West Indian cricket team in England in 1900
Encyclopedia
The West Indian cricket team toured England in the 1900 season
. The team played 17 matches between 11 June and 11 August 1900.
There had been three tours by teams of English Amateurs to the West Indies in the mid 1890s and the idea of sending a combined West Indies team to England had gradually developed. Unfortunately a few of the leading West Indies players were unavailable and the team that eventually sailed for England was a little weaker than had been anticipated. Despite the fact that it was known that earlier English touring sides had been of very modest standard, the opponents that were arranged for the 1900 tourists were in general of too high a standard, with 12 of the 17 being of first-class standard. The result was that the West Indians suffered a series of heavy defeats in the early games, a situation not helped by them losing the toss of most occasions. Eventually, because of a combination of the tourists improving and the opponents fielding much weaker sides, the games became much more competitive and by the end of the tour 5 matches had been won compared to 8 losses. The post-tour comments were that the tour had been, "as an experiment", successful. In reality the early defeats had meant that the general interest in the tour was very limited.
Aucher Warner
, who was Plum Warner
's brother was the official captain of the team but he played in only 7 matches because of Malarial Fever, losing the toss on all 7 occasions. The two black Professionals, Float Woods
and Tommie Burton
, did the lion's share of the bowling. The batting honours were shared with Charles Ollivierre
, Lebrun Constantine
, Percy Cox and Percy Goodman
being the most successful. The lack of a genuine wicket-keeper, the poor running between the wickets and the weakness of the fielding were widely commented on.
There had been an idea for a tour to England for some time and following the twin tours of Lord Hawke
and Priestley
to the West Indies in 1896-97 this idea was further developed and in June 1899 a combined West Indian eleven was invited to visit England. Lord Hawke was the author of this invitation and he then arranged a series of matches for the summer of 1900
. The initial selection of the West Indies team took place after the 1899-1900 Inter-Colonial Tournament
in January 1900.
The 15 players that eventually made up the team consisted of:
Burton and Woods were regarded as Professionals. W.C. Nock of Trinidad was the manager. Sproston acted a captain in the absence of Aucher Warner
. P.F. Warner
played in 1 match. R.S.A. Warner and P.F. Warner were brothers. It appears that the wicket-keeping was shared between Constantine and Learmond.
'Cricket' gives what is presumably the original list of 14 selections and 4 reserves. The selections includes H.A. Cole (Barbados) and G.B.Y. Cox (Barbados). Of the reserves P.I. Cox and Livingston made the final team, the other reserves being W.E. Goodman (British Guiana) and F.L. Pearce (Jamaica). R.S.A. Warner is not mentioned.
'Cricket' has an anonymous letter giving further details following a meeting in Barbados on April 17th. A letter had been received from British Guiana indicating that Sproston was unable to accompany the team, although this eventually turned out not to be the case. A letter was received from Jamaica suggesting that Livingston should go in Cole's place, this being agreed to. Further a letter was received from Mr. Aucher Warner offering his services as captain in accordance with the West Indies Cricket Committee in London. This offer was accepted and Bowring the original captain was to tour as an ordinary member. The team given also excludes P.I. Cox who did eventually take part in the tour.
H.B.G. Austin was unable to tour as he was fighting in South Africa.
The majority of the team was white. Burton and Woods were, of course, black as were Constantine, Hinds and Ollivierre amongst the Amateurs.
The tourists had a few days practice on the Hampshire ground and then travelled up to London to start their first match on June 11.
ruled that none of the matches were first-class
. "It was perhaps, a pity that it was deemed advisable not to consider the West Indian matches as first-class, but it is difficult to see how this could be avoided; for on the form shown during the early part of the tour, the team would have been hopelessly out of the running, while, when the turn of the tide came, it was far too late to make any changes".
Of the 17 matches, 10 were against teams in the County Championship
and they also played London County and the M.C.C.
who were also first-class teams at that time. The remaining 5 matches were against minor teams, three were Minor Counties and while one match was against a combined Minor Counties team this was not at all representative. Liverpool and District were not regarded as first-class at this time.
lost the toss and WG and James Gilman added 135 for the first wicket. Tommie Burton
then dismissed both openers and with Float Woods
bowling Len Braund
cheaply the West Indians were in a better position. Jack Mason
however then scored 126 in 125 minutes and with useful scoring by Albert Lawton they reached 432/8 at the close.
A thunderstorm made the pitch easy for a while and Howard Parkes and Edward Berridge took the score to 538. The tourists were quickly 29/4 in reply with Charles Ollivierre
being run out before Percy Goodman
and Percy Cox added 113 together. Mason then took cheap wickets and left the side 176/8 at the close.
On the third day Warner and Woods added 59 for the last wicket to take the total to 237. Following-on they were dismissed for just 103 with WG and Mason taking 5 wickets each. Ollivierre and Warner top scored with 20 each.
took 5/77 but otherwise the bowling was ineffective. The tourists made a poor start in reply and were 85/6 at the end of the first day with Frederick Pearson taking 4 cheap wickets. Pearson was only 19 and still qualifying for Worcestershire and so was only available for non-Championship matches in 1900.
Rain had affected the pitch overnight and despite a useful stand of 74 between Stanley Sproston
and Percy Cox the West Indians were dismissed for 187 with Pearson taking 6/73. Worcestershire then made 257 with Pearson top scoring with 88 not out and Charles Ollivierre
taking 4/37. The visitors were 61/4 at the close.
Fitz Hinds
and Sproston added useful runs on the third day but after they were out the match was over soon after lunch. Pearson, who took another 4 wickets to make his match figures 10/108 to go with 100 runs for once out, was the star of the match.
scoring 55 in an hour and John Hill scoring 145 in 200 minutes.
On the second day the Warwickshire team were soon dismissed for 456 which included 35 byes and 14 leg-byes. Tourists reached 233 with Charles Ollivierre
and Percy Cox adding 109 useful runs for the second wicket. Cox top scored with 79. Both Percy Goodman
and Gilbert Livingston
were run out. Following-on they were dismissed cheaply for 122 on a showery third day.
opened the batting on the second day. The tourists had early success but an innings of 118 from Arthur Somerset and other useful performances by the tail gave the M.C.C. over 200 for the last 4 wickets and a good total.
The West Indies struggled in reply and were 190 all out, George Learmond
making 52 and adding 75 in 30 minutes with Charles Ollivierre
. WG took 5 wickets. Following-on they were again in trouble at 132/8 and heading for an innings defeat. However Lebrun Constantine
scored a magnificent 113 in 90 minutes. Assisted by Tommie Burton
they added 162 for the 9th wicket in 65 minutes. Burton eventually made 64* and left the M.C.C. a target of 107 in a little over 2 hours. Stoddart took 7 wickets, all clean bowled. The two Professionals bowled well to reduce the M.C.C. to 36/4 but they reached their target with 5 minutes to spare for the loss of only one further wicket.
making 69 in 2 hours. George Thompson
took 7/84.
In reply the Minor Counties made 261 with Tommie Burton
taking 6/55. Batting again the West Indians were in trouble but with 68 from Fitz Hinds
and 30s from Percy Cox and William Bowring
they set a target of 116. The Minor Counties were then dismissed for just 54 with Float Woods
(4/31), Burton (3/11) and William Mignon
(2/5) doing all the bowling and giving the tourists their first victory.
then joined Harry Wrathall and the pair added 209 for the fifth wicket, Gloucestershire then being 299/5. Gilbert Jessop
then joined Townsend. Jessop reach his 50 in 20 minutes, 83 in 30, 102 in 43 and was out for 157 scored in an hour. He added 201 with Townsend in the hour taking the total to 500/6. His innings contain 29 4s. At this time a 6 was awarded only for hits out of the ground, so an unknown number of these 4s could have been modern-day 6s. Jessop hit Float Woods
for five fours and a three in one over. Gloucestershire reached 518/7 at the close. Woods had strained himself in the previous match and could not bowl comfortably. In addition Tommie Burton
damaged his foot at lunchtime and didn't bowl for the rest of the day.
On the second day Gloucestershire were all out for 619. Burton's figures of 5/68 in 25 overs look impressive but he had taken 3 wickets before lunch on the first day and took 2 tail-enders wickets on the second day and had not bowled when the runs were being piled on. William Mignon
took 5/162, dismissing Wrathall, Townsend and Jessop, but Charles Ollivierre
with 0/137 and Woods with 0/141 really suffered. Fitz Hinds
did no better with 0/72 in just 8 overs.
