|
Alf Valentine
 Alf Valentine was
one half of the mystifying spin twins immortalised
as those "Little Pals of Mine" the other being Sonny
Ramadhin, as depicted in Lord Beginner's famous calypso
'Cricket Lovely Cricket'. Valentine made his Test debut on the 1950
tour of England at the age of 20, with only two first class matches to
his name and two wickets. Valentine was a slim awkward left-arm bowler,
who imparted a ferocious tweak to the ball which, his team-mates
testified, hissed through the air before turing sharply off the pitch.
Alf Valentine was a conventional
left-arm leg-break bowler who gave the term "spin bowler" new meaning
with his capacity to spin the ball, also in
his armory was a well disguised delivery that came with the arm.
Valentine was a surprising choice on the tour to England in
1950 as he had only taken two wickets in those matches at an
average of 95, however the selectors took an educated guess
based on his capacity to turn the ball and the, traditional
wisdom had it that you must have a left arm spinner in England.
Valentine was the greatest left
arm leg break bowler ever to play for the West Indies and argublely to
play the game.
He however justified his selection for the Test side when in the first
innings of the first Test, he took the first eight wickets, five of
them before lunch on the first day. He finished with 8 for 104 in the
innings, and 11 for 204 in the match off 106 overs. In the second Test,
at Lord's, the West Indies recorded a 326-run victory, with Valentine
again showing his class with 7 for 127.
The West Indies' success
continued as they won the third and fourth Tests to record their
first series victory in England, Valentine taking five wickets
in the third Test and ten wickets in the fourth Test. He bowled 92
overs in the second innings of the third Test, then a Test record. In
all, Valentine took 33 wickets in the series at an average of 20.42. He
bowled a massive 422.5 overs, conceding only 1.59 runs per over.
In Australia in 1951-52
Valentine spun out 24 more Test wickets, and he was well on the way to
100 in what was then a record time for a West Indian spinner. Injury
and illness in England in 1957 forced him out for a while, but he
returned for the historic 1960-61 tour of Australia, and played his
part in the Tied Test and finished second in the bowling averages to
Wes Hall.
Alf Valentine retired from Test
cricket at the young age of 30, after the West Indies versus India Test
match at Kingston in, 1962, having taken 139 wickets in 36 Test at an
average of 30.32. After retiring from International
cricket Valentine played first class cricket in the Lancashire league.
He also coach in his native Jamaica before settling in Florida where he
died after a prolonged period of ill health. He was 74.
Alf Valentine Test Cricket
Statistics
| Full Name |
Alfred Louis Valentine |
|
Number
of Test
|
36 |
|
Test Run Aggregate
|
141 |
|
Test
Batting Average
|
4.70
|
|
Total Test Wickets
|
139 |
|
Test Bowling Average
|
30.32 |
|
Test
Centuries
|
0 |
|
Date of Birth
|
April
28, 1930, Kingston, Jamaica |
| Died |
May 11, 2004, Orlando, Florida, USA (aged 74 years
13 days) |
|
Test Debut
|
England
v West Indies at Manchester - Jun 8-12, 1950 |
|
Last Test Match
|
West
Indies v India at Kingston - Apr 13-18, 1962
|
|
Batting
Style
|
Right hand bat |
|
Bowling
Style
|
Slow left-arm orthodox |
|
|
|
| Screenshot |
Description |
 |
Cricket
Legends These players are the 50 greatest cricketers of
the century, as voted by a blue-ribbon panel of judges assembled by
ESPN. The panelists were asked to list in order, their top 50 players.
Cricketing legends from Australia, England, India, New Zealand,
Pakistan, South Africa and the West Indies all made it to the final 50.
Among them are some famous West Indies fast bowlers, great Aussie
legends, and modern heros of the game. Disc 5 features the great George
Headley. |
| Format |
Pages |
Cost |
| NTSC - DVD |
|
£124.99 |
|
|
| Screenshot |
Description |
 |
Tied
Test 1960/61, The first ever Tied Test match between
Australia and the West Indies in 1960/61. Wes Hall bowled the Last over
in the Tied Test. |
| Format |
|
Cost |
| NTSC - DVD |
|
£24.99 |
|
|
| Screenshot |
Description |
 |
A
Nation Imagine, The publication of A Nation Imagined
falls squarely within the West Indies Cricket Board’s
celebrations of 75 years of West Indies’ entry into Test
cricket. Produced under the theme “75 Years of Windies Test
Cricket: Uniting the Region, Exciting the World”, this
commemorative book is a treasure trove of facts and anecdotes and a
must have for every cricket lover. |
| Format |
|
Cost |
| Paper Back Book |
|
£24.95 |
|
|
| Screenshot |
Description |
 |
Caught
In Action 20 Years of West Indies Cricket Photography by
Gordon Brooks beautifully features the very best of
his work, most of which has never been published before. Watch the
story of West Indies cricket unfold before your eyes as you enjoy
studying these wonderful cricket photos. Every cricket fan will want a
copy of this book. |
| Format |
Pages |
Cost |
| Hard Cover Book |
152
|
£21.95 |
|
|
| Screenshot |
Description |
 |
Wisden
Caribbean Cricket, delivers an interesting
account of 75 years of West Indies Cricket history. This book will be
an excellent resource to students, educators and cricket enthusiasts
the world over. With the foreword by Sir Vivian Richards, Wisden's
Caribbean Cricket offers a heartwarming walk down memory lane. |
| Format |
Pages |
Cost |
| Hard Cover book |
144 |
£19.95 |
|
|
| Screenshot |
Description |
 |
The
Glory Days 25 Great West Indian Cricketers, The Glory
Days - 25 Great West Indian Cricketers, celebrates the
legends of west Indies cricket. Batsmen like Headley,
Walcott, Weekes, Worrell, Sobers, Richards and Lara; and
bowlers like Hall, Gibbs, Roberts, Holding, Marshall, Ambrose and
Walsh. This colourful book provides profiles, career hightlights and
statistics accompanied by loads of superb photos, of 25 great West
Indian cricket legends. It is a must have book for every
cricket fan. |
| Format |
Pages |
Cost |
| Hard Cover book |
136 |
£19.95 |
|
|
| Screenshot |
Description |
 |
A
History Of West Indies Cricket, by Michael Manley, offer
the complete story of West Indies Cricket. It runs from the early
1900's through the 1990's |
| Format |
Pages |
Cost |
| Paper Back book |
776 |
£19.95 |
|
|
| Screenshot |
Description |
 |
West
Indies One Day Cap, We are pleased to introduce
the official 2006 West Indies cricket One Day International Cap |
| Merchandise |
Size |
Cost |
| Replica Cap |
One Size |
£12.99 |
|
|
| Screenshot |
Description |
 |
West
Indies One Day International Replica Shirt, The New
official West Indies One-Day shirt as currently worn by the current
West Indies squad. Celebrate the West Indies One Day cricket resurgence
with this replica shirt. |
| Merchandise |
Size |
Cost |
| Replica Shirt |
|
£19.99 |
|
|
|
