Last Saturday was very special for 75-year-old Winston Chase, who snatched a five-wicket haul for Windward against Carlton in the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) Intermediate division Twenty20 Shield Competition.
A former top division fast bowler but now an off-spinner and playing his first season in the T20 format, Chase took five for 15 off four overs in a massive win by 217 runs in Round 3 at Lucas Street.
Windward amassed 258 for six off 20 overs with new coach/player Jafari Toppin slamming 168 including 18 sixes and nine fours.
Carlton crumbled for just 41 in 9.5 overs.
Chase’s performance not only grabbed my attention from the perspective of his age, but also the fact that a quarter century ago, he was in the news as the oldest player in memory to make his BCA First division (now rebranded Elite division) debut at the age of 51, representing Wanderers against St. Catherine.
His appearance then was a big talking point as he upstaged well-known entertainer Richard “Dick” Stoute, who had made his Division 1 debut for Carlton at the age of 47 in 1993.
Later in this column are details on those stories.
Chase, who is Registrar, Employment Rights Tribunal, reflected on his performance last Saturday.
“This is my first season of T20 cricket. I think it was an excellent performance, bearing in mind I am now playing with a younger group of fellows. I opened the bowling from the northern end and bowled my four overs in succession,” he said.
“The pitch was very good for batting but the Carlton players did not capitalise. They were constantly trying to hit every ball for a four or six. I wasn’t giving them any width. I was putting the ball down in their feet between centre and leg. These young batters don’t move their feet.”
Chase, who switched from pace to spin seven seasons ago, gave some background to his selection and how he keeps fit.
“I was expecting to play in the Second division T20 Plate and was surprised when I did not see my name in the team. Then I saw it in the Intermediate side.
“I maintain my fitness by swimming and during the cricket season I practise at least once a week. And I realise that some of the youngsters are getting around just as fast as me on the field,” he quipped.
Chase started his career at the age of 20 for Boarded Hall in the Barbados Cricket League (BCL) competition. He also represented other BCL teams – Victoria (from Silver Hill in Christ Church), Thornbridge (also in Christ Church) and Greens (St. George).
He spent many years at Wanderers before joining Windward, roughly a decade ago.
Chase recalls his First division debut in 1997. It was an 11th round match, which St. Catherine, the eventual champions, won by 59 runs at Bayfield.
Then a Management Development Officer, Ministry of the Civil Service, he had been enjoying a good season in the Second and Intermediate divisions and was drafted in for Pedro Collins, the former Barbados and West Indies left-arm pacer, who played the last of nine First division matches that season in the previous round against BCL at Dayrells Road.
“I felt elated to represent Wanderers at First division cricket. It showed that my success in the bowling department both at the Intermediate and Second division did not go unnoticed.
“I replaced Pedro Collins. I never enquired as to the reason. That season I took 50 wickets, 38 in the Second division and 12 in the Intermediate. It would have been good if all were in one division.”
Chase failed to take a wicket while conceding 39 runs in eight overs including one maiden after coming on as first change in a first innings total of 130 all out off 32.5 overs on a green pitch.
Wanderers were then bundled out for 40 in 23.2 overs.
Chase did not bowl in the second innings with St. Catherine scoring 36 for seven declared off 13 overs.
Set 127 for victory, Wanderers were dismissed for 67 in 25.3 overs.
Though he did not have any success with the ball, Chase still remembers the pace he exhibited.
“At that time I was quick… quick enough to take wickets. However, I never took any in the match but I had the batsmen under some pressure,” he said.
Three seasons later, Chase turned out for Wanderers in another Division 1 match, which was drawn – the 13th and final round – against Schools North at Dayrells Road, taking two for 26 off 5.3 overs in the first innings.
Stoute, with a reputation for a sense of humour, had his first taste of the top league 29 years ago against Police in a seventh round match at Black Rock (now known as the Desmond Haynes Oval).
He said Chase’s First division debut had left him feeling “very bad and crestfallen” after he “begged” him not to “break his record”.
“When I spoke to Chasey, he told me that he was about to break my record as he was selected to play for Wanderers in a First division game. I asked him how old he was and I was told 51.
“I said, ‘Chasey, are you sure’? You are much younger than that. He insisted he was 51. I told him he was about to break the only record I had in cricket so tell the Wanderers captain that you pulled a muscle. He said, ‘no Stoutie’, I am punching in.
“I told him I would rather him break one of my long-playing record albums than my cricket record. Then he said, “Stoutie this is my first “Test” match and I am playing’.
“I was crestfallen. I listened to the commentaries on the radio that day, hoping that he would change his mind.”
Stoute, however, congratulated Chase.
“I said congrats Chasey, well played. I had the honour of playing two seasons of Over-40s (Masters) with him for Wanderers. He is one of the nicest people I have played cricket with.”
Known for his trademark white shoes, Stoute reportedly sported the ‘whitest ever’ boots seen on a cricket field when he made his First division debut.
Fate was the reason for his call-up. As a slow medium bowler, he was drafted into the team after rain had washed out play on the first two days and Trevor Haynes had to pull out of the team because of a death in his family.
Stoute was informed of his call-up by the Carlton captain Dale Ellcock.
“I was extremely delighted when Dale told me that I would be playing. It was always my dream to play First division cricket and it finally came at the ripe age of 47.
“I took one for 37 off 13 unchanged overs with two catches dropped off my bowling. Geoffrey Mapp and Leslie Reifer were the lucky batsmen.
“When I got selected the Thursday evening I went home and started putting white ace on my boots. The next day I bought a new pair of pants. I wanted to make an appearance on the ground in a helicopter from the Light Aeroplane Club accompanied by a beautiful young lady.
“Though I lived opposite the Carlton Club house, I was going to taxi to the base and fly from there but unfortunately none was available.”
Two years later, Stoute, had one more taste of top division cricket. He played for Carlton against YMPC at Beckles Road in the 11th round. YMPC won by eight wickets.
Stoute started playing the game in the BCL competition for Rangers at the age of 14 and represented three other BCL clubs – Beverley Hills, Westham and Renrode – before joining the YMCA in the BCA Division 2 competition in the early 1970s.
He moved to Carlton in 1977 and boasted of taking a hat-trick against YMCA in figures of seven for 46 in a Division 2 match at Pinfold Street in 1985.
Stoute is the father of Empire and former Barbados Pride all-rounder Kevin Stoute.
Keith Holder is a veteran, award-winning freelance sports journalist, who has been covering local, regional and International cricket since 1980 as a writer and commentator. He has compiled statistics on the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) Division 1 (rebranded Elite in 2012) Championship for four decades and provides statistics and stories for the BCA website (www.barbadoscricket.org). Email: Keithfholder@gmail.com