When they batted the tourists collapsed for 98 with Percy Goodman
run out for 38, Townsend and Frederick Roberts taking the wickets. Following-on they did much better. Lebrun Constantine
top scored with 65 and 10 of the team reached double figures to give a respectable total of 307 reached by noon on the third day.
and Charles Ollivierre
then added 238 for the first wicket in 135 minutes, Warner made 113 and Ollivierre was eventually run out for 159 scored in 190 minutes. The day ended with the score at 307/4.
Lebrun Constantine
scored a useful 41 on the second day to take the score to 383. Leicestershire collapsed for 80 with Float Woods
taking 5/39 and Tommie Burton
4/39. Following-on they did much better and were 210/5 at the close of the second day, Charles de Trafford having scored 51. When play started on the third day Cecil Wood was soon out for 77 and the match was soon over, Burton taking 4/63 in the innings.
scoring 161 in 210 minutes out of 274. They were 343/4 at the close. On the second day James Iremonger
scored 101. Tommie Burton
took 5/159 in 73.3 overs in the innings.
In reply Percy Cox scored 55 but the West Indians were 124/6 at stumps. On the final day Aucher Warner
reached 53* but the tourists followed-on 292 behind. In reply Stanley Sproston
scored 72, Charles Ollivierre
50 and Lebrun Constantine
50*. Gunn took 7 wickets in the match with his lobs.
scoring 43 in 20 minutes before being run out.
On the second day the tourists did badly and only got 37 more runs. William Overton took 7/35 in the innings. Following-on they did even worse, Constantine again being top score with 32. This was regarded as the worst performance of the tour.
taking 6/44. Henry Cudworth, who only placed a single first-class match in his career, scored 102 in 2 hours. In reply the tourists scored 174 with Charles Ollivierre
scoring 44. Johnny Briggs
was rested and did not bowl.
On the second day Lancashire were bowled out for 182, Briggs scoring 64, AN Hornby being absent having been injured fielding on the first day. Mignon took 4 more wickets to make it 10/117 in the match. Set a target of 196 the West Indies were 109/4 but after Ollivierre was out for 60 they fell well short. Briggs was turned loose and took 7/43 in the innings.
with 4/78 and Percy Cox with 5/61 doing the damage. The West Indies were 38/1 at stumps.
On the second day the tourists passed the Derbyshire total but a thunderstorm caused two and a quarter hours of play to be lost at the end of the day. Lebrun Constantine
and Percy Goodman
had added 103 for the fifth wicket in just over an hour. Goodman eventually made 104* in a little over 2 hours. John Hulme did most of the damage taking 6/77. Derbyshire were 74/5 but recovered to score 182/7 before declaring leaving the tourists just 11 overs in which they reached 45/2. William Storer
top scored in both innings for Derbyshire.
took 7/100 in 42 overs. The West Indies were 42/1 at the close.
On the second day the tourists reached 228 with Fitz Hinds
making 79. With only two days allocated the match was always likely to be drawn.
adding 105 for the second wicket. Stanley Sproston
top scored with 86 and William Bowring
also contributed 63 useful runs. Charles Llewellyn
bowled 54 overs in the innings taking 7/153.
Thunderstorms on the second day stopped play for three hours with Hampshire on 101/2 and only Victor Barton
with 59 and Llewellyn with 93 had much success on a poor pitch. Float Woods
took 6/93. The tourists were 20/0 at the close. The wicket was still poor on the third day and Llewellyn was again successful taking 6/34. Hampshire had little chance of victory and the two Professionals soon dispatched them, Woods taking 4/55 and Tommie Burton
5/50. The tourists had the best of the conditions for a change.
and Percy Cox opened the batting and were not parted until Ollivierre was caught at square leg for 94 off Livingstone Walker, the score standing at 208. Cox was eventually out for 142 scored out of 261. Walker was the seventh bowler used but had great success taking 8/72 in 15 overs. Percy Goodman
scored 34* but otherwise the wickets fell rapidly and the score eventually reached only 328. When Surrey batted Float Woods
was unplayable and the batting team were soon 30/6 with Woods at this stage having figures of 5/8. John Shuter and Walker led a short recovery and Surrey were 86/7 at the close.
On the second morning Surrey were dismissed for 117 with Woods taking 7/48 in 19 overs. Following-on Surrey made a good start but soon started losing wickets. Edward Dowson was run out for the second time in the match when going well and Walker again batted well. Woods took 5/68 to made it 12 wickets in the match. Tommie Burton
took the remaining 6 wickets. This was regarded as the best victory of the tour.
scored 118 in 110 minutes, the two adding over 100 for the 5th wicket. William Mignon
joined Sproston for the last wicket and despite making only 1* helped Sproston take his score from 64 to 118 and the West Indies to 265. Cecil Holden made 86 for Liverpool but Tommie Burton
and Cox took 5 wickets each to give the tourists a first innings lead of 47. There had been no play at all on the second day.
There was only three and a half hours of play remaining when the tourists started their second innings which they declared closed at 124/5. Liverpool reached 100/0 at the close with Hubert Pilkington making 68* and Holden 23*.
Lebrun Constantine
was given out in this match when a ball played by him lodged in his leg guard. The Liverpool wicket-keeper Arthur Kemble rushed up and picked the ball out and Constantine was initially given out. However the decision was then reversed, the law having changed in 1899, and he was allowed to continue his innings.
and Percy Cox had Norfolk in all sorts of trouble but they eventually reached 117. Woods had taken 5/38 and Cox 4/44. The tourists also stated badly but Lionel D'Ade
rescued the situation with 68* to enable the tourists to gain a first innings lead of 48. D'Ade had taken 2 hours for his first 34. Charles Shore took 5/64 for Norfolk.
When Norfolk batted again Burton was unplayable and took 8/9 in 10.4 overs including a spell of 5/0 in 5 overs. With Woods, who took 2/22 in 10 overs, they bowled unchanged and dismissed the county for just 32.
It is worth noting that in the 7 matches he played in Aucher Warner
lost the toss each time. On each occasion the West Indians had to field first and on each occasion they lost the match. Stanley Sproston
had more luck, winning the toss 5 times out of 10.
The first 10 matches were all won by the team batting first and it was only in the very last match against Norfolk that the team batting second won a game.
said "I will begin 'right away' as the Americans say, by stating that the tour was a success. Considering that the team had never played together before, that they loss the toss on no fewer than twelve occasions out of the seventeen matches that the programme comprised, I think that the judgment I have given will be endorsed on all sides".
He continues later: "The weakest points of the team were: (1) The absence of a reliable wicket-keeper, and (2) The bad judgment that was too often displayed when running".
'Cricket' says that "The members of the team, white and coloured alike, have proved themselves to be good sportsmen and keen opponents, while the very fact that they did not come over for the purpose of making money, but as sportsmen pure and simple, makes all cricketers regret that the guarantors may have to be called upon". The last point alluding to the fact that tour was expected to lose money.
During the opening match a formal welcome was given to the team during which it appears that Aucher Warner
had made the remark: "we have come to learn, sir" to WG Grace. The following day a cartoon appeared in the 'Star' in which "Dr Grace, a giant is the central figure, bat in hand, and around him, crouching, stooping, imploring are six black urchins of hideous appearance and rather diminutive in size, all of whom are evidently shedding tears. Below appears the words 'We have come to learn, sah!.'" Designed to be amusing, similar cartoons appeared in this and later tours.
When asked whether the coloured members of the team quickly fell into English ways Mr Nock, the Manager, reported: "Very soon. They are thorough sportsmen, and have given no trouble whatever during the tour." Later he says that "In our first match I was walking through the grounds with Woods, who suddenly said to me: Mr. Nock they have got a lot of white people in this country!".
Woods himself is reported as saying about the tour: "I enjoyed it very much. There was the cricket and going about in trains; I liked the views very much. The travelling didn't tire me much and I never had to be left out of the team. I think I should like to live in England, though I don't know whether I could stand the cold in the winter."
It is also worth noting that Ollivierre, a coloured Amateur, was signed up by Derbyshire during the tour and played for them for a number of years.
Much has been made over the years of Gilbert Jessop
's innings of 157 in an hour and the reactions of the coloured cricketers. C.L.R. James reports that Float Woods "went to his captain and asked permission to take off his boots. West Indian captain Aucher Warner asked him why: he replied that he could bowl properly only when barefooted. Woods was making the best response he knew to a truly desperate situation." Sammy Woods
in his autobiography reports that Jessop "hit the two famous Black Bowlers (Cumberbatch and Woods) so furiously that not only they couldn't bowl for laughter, but the rest of the dark ones in the field rolled about and set up a howl of delight". Archie Cumberbatch
was, of course, not on the tour at all and this and other remarks are probably embellished. Overall the reports are of doubtful accuracy and have racist undertones to them.
