The Shell Shield/Red Stripe 1980s Project
The 1980s it can be argued was the greatest decade for West Indies cricket. The West Indies swept all before them and that was on the back of two World Cup triumphs in the 1970s when captain Clive Lloyd put together his destructive 4 man pace attack nd begun to rule the cricket world.
So I have created at present all of the players and teams who played in 1980-81 regional 4 competition, The Shell Shield.
Competiton is tough. There are ex World cup winners, disenchanted players soon to be branded rebels, new emergent talent who would become record breakers, regional stalwarts, exiled West indians playing county cricket, and of course more recongisable West Indian players who came "home" to play in the competion. The West Indian national players didn't play every year but in 1980-81 they were present for their regional teams.
Guyana 1980-81
Opening Pair: Fauod Bacchus and Tyronne Etwaroo won't hang around for long, especially Bacchus who is a brute! Bacchus has the talent but does he have the patience? He is however brilliant in the field!. In the shorter versions, these two may get Guyana off to a flier! Batting: Plenty of batting here with West Indies skipper, Clive Lloyd, Left hander Alvin Kallicharran and Sew Shivnarine if he can get into the team. Timur Mohammed is also at hand as is Roger Harper's brother Mark Harper. Keeper. Myton Pydanna is set to become a stalwart at keeper for the next decade. Colin Croft is at the peak of his powers and not yet a rebel, Roger Harper is a good spinner soon to join the West Indies "blackwash" squads and a superb fielder to boot, Clyde Butts will do great service and become a regional stalwart for the decade ahead. Ray Joseph is a pacer who was consistent and unlucky not to break into the West Indies, he would become yet another stalwart.
Jamaica 1980-81
Opening Pair: Richard "Danny Germs" Austin is an ex WSC player and trying to get back into the Test team as he is about to be usurped by bajan Desmond Haynes. He will soon be a rebel, he will be one of the saddest stories of the players who became rebels, however at the beginning of the decade he was an all round athelic talent. Anyone named "Shotgun" is bound to be aggressive and that describes, Basil "Shotgun" Williams. He played for West Indies as stand in during the Packer years and would go onto to captain Jamaica much to the displeasure of his critics. Everton Mattis, and Herbert Chang are soon to be rebels but anchor a strong line-up. Lawrence "Yagga" Rowe once an idol of Viv Richards, is captain and Jamaican legend, and West Indies player, soon to lead the rebel team. Marlon Tucker is seen as the future for Jamaican cricket and a future captain, espcially if he can learn from his more experienced collegues. Mark Neita is another such talent in the wings. Jeff Dujon talented young keeper soon to due to the rebel tour and his own acrobatic style of keeping soon to become a West Indies legend. Bowling: Pacer Mikey Holding leads the attack, with the dependable Clem Thompson and Junior Williams. Arthur Barret is the old warhorse spinner soon to retire a dependable leg spinner from the 1960s and 1970s soon to retire.
Trinidad 1980-81
Ane experienced Trinidad squad at the start of the decadde. Opening Pair: Richard Gabriel and Kenrick Bainey were a decent opening pair. Richard Gabriel was a stalwart throughout the 1970 and would play for the Windies ODI side winning eleven caps in the mid `980s. At the first class level neither has a batting average to boast about. Batting: Larry Gomes is the star batsman of the team. Far from flashy, he is dependable, and he is about to enter his prime years. He would go onto become the sheet anchor in the dominating Windies sides in the first half of the decade. Anmeal Raja will become a regular top order player throughout the decade. Sheldon Gomes is a reliable middle order batsman and is the brother of his more famous younger sibling Larry. Gus Logie was a sprightly 20 year old in 1980 and star on the rise. Deryck Murray had his 37th birthday in 1980 and was in the last year of his illustrious West Indies Test career. Theo Cuffy was an experienced all rounder. The ace of the Trini bowling is unquestionaly wily Rangy Nanan. Nanan was on the verge of a Test call up. The fact that Rangy, devastating in regional cricket did not get more recognition at Test level is a travesty. He was good enough as he took 366 first class wickets in his career. His off break bowling will cause any team trouble and he would be Trinidad and Tobagos goto man throughout the decade. Veteran Alec Burns was a capable fast medium allrounder near the end of his career, Alston Daniel was another veteran and his slow left arm spin at the Queen's Park Oval may prove valuable, David Audain would provide variety with his left arm fast medium pace. However it is with spin that Trinidad have the aces, in Leg break , bowler Harold Joseph. Joseph would have a decent regional career and would prove to be an economical option. Raphick Jumadeen had played for West Indies and in 1980 at age 32, had to wonder if his best days were beind him
Barbados 1980-81
It does not get better than Gordon Greenidge now well established in the West Indies squad and Desmond Haynes who had begun to edge his own competition to one side. To back up the pair there is another Greendige in Alvin Greenidge, who would find no way past the pair and within two seasons would become a rebel. Barbados had a number of talented batsmen, but not quite in the class of some of their masters of the past, but Emerson Trottman, Thelston Payne and the exciting allrounder, Collis King can put some solid runs on the board and are backed up by the Reifer brothers, Leslie and George. Barbados boast possibly the greatest wicketkeeper in the world at this point in David Murray. Murray was on the verge of taking over from his more famous namesake Derek Murray. The bajan had the world at his feet in 1980, he is also the son of the great Everton Weekes. David Murray's world would unravel aftre the rebel tour but lets see if he can be part of happier times in 1980 and help Barbados win a Shell Shield title. What a conveyor belt of bowlers Barbados produced at this time. World class bowlers to be at every turn. It almost seems unfair! Malcolm Marshall, Joel Garner, Wayne Daniel, Sylvester Clarke, Hartley Alleyne, and the spin of the tall captain Albert Padmore.
Combined Islands 1980-81
An abundance of talent in this squad, led in batting by Viv Richards and in bowling by Andy Roberts. Besides Richards, there is the captain Irving Shillingford a leading player in the region in the 1970s along with Jim Allen who played for the West Indies in the Packer World Series but not for the West Indies. The were some solid opening batsmen too in Luther Kelly a hard hitting local legend, and backed up Enoch Lewis and Lance John. In the keeping positions there was Ingatious Cadette and wicketkeeper batsman Shirlon Williams, and in the spin department there was Derek Parry and the consistent Noel Guishard. Roberts leads the pace attack with another speedster who would make his name on the international stage in Winston Davis.
I created a six team mini tournament. As Combined Islands split into Windwards and Leewards in the 1981-82 season I have included Amorosa Sri Lanka as the 6th team, invited. For the record in my tournament, Lawrence Rowes Jamaica made the final against Clive Lloyds Guyana. At the moment Jamaica are at bat and are 6-1. Richard Austin nicked one off Croft to be out in the first over.
There are a few that cross decades, and Rice is one of them, do you think he would be better off in the 1980s or the 1970s?
