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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><SPAN class=TopStory>George Headley, Windies' first great cricketer</SPAN>
<SPAN class=Subheadline></SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>Ken Chaplin
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=80 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>Ken Chaplin</SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>Last month I marked my 60th year as a journalist, and friends and some readers have asked me about my earlier works. Since the country is in an exciting cricket mood with Cricket World Cup, I decided to publish my first credit line from the Jamaica Times newspaper on November 11, 1950, more than 50 years ago.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Under the heading, "Headley will reign supreme" the article said: "Jamaica in particlular and the West Indies in general have lost the services of one of the greatest cricketers of all times. George Headley, the mighty atom of West Indies batting for two decades, has decided to settle in England with his family.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"All hopes that the old master would wield his willow again for the West Indies on international cricket have now faded away. However, English fans who adore George will still have the pleasure of seeing him in action in professional league cricket.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"Headley's career on the field has been a truly glorious one. In his book Lord's 1787-l945, Sir Pelham Warner, former England captain, and world cricket authority, pays the following tribute to him: 'Headley was the first cricketer to score a century in each innings in a Test match at Lord's.
Other batsmen to perform that feat in Test cricket are Bardsley, Hammond, Russell and Sutcliffe. He plays as befits a batsman who is placed by many in the same class as Bradman and Hammond.'<P class=StoryText align=justify>"The West Indies Committee Circular, January l948, in an article states: 'Don Bradman by scoring a century in each innings against the Indians has now joined this select band of star performers, but Headley will reign supreme until someone else does it at Lord's.'"<P class=StoryText align=justify>For a decade<P class=StoryText align=justify>"For 10 years (1929-30) Headley carried the brunt of WI batting at home and abroad. In the 1929-30 Test series against England in the WI, George scored four centuries aggregating 703 runs, including 270 in the First Test match which is the highest score by a WI player in a Test (at that time) and 112 and 114 in the Georgetown Test.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"The year 1931 saw the West Indies team in Australia, and Headley scored two of three centuries made by the West Indies team 'down under'. In the 1933 Test series in England, George scored 169 not out at Manchester in the second Test. He aggregated 2,320 runs which is still a WI record (at that time).<P class=StoryText align=justify>"Headley scored 106 and 107 in the first Test at Lord's in the 1939 series to become a 'double immortal' and his 65 in the final Test at the Oval is said to be his greatest innings in England. Headley's hghest score is 344 not out, made against Lord Tennyson's team.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"After the second World War, George was Jamaica's regular captain. He scored 203 not out against Barbados in 1946. He led the WI team in one of the Tests against England in 1948 and later toured India. Later this year for well-known reasons, Headley did not make the team for Trinidad and was left off the WI team to England. He then proceeded to England where he played League cricket for Bacup. With the passing of the great George Headley from the scene of WI cricket, comes the appearance of Frank Worrell, Everton Weekes and Clyde Walcott, all great
<SPAN class=Subheadline></SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>Ken Chaplin
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=80 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>Ken Chaplin</SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>Last month I marked my 60th year as a journalist, and friends and some readers have asked me about my earlier works. Since the country is in an exciting cricket mood with Cricket World Cup, I decided to publish my first credit line from the Jamaica Times newspaper on November 11, 1950, more than 50 years ago.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Under the heading, "Headley will reign supreme" the article said: "Jamaica in particlular and the West Indies in general have lost the services of one of the greatest cricketers of all times. George Headley, the mighty atom of West Indies batting for two decades, has decided to settle in England with his family.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"All hopes that the old master would wield his willow again for the West Indies on international cricket have now faded away. However, English fans who adore George will still have the pleasure of seeing him in action in professional league cricket.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"Headley's career on the field has been a truly glorious one. In his book Lord's 1787-l945, Sir Pelham Warner, former England captain, and world cricket authority, pays the following tribute to him: 'Headley was the first cricketer to score a century in each innings in a Test match at Lord's. Other batsmen to perform that feat in Test cricket are Bardsley, Hammond, Russell and Sutcliffe. He plays as befits a batsman who is placed by many in the same class as Bradman and Hammond.'<P class=StoryText align=justify>"The West Indies Committee Circular, January l948, in an article states: 'Don Bradman by scoring a century in each innings against the Indians has now joined this select band of star performers, but Headley will reign supreme until someone else does it at Lord's.'"<P class=StoryText align=justify>For a decade<P class=StoryText align=justify>"For 10 years (1929-30) Headley carried the brunt of WI batting at home and abroad. In the 1929-30 Test series against England in the WI, George scored four centuries aggregating 703 runs, including 270 in the First Test match which is the highest score by a WI player in a Test (at that time) and 112 and 114 in the Georgetown Test.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"The year 1931 saw the West Indies team in Australia, and Headley scored two of three centuries made by the West Indies team 'down under'. In the 1933 Test series in England, George scored 169 not out at Manchester in the second Test. He aggregated 2,320 runs which is still a WI record (at that time).<P class=StoryText align=justify>"Headley scored 106 and 107 in the first Test at Lord's in the 1939 series to become a 'double immortal' and his 65 in the final Test at the Oval is said to be his greatest innings in England. Headley's hghest score is 344 not out, made against Lord Tennyson's team.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"After the second World War, George was Jamaica's regular captain. He scored 203 not out against Barbados in 1946. He led the WI team in one of the Tests against England in 1948 and later toured India. Later this year for well-known reasons, Headley did not make the team for Trinidad and was left off the WI team to England. He then proceeded to England where he played League cricket for Bacup. With the passing of the great George Headley from the scene of WI cricket, comes the appearance of Frank Worrell, Everton Weekes and Clyde Walcott, all great