So from what is reported it seems that race was not a major issue during the tour. Whether this really reflects the reality is difficult to tell at this distance in time.
PF Warner played in 1 match, scoring 113.
1 catch was taken by a substitute fielder.
Woods bowled 5 no balls and 1 wide. Burton 1 no ball, Cox 1 no ball and 1 wide, Mignon 7 wides, Constantine 1 wide.
1900 English cricket season
The 1900 English cricket season saw Yorkshire finish the season unbeaten in the County Championship, the first time this had happened since the start of the official championship in 1890. They therefore became county champions, while defending champions Surrey finished in the middle of the pack in...
. The team played 17 matches between 11 June and 11 August 1900.
There had been three tours by teams of English Amateurs to the West Indies in the mid 1890s and the idea of sending a combined West Indies team to England had gradually developed. Unfortunately a few of the leading West Indies players were unavailable and the team that eventually sailed for England was a little weaker than had been anticipated. Despite the fact that it was known that earlier English touring sides had been of very modest standard, the opponents that were arranged for the 1900 tourists were in general of too high a standard, with 12 of the 17 being of first-class standard. The result was that the West Indians suffered a series of heavy defeats in the early games, a situation not helped by them losing the toss of most occasions. Eventually, because of a combination of the tourists improving and the opponents fielding much weaker sides, the games became much more competitive and by the end of the tour 5 matches had been won compared to 8 losses. The post-tour comments were that the tour had been, "as an experiment", successful. In reality the early defeats had meant that the general interest in the tour was very limited.
Aucher Warner
Aucher Warner
Robert Stewart Aucher Warner was a West Indian cricketer. He was known as Aucher Warner...
, who was Plum Warner
Plum Warner
Sir Pelham Francis Warner MBE , affectionately and better known as Plum Warner, or even "the Grand Old Man" of English cricket was a Test cricketer....
's brother was the official captain of the team but he played in only 7 matches because of Malarial Fever, losing the toss on all 7 occasions. The two black Professionals, Float Woods
Float Woods
Joseph 'Float' Woods was a coloured West Indian cricketer best known as a member of the 1900 West Indian tourists to England...
and Tommie Burton
Tommie Burton
William Thomas Burton was a coloured West Indian cricketer best known as a member of the 1900 and 1906 West Indian tourists to England. He is generally known as Tommie Burton.He was the son of a black mother and a white father...
, did the lion's share of the bowling. The batting honours were shared with Charles Ollivierre
Charles Ollivierre
Charles Augustus Ollivierre was a West Indian cricketer who toured England in 1900 and played for Derbyshire between 1901 and 1907 becoming the first black West Indian to play for an English county....
, Lebrun Constantine
Lebrun Constantine
Lebrun Samuel Constantine was a coloured West Indian cricketer who toured England in 1900 and 1906 and was a regular member of the Trinidad team from 1893-94 to 1922-23. He was primarily a batsman. He often kept wicket but was also a useful occasional bowler...
, Percy Cox and Percy Goodman
Percy Goodman
Percy Arnold Goodman was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the both the first two touring sides to England in 1900 and 1906. He was one of the top West Indian batsmen of his day and was also a useful medium pace bowler, especially in his younger days...
being the most successful. The lack of a genuine wicket-keeper, the poor running between the wickets and the weakness of the fielding were widely commented on.
Touring team
Lord Hawke's XI cricket team in West Indies in 1896-97
A team of Amateurs under the captaincy of Lord Hawke toured the West Indies in the 1896-97 season playing matches between January and April 1897. They played a total of 14 matches of which 7 are regarded as first class...
and Priestley
AA Priestley's XI cricket team in West Indies in 1896-97
A team of Amateurs under the captaincy of Mr. A. A. Priestley toured the West Indies in the 1896-97 season playing matches between January and March 1897. They played a total of 16 matches of which 9 are regarded as first class. They did not play in British Guiana....
to the West Indies in 1896-97 this idea was further developed and in June 1899 a combined West Indian eleven was invited to visit England. Lord Hawke was the author of this invitation and he then arranged a series of matches for the summer of 1900
1900 English cricket season
The 1900 English cricket season saw Yorkshire finish the season unbeaten in the County Championship, the first time this had happened since the start of the official championship in 1890. They therefore became county champions, while defending champions Surrey finished in the middle of the pack in...
. The initial selection of the West Indies team took place after the 1899-1900 Inter-Colonial Tournament
Inter-Colonial Tournament
The Inter-Colonial Tournament was the main first class cricket competition in the West Indies before World War II.- Competing teams :* Barbados* British Guiana* Trinidad...
in January 1900.
The 15 players that eventually made up the team consisted of:
| Name | |
|---|---|
| R.S.A. Warner Aucher Warner Robert Stewart Aucher Warner was a West Indian cricketer. He was known as Aucher Warner... (c Captain (cricket) The captain of a cricket team often referred to as the skipper is the appointed leader, having several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player... ) |
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... |
| W. Bowring William Bowring William Bowring was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the first West Indian touring side to England in 1900... |
Barbados Barbados 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... |
| W.T. Burton Tommie Burton William Thomas Burton was a coloured West Indian cricketer best known as a member of the 1900 and 1906 West Indian tourists to England. He is generally known as Tommie Burton.He was the son of a black mother and a white father... |
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... |
| L.S. Constantine Lebrun Constantine Lebrun Samuel Constantine was a coloured West Indian cricketer who toured England in 1900 and 1906 and was a regular member of the Trinidad team from 1893-94 to 1922-23. He was primarily a batsman. He often kept wicket but was also a useful occasional bowler... |
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... |
| P.I. Cox Percy Cox (cricketer) Percy Ince Cox was a West Indian cricketer... |
Barbados Barbados 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... |
| L.S. D'Ade Lionel D'Ade Lionel Smythe D'Ade was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the first West Indian touring side to England in 1900.... |
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... |
| P.A. Goodman Percy Goodman Percy Arnold Goodman was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the both the first two touring sides to England in 1900 and 1906. He was one of the top West Indian batsmen of his day and was also a useful medium pace bowler, especially in his younger days... |
Barbados Barbados 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... |
| D.C.S. Hinds Fitz Hinds Delmont Cameron St Clair Hinds was a coloured West Indian cricketer who toured with the first West Indian touring side to England in 1900... |
Barbados Barbados 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... |
| M.M. Kerr Malcolm Kerr (cricketer) Malcolm McLeod Kerr was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the first West Indian touring side to England in 1900.... |
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... |
| G.V. Livingston Gilbert Livingston (cricketer) Gilbert Vivian Livingston was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the first West Indian touring side to England in 1900.... |
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... |
| G.C. Learmond George Learmond (cricketer) George Cyril Learmond was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the both the first two touring sides to England in 1900 and 1906.... |
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... |
| W.H. Mignon William Mignon William Henry Mignon was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the first West Indian touring side to England in 1900. He was the son of Edward Adolphus Seymour Mignon and Margaret Bridget .Born in England he emigrated to Grenada in the West Indies in the 1890s... |
Grenada Grenada Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea... |
| C.A. Ollivierre Charles Ollivierre Charles Augustus Ollivierre was a West Indian cricketer who toured England in 1900 and played for Derbyshire between 1901 and 1907 becoming the first black West Indian to play for an English county.... |
St. Vincent Saint Vincent (island) Saint Vincent is a volcanic island in the Caribbean. It is the largest island of the chain called Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It is located in the Caribbean Sea, between Saint Lucia and Grenada. It is composed of partially submerged volcanic mountains... |
| S.W. Sproston Stanley Sproston Stanley Winfield Sproston was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the first West Indian touring side to England in 1900 and captained the side for much of the tour in the absence of Aucher Warner.He made his debut in important matches for British Guiana against Slade Lucas's... |
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... |
| J. Woods Float Woods Joseph 'Float' Woods was a coloured West Indian cricketer best known as a member of the 1900 West Indian tourists to England... |
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... |
Burton and Woods were regarded as Professionals. W.C. Nock of Trinidad was the manager. Sproston acted a captain in the absence of Aucher Warner
Aucher Warner
Robert Stewart Aucher Warner was a West Indian cricketer. He was known as Aucher Warner...
. P.F. Warner
Plum Warner
Sir Pelham Francis Warner MBE , affectionately and better known as Plum Warner, or even "the Grand Old Man" of English cricket was a Test cricketer....
played in 1 match. R.S.A. Warner and P.F. Warner were brothers. It appears that the wicket-keeping was shared between Constantine and Learmond.
