Holder ‘honoured’ to skipper historic Test
Captain Jason Holder has described leading the Windies in the historic third Test against Sri Lanka as “a special honour”, as the Caribbean side prepares to mark 90 years of Test cricket.
“It is great to be part of the 90th anniversary of West Indies Test cricket and for me it’s a special honour to lead the team in this historic match,” said the 26year-old Barbadian.
“There is rich legacy in West Indies cricket with many of the greats of the game having graced the West Indies dressing room.
“Just to mention a few - Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Frank Worrell, Sir Viv Richards, Brian Lara, Malcolm Marshall, Sir Curtly Ambrose and a list of other amazing cricketers who gave their all for our game and made it what it is today.”
June 23 marks 90 years to the day when Karl Nunes of Jamaica led the Windies in their first Test against England at Lord’s in 1928.
PAY TRIBUTE
That team included some noted pioneers in regional cricket history, including all-rounder Sir Learie Constantine, batsmen George Challenor and Clifford Roach, as well as fast bowler Herman Griffith.
“When you look back at the last 90 years, we have had some great men perform some great feats. This is an occasion to pay tribute to everyone who has contributed to making our game what it is today,” Holder continued.
“The past greats entertained many crowds all around the world, and it has been a great journey. As a youngster, I grew up wanting to play Test cricket for West Indies and it’s great to play a part in this game which will mark a wonderful milestone in our history.”
Today’s Test will be the Windies’ 533rd, which includes 169 victories, 187 defeats and 175 draws. They played to one famous tie against Australia at the Gabba in December, 1960.
It will be the 53rd Test match at Kensington Oval where the Windies have won 24, lost 11 and drawn 17. At home, the regional side has played 242 matches with 86 wins, 61 defeats and 95 draws.
Brian Lara holds the record for the most Test runs with 11,912 in 130 matches followed by Shivnarine Chanderpaul (11,867 in 164 matches) and Sir Vivian Richards (8,540 in 121 matches).
Lara’s monumental 400 not out against England is the highest score in history.
Courtney Walsh holds the record for the most wickets with 517 in 132 matches, followed by Sir Curtly Ambrose with 405 in 98 matches, and Malcolm Marshall with 376 in 81 matches.