method of dismissal in the sport of cricket. It is governed by Law 38 of the Laws of cricket.-The rules:A batsman is out Run out if at any time while the ball is in play no part of his bat or person is grounded behind the popping crease and his wicket is fairly put down by the opposing...
s. MCC lost five wickets for 41 runs in 10 overs (and one ball) and then Wyatt declared. Paine (four for 11), Wyatt (four for 18) and Smith then bowled the Guyanese team out for 57, 30 of which were made by former Test player Vibart Wight. Wyatt was out for a single, but Townsend, with 93, and Hammond with 106, shared an unbroken second wicket partnership of 204 to bring victory by nine wickets.
- The first Jamaica match was drawn. Ivan BarrowIvan BarrowIvanhoe Mordecai Barrow was a cricketer who played 11 Tests for the West Indies.A wicket-keeper and opening batsman, he was the first West Indian to score a century in a Test Match in England...
hit 108 and George MudieGeorge Mudie (cricketer)George Horatio Mudie was a West Indian cricketer who played in one Test in 1934-35....
94 to take Jamaica to 305. MCC struggled against the fast bowling of Dickie FullerDickie FullerRichard Livingston Fuller was a West Indian cricketer who played in one Test in 1934-35....
in his first first-class match, but Hendren made 118 and Holmes 72 and the innings finished only 16 behind at 289. Jamaica made 146 for three before declaring and MCC played out time. In Jamaica's second innings MCC wicketkeeper Farrimond received a blow on the head and was unable to continue. Wyatt took over as wicketkeeper and stumped George HeadleyGeorge HeadleyGeorge Alphonso Headley was a West Indian cricketer who played 22 Test matches, mostly before the Second World War. Considered one of the best batsmen to play for West Indies and one of the greatest cricketers of all time, Headley also represented Jamaica and played professional club cricket in...
for 14 off the bowling of Leyland.
- The second Jamaican game also ended in a draw, but the hosts had the better of it. MCC scored 321 through 89 for Ames and 50s for Hendren and Iddon. Headley then made 127 and Barrow 59, but the game was swung Jamaica's way by an unbroken seventh wicket stand of 169 between Mudie and Fuller, with Fuller making 113, reaching a century in 130 minutes in his second first-class game. Jamaica declared at 452 for six, with four of the wickets taken by the former GlamorganGlamorgan County Cricket ClubGlamorgan County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County...
all-rounder Trevor Arnott, who was co-opted into the side for his first first-class game in almost four years to give Hammond a rest before the final Test. MCC saved the match easily, reaching 109 for three.
External sources
- CricketArchive – tour itinerary
- Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 1936, pages 616 to 635