'Cricket' gives what is presumably the original list of 14 selections and 4 reserves. The selections includes H.A. Cole (Barbados) and G.B.Y. Cox (Barbados). Of the reserves P.I. Cox and Livingston made the final team, the other reserves being W.E. Goodman (British Guiana) and F.L. Pearce (Jamaica). R.S.A. Warner is not mentioned.
'Cricket' has an anonymous letter giving further details following a meeting in Barbados on April 17th. A letter had been received from British Guiana indicating that Sproston was unable to accompany the team, although this eventually turned out not to be the case. A letter was received from Jamaica suggesting that Livingston should go in Cole's place, this being agreed to. Further a letter was received from Mr. Aucher Warner offering his services as captain in accordance with the West Indies Cricket Committee in London. This offer was accepted and Bowring the original captain was to tour as an ordinary member. The team given also excludes P.I. Cox who did eventually take part in the tour.
H.B.G. Austin was unable to tour as he was fighting in South Africa.
The majority of the team was white. Burton and Woods were, of course, black as were Constantine, Hinds and Ollivierre amongst the Amateurs.
Preliminaries
The Trinidad contingent sailed from Port of Spain on May 24 on R.M.S. Eden where they met the other tourists. On the day of their departure they were entertained at luncheon at the Ice House by the Barbados Committee. They left Barbados on R.M.S. Trent on May 26 and after a record journey arrived in Southampton on June 6.The tourists had a few days practice on the Hampshire ground and then travelled up to London to start their first match on June 11.
Status
The M.C.C.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...
ruled that none of the matches were first-class
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...
. "It was perhaps, a pity that it was deemed advisable not to consider the West Indian matches as first-class, but it is difficult to see how this could be avoided; for on the form shown during the early part of the tour, the team would have been hopelessly out of the running, while, when the turn of the tide came, it was far too late to make any changes".
Of the 17 matches, 10 were against teams in the County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
and they also played London County and the M.C.C.
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...
who were also first-class teams at that time. The remaining 5 matches were against minor teams, three were Minor Counties and while one match was against a combined Minor Counties team this was not at all representative. Liverpool and District were not regarded as first-class at this time.
Match 1 v London County
WG Grace had collected together a strong side to meet the West Indians in their first match. The tourists made a bad start when Aucher WarnerAucher Warner
Robert Stewart Aucher Warner was a West Indian cricketer. He was known as Aucher Warner...
lost the toss and WG and James Gilman added 135 for the first wicket. Tommie Burton
Tommie Burton
William Thomas Burton was a coloured West Indian cricketer best known as a member of the 1900 and 1906 West Indian tourists to England. He is generally known as Tommie Burton.He was the son of a black mother and a white father...
then dismissed both openers and with Float Woods
Float Woods
Joseph 'Float' Woods was a coloured West Indian cricketer best known as a member of the 1900 West Indian tourists to England...
bowling Len Braund
Len Braund
Leonard Charles Braund, born October 18, 1875, at Clewer, Berkshire, and died December 23, 1955, Putney Common, London, was a cricketer who played for Surrey, Somerset and England....
cheaply the West Indians were in a better position. Jack Mason
Jack Mason
John Richard Mason was an English cricketer who played in 5 Tests on A.E. Stoddart's 1897/98 tour of Australia. A right-hand bat and right-arm fast-medium pace bowler, Mason played county cricket for Kent between 1893 and 1919...
however then scored 126 in 125 minutes and with useful scoring by Albert Lawton they reached 432/8 at the close.
A thunderstorm made the pitch easy for a while and Howard Parkes and Edward Berridge took the score to 538. The tourists were quickly 29/4 in reply with Charles Ollivierre
Charles Ollivierre
Charles Augustus Ollivierre was a West Indian cricketer who toured England in 1900 and played for Derbyshire between 1901 and 1907 becoming the first black West Indian to play for an English county....
being run out before Percy Goodman
Percy Goodman
Percy Arnold Goodman was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the both the first two touring sides to England in 1900 and 1906. He was one of the top West Indian batsmen of his day and was also a useful medium pace bowler, especially in his younger days...
and Percy Cox added 113 together. Mason then took cheap wickets and left the side 176/8 at the close.
On the third day Warner and Woods added 59 for the last wicket to take the total to 237. Following-on they were dismissed for just 103 with WG and Mason taking 5 wickets each. Ollivierre and Warner top scored with 20 each.
Match 2 v Worcestershire
Bowring, Hinds and Kerr replaced D'Ade, Mignon and Warner. Sproston lost the toss and Worcestershire, who had 9 professionals in the team, batted and scored 307 in about 4 hours with Harry Foster top scoring with 79. Float WoodsFloat Woods
Joseph 'Float' Woods was a coloured West Indian cricketer best known as a member of the 1900 West Indian tourists to England...
took 5/77 but otherwise the bowling was ineffective. The tourists made a poor start in reply and were 85/6 at the end of the first day with Frederick Pearson taking 4 cheap wickets. Pearson was only 19 and still qualifying for Worcestershire and so was only available for non-Championship matches in 1900.
Rain had affected the pitch overnight and despite a useful stand of 74 between Stanley Sproston
Stanley Sproston
Stanley Winfield Sproston was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the first West Indian touring side to England in 1900 and captained the side for much of the tour in the absence of Aucher Warner.He made his debut in important matches for British Guiana against Slade Lucas's...
and Percy Cox the West Indians were dismissed for 187 with Pearson taking 6/73. Worcestershire then made 257 with Pearson top scoring with 88 not out and Charles Ollivierre
Charles Ollivierre
Charles Augustus Ollivierre was a West Indian cricketer who toured England in 1900 and played for Derbyshire between 1901 and 1907 becoming the first black West Indian to play for an English county....
taking 4/37. The visitors were 61/4 at the close.
Fitz Hinds
Fitz Hinds
Delmont Cameron St Clair Hinds was a coloured West Indian cricketer who toured with the first West Indian touring side to England in 1900...
and Sproston added useful runs on the third day but after they were out the match was over soon after lunch. Pearson, who took another 4 wickets to make his match figures 10/108 to go with 100 runs for once out, was the star of the match.
Match 3 v Warwickshire
Warner and Mignon returned to the side and Livingston made his debut. Burton was left out together with Constantine and Kerr. Warner loss the toss and by the end of the first day Warwickshire were 456/9 with Dick LilleyDick Lilley
Arthur Frederick Augustus Lilley was an English cricketer who played in 35 Tests from 1896 to 1909, more than any other England wicket-keeper in the first sixty years of Test cricket.The conservative cricket establishment of the time was not effusive in its appreciation of this great keeper...
scoring 55 in an hour and John Hill scoring 145 in 200 minutes.
On the second day the Warwickshire team were soon dismissed for 456 which included 35 byes and 14 leg-byes. Tourists reached 233 with Charles Ollivierre
Charles Ollivierre
Charles Augustus Ollivierre was a West Indian cricketer who toured England in 1900 and played for Derbyshire between 1901 and 1907 becoming the first black West Indian to play for an English county....
and Percy Cox adding 109 useful runs for the second wicket. Cox top scored with 79. Both Percy Goodman
Percy Goodman
Percy Arnold Goodman was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the both the first two touring sides to England in 1900 and 1906. He was one of the top West Indian batsmen of his day and was also a useful medium pace bowler, especially in his younger days...
and Gilbert Livingston
Gilbert Livingston (cricketer)
Gilbert Vivian Livingston was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the first West Indian touring side to England in 1900....
were run out. Following-on they were dismissed cheaply for 122 on a showery third day.
Match 4 v Gentlemen of M.C.C.
The tourists left out Hinds, Kerr, Livingston and Mignon for their first match at Lord's. There was no play on the first day due to rain. Warner lost the toss and WG Grace and Andrew StoddartAndrew Stoddart
Andrew Ernest Stoddart was an English cricketer and rugby union player. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1893.-Cricket career:...
opened the batting on the second day. The tourists had early success but an innings of 118 from Arthur Somerset and other useful performances by the tail gave the M.C.C. over 200 for the last 4 wickets and a good total.
The West Indies struggled in reply and were 190 all out, George Learmond
George Learmond (cricketer)
George Cyril Learmond was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the both the first two touring sides to England in 1900 and 1906....
making 52 and adding 75 in 30 minutes with Charles Ollivierre
Charles Ollivierre
Charles Augustus Ollivierre was a West Indian cricketer who toured England in 1900 and played for Derbyshire between 1901 and 1907 becoming the first black West Indian to play for an English county....
