By Zorol Barthley – Inside Edge
It was a Thursday night! We couldn’t sleep; those who tried to get an early nap, barely slept a wink. The excitement was high. A country was on a knife’s edge as the clock edged towards Friday, November 22, 1974.
Those will not be emotions, exactly 50 years, to the day, when the West Indies and Bangladesh start the first Test match at the aptly named, Sir Viv Richards Cricket Ground, on Friday, November 22, 2024.
The memories of that night are etched in our minds’ eyes, as midnight drew nigh. Lights flickered through the near and distant neighbours windows. Transistor radios had been re-energised with brand new batteries; no one was taking any chances.
All week, the writers and columnists in the daily Trinidad Express, had been suggesting that a test debut for Vivi Richards (Vivi is what he was to Antiguans, until the cricket world shortened it to Viv) seemed imminent. Lacking a daily paper, as the ‘Workers Voice’ only appeared on Fridays, Antiguans religiously bought their Express — at Zachariah’s on High Street or Robinson’s Gas Station — after the daily delivery by Bee Wee, on its morning flight from Trinidad.
Vivi had tongues wagging during the English summer, as he played for Somerset in the English County Championships. Even though it did not result in a mountain of runs that demanded selection, the obvious talent and class was noticed and commented upon. The news of his selection for the West Indies Tour of India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka had been well received, with a few exceptions; Montserratians thought Jim Allen was still the better player, and Tony Cozier wasn’t totally convinced.
Vivi had announced himself in the first tour game versus West Zone, with an unbeaten 102, and having played in two of the three warm up games, leading up to the first test, he counted two not outs in his three innings.
The routine of reading the Express, BBC Sports Round Up, BBC News, followed by ZAL TV News was put on the back burner just for this night, as our boy, Vivi, was going to join Fru-T (Andy Roberts), in the West Indies Team. Having had a destructive English County season for Hampshire, Andy was easily the fastest of the West Indies bowlers and was going to lead the attack in only his second test, after being unceremoniously dropped after his debut in Barbados, earlier in the year.
As a nation, we had hedged our bets on these two making it to the big times, and had made our contributions to get them to Alf Gover just the year before. Enthusiastic Antiguans, led by the late Brann Jacobs, ensured that enough monies were raised, to give our diamonds, Andy and Vivi, the polishing that their craft needed.
When ABS Radio announced “stay tuned for cricket commentary from Bangalore, India”, and the West Indies team was announced, a burden appeared to have been lifted from the shoulders of the cricket loving people of Antigua and Barbuda, and the Leeward Islands, by extension.
This game began a sequence for Vivi. Even though still under investigation and depends on how his exit from international cricket is analysed, Vivi has never been dropped from a West Indies Cricket Team, and has never been twelfth man for any international game.
India won the toss and asked the West Indies to bat, and Vivi was slated to bat at number 4. We listened, we waited, we dosed off … either a number of transistor radios in the house or a number of people listening to one transistor.
Roy Fredericks retired hurt during the first session, and Alvin Kallicharan built a partnership with another debutant, Gordon Greenidge. Vivi was padded up; Antiguans waited … it could be any moment now.
We took a nap during the lunch break, and a stretch during the tea break, but Greenidge and Kallicharan batted on. Then after tea, it happened:
- Greenidge was run out for 93
- Vivi walked out for his first test innings
- Vivi hit a four
- Vivi was out
In a matter of two minutes and three balls, our world was shattered; Vivi was out. How could that be?
It was nearly morning, and after a long night, people had to get to work. After all, it was Friday, which is pay day. The construction men in the back of trucks, on their way to work, bore long, disgruntled faces. The same for the people on the buses, in the bank lines, at the market. Wherever Antiguans gathered on that day, Vivi’s four runs was the conversation.
The naysayers warned about him not being ready for the big times, not being able to play the Indian spinners. The theory and stories of the Indian spinner, Chandrasekhar, being a pelter, gathered further momentum, for it was he who dismissed Vivi. The truth is, Chandrasekhar had been stricken by polio, as a youngster, and had physical defects.
But, there was always the second innings.
Over the next couple days, Andy’s speed and wickets quelled the atmosphere, and then it was the West Indies’ turn to bat again.
- 71 for 2, Kallicharan out
- 4 balls, 3 runs
- 75 for 3, Vivi out
- Chandrasekhar the bowler
The world turned upside down again, Vivi’s first Test match wielded 7 balls and 7 runs!! Antiguans couldn’t believe it. All the spin batting coaches came out of the woodwork. Cozier simply reminded us, “I told you so”.
Vivi dug deep, and mustered up all the inspiration needed to get back on the horse and score runs in the tour games. After twin failures versus the President’s X1, an unbeaten century and half century versus the North Zone meant he had survived to take his place in the second Test at New Delhi.
And what a delivery:
- Chandrasekhar missed the Test injured
- On day 2, Vivi made his first test hundred
- Vivi Richards 192 not out, 321 balls, 20 fours, 6 sixes
Antiguans celebrated, “we told you so”!
We followed every ball on our transistors, some cowardly, only tuning in after he had passed 10, passed 20 etc.
There were no live or even highlighted commentary in those days. However, the management of the Gem Cinema managed to get hold of the recording of the game. A few months later, for three nights, Antiguans flocked to Gem to relive that Vivi moment.
Fifty years later, we are still saluting you, Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards!
I was at the ground 50 years ago today. Remember Viv walking swiftly to the wicket (memory hazy but I think he slipped & landed on his butt going down the stairs!). The first ball he faced, he casually flicked it to the boundary close to where I was sitting. Don’t remember the 2nd ball. 3rd ball – he drove straight into Prasanna’s hands at mid-off who took it cleanly & threw the ball into the air in celebration!!
And who can forget the absolutely magnificent catch he took off Gavaskar on the 2nd evening. Vivi had arrived!!