. WG took 5 wickets. Following-on they were again in trouble at 132/8 and heading for an innings defeat. However Lebrun Constantine
Lebrun Constantine
Lebrun Samuel Constantine was a coloured West Indian cricketer who toured England in 1900 and 1906 and was a regular member of the Trinidad team from 1893-94 to 1922-23. He was primarily a batsman. He often kept wicket but was also a useful occasional bowler...
scored a magnificent 113 in 90 minutes. Assisted by Tommie Burton
Tommie Burton
William Thomas Burton was a coloured West Indian cricketer best known as a member of the 1900 and 1906 West Indian tourists to England. He is generally known as Tommie Burton.He was the son of a black mother and a white father...
they added 162 for the 9th wicket in 65 minutes. Burton eventually made 64* and left the M.C.C. a target of 107 in a little over 2 hours. Stoddart took 7 wickets, all clean bowled. The two Professionals bowled well to reduce the M.C.C. to 36/4 but they reached their target with 5 minutes to spare for the loss of only one further wicket.
Match 5 v Minor Counties
Hinds, Kerr and Mignon replaced D'Ade, Goodman and Warner. The Minor Counties side was not at all representative and had 7 Northamptonshire players joined by Creber and Lowe from Glamorgan, Williams from Berkshire and Elliott from Durham. Sproston won the toss for the first time and the tourists made 206 with Charles OllivierreCharles Ollivierre
Charles Augustus Ollivierre was a West Indian cricketer who toured England in 1900 and played for Derbyshire between 1901 and 1907 becoming the first black West Indian to play for an English county....
making 69 in 2 hours. George Thompson
George Thompson
George Thompson may refer to:*George Thompson , British anti-slavery lecturer and British MP for Tower Hamlets*George Thompson , one of Colorado's earliest aviators...
took 7/84.
In reply the Minor Counties made 261 with Tommie Burton
Tommie Burton
William Thomas Burton was a coloured West Indian cricketer best known as a member of the 1900 and 1906 West Indian tourists to England. He is generally known as Tommie Burton.He was the son of a black mother and a white father...
taking 6/55. Batting again the West Indians were in trouble but with 68 from Fitz Hinds
Fitz Hinds
Delmont Cameron St Clair Hinds was a coloured West Indian cricketer who toured with the first West Indian touring side to England in 1900...
and 30s from Percy Cox and William Bowring
William Bowring
William Bowring was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the first West Indian touring side to England in 1900...
they set a target of 116. The Minor Counties were then dismissed for just 54 with Float Woods
Float Woods
Joseph 'Float' Woods was a coloured West Indian cricketer best known as a member of the 1900 West Indian tourists to England...
(4/31), Burton (3/11) and William Mignon
William Mignon
William Henry Mignon was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the first West Indian touring side to England in 1900. He was the son of Edward Adolphus Seymour Mignon and Margaret Bridget .Born in England he emigrated to Grenada in the West Indies in the 1890s...
(2/5) doing all the bowling and giving the tourists their first victory.
Match 6 v Gloucestershire
Goodman and Warner replaced Cox and Kerr. Gloucestershire won the toss and batted. The tourists had a good start taking 3 quick wickets but Stanley Brown scored a useful 60 and was out at 90/4. Charlie TownsendCharlie Townsend
Charles Lucas Townsend was a Gloucestershire cricketer. An all-round cricketer, Townsend was classically stylish, left-handed batsman, who was able to hit well despite his slender build...
then joined Harry Wrathall and the pair added 209 for the fifth wicket, Gloucestershire then being 299/5. Gilbert Jessop
Gilbert Jessop
Gilbert Laird Jessop was an English cricket player, often reckoned to have been the fastest run-scorer cricket has ever known, he was Wisden Cricketer of the Year for 1898.Relations...
then joined Townsend. Jessop reach his 50 in 20 minutes, 83 in 30, 102 in 43 and was out for 157 scored in an hour. He added 201 with Townsend in the hour taking the total to 500/6. His innings contain 29 4s. At this time a 6 was awarded only for hits out of the ground, so an unknown number of these 4s could have been modern-day 6s. Jessop hit Float Woods
Float Woods
Joseph 'Float' Woods was a coloured West Indian cricketer best known as a member of the 1900 West Indian tourists to England...
for five fours and a three in one over. Gloucestershire reached 518/7 at the close. Woods had strained himself in the previous match and could not bowl comfortably. In addition Tommie Burton
Tommie Burton
William Thomas Burton was a coloured West Indian cricketer best known as a member of the 1900 and 1906 West Indian tourists to England. He is generally known as Tommie Burton.He was the son of a black mother and a white father...
damaged his foot at lunchtime and didn't bowl for the rest of the day.
On the second day Gloucestershire were all out for 619. Burton's figures of 5/68 in 25 overs look impressive but he had taken 3 wickets before lunch on the first day and took 2 tail-enders wickets on the second day and had not bowled when the runs were being piled on. William Mignon
William Mignon
William Henry Mignon was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the first West Indian touring side to England in 1900. He was the son of Edward Adolphus Seymour Mignon and Margaret Bridget .Born in England he emigrated to Grenada in the West Indies in the 1890s...
took 5/162, dismissing Wrathall, Townsend and Jessop, but Charles Ollivierre
Charles Ollivierre
Charles Augustus Ollivierre was a West Indian cricketer who toured England in 1900 and played for Derbyshire between 1901 and 1907 becoming the first black West Indian to play for an English county....
with 0/137 and Woods with 0/141 really suffered. Fitz Hinds
Fitz Hinds
Delmont Cameron St Clair Hinds was a coloured West Indian cricketer who toured with the first West Indian touring side to England in 1900...
did no better with 0/72 in just 8 overs.
When they batted the tourists collapsed for 98 with Percy Goodman
Percy Goodman
Percy Arnold Goodman was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the both the first two touring sides to England in 1900 and 1906. He was one of the top West Indian batsmen of his day and was also a useful medium pace bowler, especially in his younger days...
run out for 38, Townsend and Frederick Roberts taking the wickets. Following-on they did much better. Lebrun Constantine
Lebrun Constantine
Lebrun Samuel Constantine was a coloured West Indian cricketer who toured England in 1900 and 1906 and was a regular member of the Trinidad team from 1893-94 to 1922-23. He was primarily a batsman. He often kept wicket but was also a useful occasional bowler...
top scored with 65 and 10 of the team reached double figures to give a respectable total of 307 reached by noon on the third day.
Match 7 v Leicestershire
Plum Warner played for West Indians in this match. He and Cox replaced Aucher Warner and Bowring. Sproston won the toss and Plum WarnerPlum Warner
Sir Pelham Francis Warner MBE , affectionately and better known as Plum Warner, or even "the Grand Old Man" of English cricket was a Test cricketer....
and Charles Ollivierre
Charles Ollivierre
Charles Augustus Ollivierre was a West Indian cricketer who toured England in 1900 and played for Derbyshire between 1901 and 1907 becoming the first black West Indian to play for an English county....
then added 238 for the first wicket in 135 minutes, Warner made 113 and Ollivierre was eventually run out for 159 scored in 190 minutes. The day ended with the score at 307/4.
Lebrun Constantine
Lebrun Constantine
Lebrun Samuel Constantine was a coloured West Indian cricketer who toured England in 1900 and 1906 and was a regular member of the Trinidad team from 1893-94 to 1922-23. He was primarily a batsman. He often kept wicket but was also a useful occasional bowler...
scored a useful 41 on the second day to take the score to 383. Leicestershire collapsed for 80 with Float Woods
Float Woods
Joseph 'Float' Woods was a coloured West Indian cricketer best known as a member of the 1900 West Indian tourists to England...
taking 5/39 and Tommie Burton
Tommie Burton
William Thomas Burton was a coloured West Indian cricketer best known as a member of the 1900 and 1906 West Indian tourists to England. He is generally known as Tommie Burton.He was the son of a black mother and a white father...
4/39. Following-on they did much better and were 210/5 at the close of the second day, Charles de Trafford having scored 51. When play started on the third day Cecil Wood was soon out for 77 and the match was soon over, Burton taking 4/63 in the innings.
Match 8 v Nottinghamshire
Aucher Warner replaced his brother Plum in the side and the tourists had a three day break before the match. Warner lost the toss again and the Nottinghamshire team scored 501 with William GunnBilly Gunn (cricketer)
William "Billy" Gunn was an English sportsman who played internationally in both cricket and football. In first-class cricket, Gunn played professionally for Nottinghamshire from 1880 to 1904 and represented England in 11 Test matches...
scoring 161 in 210 minutes out of 274. They were 343/4 at the close. On the second day James Iremonger
James Iremonger
James 'Jimmy' Iremonger was an English cricketer and one of the players most unlucky never to play Test cricket...
scored 101. Tommie Burton
Tommie Burton
William Thomas Burton was a coloured West Indian cricketer best known as a member of the 1900 and 1906 West Indian tourists to England. He is generally known as Tommie Burton.He was the son of a black mother and a white father...
took 5/159 in 73.3 overs in the innings.
In reply Percy Cox scored 55 but the West Indians were 124/6 at stumps. On the final day Aucher Warner
Aucher Warner
Robert Stewart Aucher Warner was a West Indian cricketer. He was known as Aucher Warner...
reached 53* but the tourists followed-on 292 behind. In reply Stanley Sproston
Stanley Sproston
Stanley Winfield Sproston was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the first West Indian touring side to England in 1900 and captained the side for much of the tour in the absence of Aucher Warner.He made his debut in important matches for British Guiana against Slade Lucas's...
scored 72, Charles Ollivierre
Charles Ollivierre
Charles Augustus Ollivierre was a West Indian cricketer who toured England in 1900 and played for Derbyshire between 1901 and 1907 becoming the first black West Indian to play for an English county....
50 and Lebrun Constantine
Lebrun Constantine
Lebrun Samuel Constantine was a coloured West Indian cricketer who toured England in 1900 and 1906 and was a regular member of the Trinidad team from 1893-94 to 1922-23. He was primarily a batsman. He often kept wicket but was also a useful occasional bowler...
50*. Gunn took 7 wickets in the match with his lobs.
Match 9 v Wiltshire
Bowring and Livingston were brought in for Learmond and Mignon. Warner lost the toss as usual and Wiltshire scored 313 and the tourists were 83/3 at the close with Lebrun ConstantineLebrun Constantine
Lebrun Samuel Constantine was a coloured West Indian cricketer who toured England in 1900 and 1906 and was a regular member of the Trinidad team from 1893-94 to 1922-23. He was primarily a batsman. He often kept wicket but was also a useful occasional bowler...
scoring 43 in 20 minutes before being run out.
On the second day the tourists did badly and only got 37 more runs. William Overton took 7/35 in the innings. Following-on they did even worse, Constantine again being top score with 32. This was regarded as the worst performance of the tour.
Match 10 v Lancashire
Learmond and Mignon replaced Goodman and Livingston. Warner lost the toss but Lancashire were dismissed for 187 with William MignonWilliam Mignon
William Henry Mignon was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the first West Indian touring side to England in 1900. He was the son of Edward Adolphus Seymour Mignon and Margaret Bridget .Born in England he emigrated to Grenada in the West Indies in the 1890s...
taking 6/44. Henry Cudworth, who only placed a single first-class match in his career, scored 102 in 2 hours. In reply the tourists scored 174 with Charles Ollivierre
Charles Ollivierre
Charles Augustus Ollivierre was a West Indian cricketer who toured England in 1900 and played for Derbyshire between 1901 and 1907 becoming the first black West Indian to play for an English county....
scoring 44. Johnny Briggs
Johnny Briggs (cricketer)
Johnny Briggs was a left arm spin bowler for Lancashire County Cricket Club between 1879 and 1900 who still stands as the second-highest wicket-taker in the county's history after Brian Statham...
was rested and did not bowl.
On the second day Lancashire were bowled out for 182, Briggs scoring 64, AN Hornby being absent having been injured fielding on the first day. Mignon took 4 more wickets to make it 10/117 in the match. Set a target of 196 the West Indies were 109/4 but after Ollivierre was out for 60 they fell well short. Briggs was turned loose and took 7/43 in the innings.
Match 11 v Derbyshire
D'Ade and Goodman replaced Learmond and Warner. Derbyshire won the toss and scored 234. Tommie BurtonTommie Burton
William Thomas Burton was a coloured West Indian cricketer best known as a member of the 1900 and 1906 West Indian tourists to England. He is generally known as Tommie Burton.He was the son of a black mother and a white father...
with 4/78 and Percy Cox with 5/61 doing the damage. The West Indies were 38/1 at stumps.
On the second day the tourists passed the Derbyshire total but a thunderstorm caused two and a quarter hours of play to be lost at the end of the day. Lebrun Constantine
Lebrun Constantine
Lebrun Samuel Constantine was a coloured West Indian cricketer who toured England in 1900 and 1906 and was a regular member of the Trinidad team from 1893-94 to 1922-23. He was primarily a batsman. He often kept wicket but was also a useful occasional bowler...
and Percy Goodman
Percy Goodman
Percy Arnold Goodman was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the both the first two touring sides to England in 1900 and 1906. He was one of the top West Indian batsmen of his day and was also a useful medium pace bowler, especially in his younger days...
had added 103 for the fifth wicket in just over an hour. Goodman eventually made 104* in a little over 2 hours. John Hulme did most of the damage taking 6/77. Derbyshire were 74/5 but recovered to score 182/7 before declaring leaving the tourists just 11 overs in which they reached 45/2. William Storer
William Storer
William Storer was an English footballer and a cricketer who played six Tests from 1897 to 1899, played first class cricket for Derbyshire from 1887 to 1905 and played football for Derby County...
top scored in both innings for Derbyshire.
Match 12 v Staffordshire
Kerr replaced Constantine. Staffordshire won the toss and scored 256 with Albert Hollowood scoring 103 in 3 hours. Tommie BurtonTommie Burton
William Thomas Burton was a coloured West Indian cricketer best known as a member of the 1900 and 1906 West Indian tourists to England. He is generally known as Tommie Burton.He was the son of a black mother and a white father...
took 7/100 in 42 overs. The West Indies were 42/1 at the close.
On the second day the tourists reached 228 with Fitz Hinds
Fitz Hinds
Delmont Cameron St Clair Hinds was a coloured West Indian cricketer who toured with the first West Indian touring side to England in 1900...
making 79. With only two days allocated the match was always likely to be drawn.
Match 13 v Hampshire
Learmond replaced Kerr. Sproston won the toss and scored 366/9 on the first day Percy Cox and Percy GoodmanPercy Goodman
Percy Arnold Goodman was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the both the first two touring sides to England in 1900 and 1906. He was one of the top West Indian batsmen of his day and was also a useful medium pace bowler, especially in his younger days...
adding 105 for the second wicket. Stanley Sproston
Stanley Sproston
Stanley Winfield Sproston was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the first West Indian touring side to England in 1900 and captained the side for much of the tour in the absence of Aucher Warner.He made his debut in important matches for British Guiana against Slade Lucas's...
top scored with 86 and William Bowring
William Bowring
William Bowring was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the first West Indian touring side to England in 1900...
also contributed 63 useful runs. Charles Llewellyn
Charles Llewellyn
Charles Bennett Llewellyn was the first non-white South African Test cricketer.Born out of wedlock in Pietermaritzburg to an English father and a black Saint Helenan mother, the dark-eyed and dark-skinned Llewellyn had an underprivileged upbringing in Natal being considered of mixed blood...
bowled 54 overs in the innings taking 7/153.
Thunderstorms on the second day stopped play for three hours with Hampshire on 101/2 and only Victor Barton
Victor Barton
Victor Alexander Barton was a cricketer who played for Kent County Cricket Club in 1889 and 1890 before committing himself to the Army....
with 59 and Llewellyn with 93 had much success on a poor pitch. Float Woods
Float Woods
Joseph 'Float' Woods was a coloured West Indian cricketer best known as a member of the 1900 West Indian tourists to England...
took 6/93. The tourists were 20/0 at the close. The wicket was still poor on the third day and Llewellyn was again successful taking 6/34. Hampshire had little chance of victory and the two Professionals soon dispatched them, Woods taking 4/55 and Tommie Burton
Tommie Burton
William Thomas Burton was a coloured West Indian cricketer best known as a member of the 1900 and 1906 West Indian tourists to England. He is generally known as Tommie Burton.He was the son of a black mother and a white father...
5/50. The tourists had the best of the conditions for a change.
Match 14 v Surrey
Constantine replaced Learmond. Sproston won the toss and the tourists batted. Charles OllivierreCharles Ollivierre
Charles Augustus Ollivierre was a West Indian cricketer who toured England in 1900 and played for Derbyshire between 1901 and 1907 becoming the first black West Indian to play for an English county....
and Percy Cox opened the batting and were not parted until Ollivierre was caught at square leg for 94 off Livingstone Walker, the score standing at 208. Cox was eventually out for 142 scored out of 261. Walker was the seventh bowler used but had great success taking 8/72 in 15 overs. Percy Goodman
Percy Goodman
Percy Arnold Goodman was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the both the first two touring sides to England in 1900 and 1906. He was one of the top West Indian batsmen of his day and was also a useful medium pace bowler, especially in his younger days...
scored 34* but otherwise the wickets fell rapidly and the score eventually reached only 328. When Surrey batted Float Woods
Float Woods
Joseph 'Float' Woods was a coloured West Indian cricketer best known as a member of the 1900 West Indian tourists to England...
was unplayable and the batting team were soon 30/6 with Woods at this stage having figures of 5/8. John Shuter and Walker led a short recovery and Surrey were 86/7 at the close.
On the second morning Surrey were dismissed for 117 with Woods taking 7/48 in 19 overs. Following-on Surrey made a good start but soon started losing wickets. Edward Dowson was run out for the second time in the match when going well and Walker again batted well. Woods took 5/68 to made it 12 wickets in the match. Tommie Burton
Tommie Burton
William Thomas Burton was a coloured West Indian cricketer best known as a member of the 1900 and 1906 West Indian tourists to England. He is generally known as Tommie Burton.He was the son of a black mother and a white father...
took the remaining 6 wickets. This was regarded as the best victory of the tour.
Match 15 v Liverpool and District
The tourists kept the same side and Sproston again won the toss and batted. Percy Cox scored 76 and Stanley SprostonStanley Sproston
Stanley Winfield Sproston was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the first West Indian touring side to England in 1900 and captained the side for much of the tour in the absence of Aucher Warner.He made his debut in important matches for British Guiana against Slade Lucas's...
scored 118 in 110 minutes, the two adding over 100 for the 5th wicket. William Mignon
William Mignon
William Henry Mignon was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the first West Indian touring side to England in 1900. He was the son of Edward Adolphus Seymour Mignon and Margaret Bridget .Born in England he emigrated to Grenada in the West Indies in the 1890s...
joined Sproston for the last wicket and despite making only 1* helped Sproston take his score from 64 to 118 and the West Indies to 265. Cecil Holden made 86 for Liverpool but Tommie Burton
Tommie Burton
William Thomas Burton was a coloured West Indian cricketer best known as a member of the 1900 and 1906 West Indian tourists to England. He is generally known as Tommie Burton.He was the son of a black mother and a white father...
and Cox took 5 wickets each to give the tourists a first innings lead of 47. There had been no play at all on the second day.
There was only three and a half hours of play remaining when the tourists started their second innings which they declared closed at 124/5. Liverpool reached 100/0 at the close with Hubert Pilkington making 68* and Holden 23*.
Lebrun Constantine
Lebrun Constantine
Lebrun Samuel Constantine was a coloured West Indian cricketer who toured England in 1900 and 1906 and was a regular member of the Trinidad team from 1893-94 to 1922-23. He was primarily a batsman. He often kept wicket but was also a useful occasional bowler...
was given out in this match when a ball played by him lodged in his leg guard. The Liverpool wicket-keeper Arthur Kemble rushed up and picked the ball out and Constantine was initially given out. However the decision was then reversed, the law having changed in 1899, and he was allowed to continue his innings.
Match 16 v Yorkshire
Learmond replaced Mignon. Sproston lost the toss but play was limited to 25 minutes on the opening day. The match was abandoned on the second day.Match 17 v Norfolk
Kerr replaced Learmond. Norfolk won the toss and batted. Float WoodsFloat Woods
Joseph 'Float' Woods was a coloured West Indian cricketer best known as a member of the 1900 West Indian tourists to England...
and Percy Cox had Norfolk in all sorts of trouble but they eventually reached 117. Woods had taken 5/38 and Cox 4/44. The tourists also stated badly but Lionel D'Ade
Lionel D'Ade
Lionel Smythe D'Ade was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the first West Indian touring side to England in 1900....
rescued the situation with 68* to enable the tourists to gain a first innings lead of 48. D'Ade had taken 2 hours for his first 34. Charles Shore took 5/64 for Norfolk.
When Norfolk batted again Burton was unplayable and took 8/9 in 10.4 overs including a spell of 5/0 in 5 overs. With Woods, who took 2/22 in 10 overs, they bowled unchanged and dismissed the county for just 32.
Summary
Of the 17 matches played, 5 matches were won, 8 were lost and 4 were drawn.It is worth noting that in the 7 matches he played in Aucher Warner
Aucher Warner
Robert Stewart Aucher Warner was a West Indian cricketer. He was known as Aucher Warner...
lost the toss each time. On each occasion the West Indians had to field first and on each occasion they lost the match. Stanley Sproston
Stanley Sproston
Stanley Winfield Sproston was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the first West Indian touring side to England in 1900 and captained the side for much of the tour in the absence of Aucher Warner.He made his debut in important matches for British Guiana against Slade Lucas's...
had more luck, winning the toss 5 times out of 10.
The first 10 matches were all won by the team batting first and it was only in the very last match against Norfolk that the team batting second won a game.
Post Tour
A banquet was held for the team at the West Indian Club. The team left Southampton on August 23 abroad R.M.S. Don, returning to the West Indies on about September 4.General Comments
The following comments made after the tour are typical. "A tour which, as an experiment, was extremely interesting and far more successful than might have been expected. As everyone thought at the time, the programme of matches arranged in December was too ambitious, but the defect was easily remedied, the leading counties putting far less than their full strength into the field when the West Indians had to be opposed.". Plum WarnerPlum Warner
Sir Pelham Francis Warner MBE , affectionately and better known as Plum Warner, or even "the Grand Old Man" of English cricket was a Test cricketer....
said "I will begin 'right away' as the Americans say, by stating that the tour was a success. Considering that the team had never played together before, that they loss the toss on no fewer than twelve occasions out of the seventeen matches that the programme comprised, I think that the judgment I have given will be endorsed on all sides".
He continues later: "The weakest points of the team were: (1) The absence of a reliable wicket-keeper, and (2) The bad judgment that was too often displayed when running".
'Cricket' says that "The members of the team, white and coloured alike, have proved themselves to be good sportsmen and keen opponents, while the very fact that they did not come over for the purpose of making money, but as sportsmen pure and simple, makes all cricketers regret that the guarantors may have to be called upon". The last point alluding to the fact that tour was expected to lose money.
Race Issues
In 1900 the idea of different races playing together in the same match was a bit of a novelty. Only in the West Indies and India were there significant numbers of coloured cricketers playing. Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji, an Indian prince (universally known as Ranji), had been playing in English cricket for a few years but otherwise coloured cricketers were rarely seen.During the opening match a formal welcome was given to the team during which it appears that Aucher Warner
Aucher Warner
Robert Stewart Aucher Warner was a West Indian cricketer. He was known as Aucher Warner...
had made the remark: "we have come to learn, sir" to WG Grace. The following day a cartoon appeared in the 'Star' in which "Dr Grace, a giant is the central figure, bat in hand, and around him, crouching, stooping, imploring are six black urchins of hideous appearance and rather diminutive in size, all of whom are evidently shedding tears. Below appears the words 'We have come to learn, sah!.'" Designed to be amusing, similar cartoons appeared in this and later tours.
When asked whether the coloured members of the team quickly fell into English ways Mr Nock, the Manager, reported: "Very soon. They are thorough sportsmen, and have given no trouble whatever during the tour." Later he says that "In our first match I was walking through the grounds with Woods, who suddenly said to me: Mr. Nock they have got a lot of white people in this country!".
Woods himself is reported as saying about the tour: "I enjoyed it very much. There was the cricket and going about in trains; I liked the views very much. The travelling didn't tire me much and I never had to be left out of the team. I think I should like to live in England, though I don't know whether I could stand the cold in the winter."
It is also worth noting that Ollivierre, a coloured Amateur, was signed up by Derbyshire during the tour and played for them for a number of years.
Much has been made over the years of Gilbert Jessop
Gilbert Jessop
Gilbert Laird Jessop was an English cricket player, often reckoned to have been the fastest run-scorer cricket has ever known, he was Wisden Cricketer of the Year for 1898.Relations...
's innings of 157 in an hour and the reactions of the coloured cricketers. C.L.R. James reports that Float Woods "went to his captain and asked permission to take off his boots. West Indian captain Aucher Warner asked him why: he replied that he could bowl properly only when barefooted. Woods was making the best response he knew to a truly desperate situation." Sammy Woods
Sammy Woods
Samuel Moses James "Sammy" Woods was an Australian sportsman who represented both Australia and England at Test cricket, and appeared thirteen times for England at rugby union, including five times as captain. He also played at county level in England at both soccer and hockey...
in his autobiography reports that Jessop "hit the two famous Black Bowlers (Cumberbatch and Woods) so furiously that not only they couldn't bowl for laughter, but the rest of the dark ones in the field rolled about and set up a howl of delight". Archie Cumberbatch
Archie Cumberbatch
Archibald Belford Cumberbatch was a West Indian cricketer who toured England in 1906. He was a right arm fast bowler....
was, of course, not on the tour at all and this and other remarks are probably embellished. Overall the reports are of doubtful accuracy and have racist undertones to them.
So from what is reported it seems that race was not a major issue during the tour. Whether this really reflects the reality is difficult to tell at this distance in time.
Batting
| Player | P | I | NO | R | HS | Ave | 100 | 50 | C/S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CA Ollivierre Charles Ollivierre Charles Augustus Ollivierre was a West Indian cricketer who toured England in 1900 and played for Derbyshire between 1901 and 1907 becoming the first black West Indian to play for an English county.... |
17 | 29 | 2 | 883 | 159 | 32.70 | 1 | 4 | 11 |
| LS Constantine Lebrun Constantine Lebrun Samuel Constantine was a coloured West Indian cricketer who toured England in 1900 and 1906 and was a regular member of the Trinidad team from 1893-94 to 1922-23. He was primarily a batsman. He often kept wicket but was also a useful occasional bowler... |
14 | 22 | 2 | 610 | 113 | 30.50 | 1 | 3 | 15/1 |
| PI Cox Percy Cox (cricketer) Percy Ince Cox was a West Indian cricketer... |
16 | 25 | 0 | 755 | 142 | 30.20 | 1 | 5 | 5 |
| PA Goodman Percy Goodman Percy Arnold Goodman was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the both the first two touring sides to England in 1900 and 1906. He was one of the top West Indian batsmen of his day and was also a useful medium pace bowler, especially in his younger days... |
15 | 23 | 3 | 563 | 104* | 28.15 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| SW Sproston Stanley Sproston Stanley Winfield Sproston was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the first West Indian touring side to England in 1900 and captained the side for much of the tour in the absence of Aucher Warner.He made his debut in important matches for British Guiana against Slade Lucas's... |
17 | 27 | 0 | 600 | 118 | 22.22 | 1 | 3 | 7 |
| DCS Hinds Fitz Hinds Delmont Cameron St Clair Hinds was a coloured West Indian cricketer who toured with the first West Indian touring side to England in 1900... |
15 | 23 | 1 | 443 | 79 | 20.13 | - | 2 | 19 |
| LS D'Ade Lionel D'Ade Lionel Smythe D'Ade was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the first West Indian touring side to England in 1900.... |
9 | 13 | 2 | 193 | 68* | 17.54 | - | 1 | 3 |
| RSA Warner Aucher Warner Robert Stewart Aucher Warner was a West Indian cricketer. He was known as Aucher Warner... |
7 | 14 | 2 | 190 | 53* | 15.83 | - | 1 | - |
| W Bowring William Bowring William Bowring was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the first West Indian touring side to England in 1900... |
14 | 23 | 2 | 309 | 63 | 14.71 | - | 1 | 7 |
| WT Burton Tommie Burton William Thomas Burton was a coloured West Indian cricketer best known as a member of the 1900 and 1906 West Indian tourists to England. He is generally known as Tommie Burton.He was the son of a black mother and a white father... |
16 | 26 | 1 | 291 | 64* | 11.64 | - | 1 | 11 |
| GC Learmond George Learmond (cricketer) George Cyril Learmond was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the both the first two touring sides to England in 1900 and 1906.... |
11 | 19 | 0 | 173 | 52 | 9.10 | - | 1 | 3 |
| J Woods Float Woods Joseph 'Float' Woods was a coloured West Indian cricketer best known as a member of the 1900 West Indian tourists to England... |
17 | 27 | 7 | 145 | 36 | 7.25 | - | - | 17 |
| WH Mignon William Mignon William Henry Mignon was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the first West Indian touring side to England in 1900. He was the son of Edward Adolphus Seymour Mignon and Margaret Bridget .Born in England he emigrated to Grenada in the West Indies in the 1890s... |
12 | 19 | 8 | 68 | 17* | 6.18 | - | - | 4 |
| MM Kerr Malcolm Kerr (cricketer) Malcolm McLeod Kerr was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the first West Indian touring side to England in 1900.... |
4 | 6 | 0 | 29 | 20 | 4.83 | - | - | 1 |
| GV Livingston Gilbert Livingston (cricketer) Gilbert Vivian Livingston was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the first West Indian touring side to England in 1900.... |
2 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 9 | 3.33 | - | - | 1 |
PF Warner played in 1 match, scoring 113.
1 catch was taken by a substitute fielder.
Bowling
| Player | O | M | R | W | BB | Ave | 5i | 10m |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J Woods Float Woods Joseph 'Float' Woods was a coloured West Indian cricketer best known as a member of the 1900 West Indian tourists to England... |
547.4 | 128 | 1551 | 72 | 7/47 | 21.54 | 6 | 2 |
| WT Burton Tommie Burton William Thomas Burton was a coloured West Indian cricketer best known as a member of the 1900 and 1906 West Indian tourists to England. He is generally known as Tommie Burton.He was the son of a black mother and a white father... |
660.5 | 188 | 1681 | 78 | 8/9 | 21.55 | 8 | - |
| SW Sproston Stanley Sproston Stanley Winfield Sproston was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the first West Indian touring side to England in 1900 and captained the side for much of the tour in the absence of Aucher Warner.He made his debut in important matches for British Guiana against Slade Lucas's... |
12 | 1 | 54 | 2 | 1/15 | 27.00 | - | - |
| PI Cox Percy Cox (cricketer) Percy Ince Cox was a West Indian cricketer... |
185 | 22 | 673 | 24 | 5/64 | 28.04 | 1 | - |
| WH Mignon William Mignon William Henry Mignon was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the first West Indian touring side to England in 1900. He was the son of Edward Adolphus Seymour Mignon and Margaret Bridget .Born in England he emigrated to Grenada in the West Indies in the 1890s... |
285.5 | 65 | 883 | 30 | 6/44 | 29.43 | 2 | 1 |
| CA Ollivierre Charles Ollivierre Charles Augustus Ollivierre was a West Indian cricketer who toured England in 1900 and played for Derbyshire between 1901 and 1907 becoming the first black West Indian to play for an English county.... |
108.5 | 19 | 462 | 13 | 4/37 | 35.53 | - | - |
| PA Goodman Percy Goodman Percy Arnold Goodman was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the both the first two touring sides to England in 1900 and 1906. He was one of the top West Indian batsmen of his day and was also a useful medium pace bowler, especially in his younger days... |
82.2 | 11 | 270 | 5 | 2/49 | 54.00 | - | - |
| DCS Hinds Fitz Hinds Delmont Cameron St Clair Hinds was a coloured West Indian cricketer who toured with the first West Indian touring side to England in 1900... |
76 | 8 | 325 | 6 | 2/48 | 54.16 | - | - |
| GV Livingston Gilbert Livingston (cricketer) Gilbert Vivian Livingston was a West Indian cricketer who toured with the first West Indian touring side to England in 1900.... |
18 | 2 | 65 | 0 | ||||
| LS Constantine Lebrun Constantine Lebrun Samuel Constantine was a coloured West Indian cricketer who toured England in 1900 and 1906 and was a regular member of the Trinidad team from 1893-94 to 1922-23. He was primarily a batsman. He often kept wicket but was also a useful occasional bowler... |
18 | 3 | 79 | 0 | ||||
Woods bowled 5 no balls and 1 wide. Burton 1 no ball, Cox 1 no ball and 1 wide, Mignon 7 wides, Constantine 1 wide.
External sources
- CricketArchive
- Cricinfo - The first West Indians (from The CricketerThe CricketerThe Cricketer was an English cricket magazine published between 1921 and 2003 when it was merged with Wisden Cricket Monthly and relaunched as The Wisden Cricketer....
June 1988)
Further reading
- Cricket: A Weekly Record of the GameCricket: A Weekly Record of the GameCricket: A Weekly Record of the Game was a cricket publication which ran from 1882 to 1913. It is sometimes referred to as just Cricket. In all it ran to 949 issues in 32 volumes...
, 1900 - L S Smith, West Indies Cricket History and Cricket Tours of England 1900, 1906 and 1923, 1923
- Peter Wynne-Thomas, The Complete History of Cricket Tours at Home & Abroad, 1989