#BTColumn – Memorable picture amidst Spartan’s double in 1990

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By Keith Holder

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words.

There is currently one being circulated on WhatsApp of a very big crowd at Bank Hall during a Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) First division match over three decades ago.

At a glance, it immediately brought back very vivid memories of the match, which I had the honour of covering. So why is the picture so significant?

Well, the year was 1990 and it was the “derby” between Empire and Spartan. That season also proved to be very special for Spartan.

Not only did the Queen’s Park team beat long-standing rivals Empire by two wickets in what was a top-of-the-table 11th round match on October 27th, November 3rd and 4th, but they also proceeded to capture the title, and then performed the double by defeating Empire by 40 runs in the final of the one-day Knockout Championship (then called the Barbados Fire Cup, now the BCA Super Cup) on December 9th at Kensington Oval.

Spartan went into the First division match on 53 points – six more than second-placed Empire.

It attracted one of the biggest crowds ever in the history of local cricket as spectators found every available vantage point including atop the roof of the Pavilion. It was a breath-taking picture throughout the match.

Rain played a part and the pitch was well-grassed and generally soft on each day as reflected in the low scores.

Following that victory, Spartan pulled away and captured the title with 69 points, earning $6 000. Empire finished second on 54 points ($4 000).

Scores were: 

Empire 88 all out (21.2 overs) (Jeremy Alleyne 24, Emmerson King 11; Ottis Gibson 6-41, Franklyn Stephenson 4-41) and 101 all out (29.5 overs) (Scofield Hewitt 34, Michael Inniss 22, Roland Holder 13, Victor Walcott 10; Dexter Toppin 5-26, Franklyn Stephenson 2-27). Spartan 61 all out (20.1 overs) (Dexter Toppin 27, Roy Alleyne 16; Jeremy Alleyne 4-7, Delroy Walrond 3-32) and 130-8 (42.2 overs) (Livingstone Puckerin 31, Feliston Gilkes 17, Robert Headley 15, Philo Wallace 13; Victor Walcott 4-26, Delroy Walrond 3-28).

The teams were: 

Empire – Michael Inniss (captain), Ricky Hoyte, Roland Holder, Sherlon Greaves, Jeremy Alleyne, Emmerson King, George Codrington, Samuel Skeete, Scofield Hewitt, Victor Walcott, Delroy Walrond.

Spartan – Livingstone Puckerin (captain), Philo Wallace, Feliston Gilkes, Robert Headley, Roy Alleyne, Ronnie Griffith, Dexter Toppin, Franklyn Stephenson, George Linton, Henderson Springer, Ottis Gibson.

Umpires: David Archer, Lloyd Barker.

That year, veteran leg-spinning all-rounder Linton captained Spartan in the first three matches before Puckerin took over for the rest of the season. Both are now deceased.

Spartan won seven matches, lost two and drew four.

One of the defeats was in a one innings, by six wickets against St. Catherine, in Series 10 at Queen’s Park after rain washed out play on the first two days. It was played under a new BCA rule introduced in 1989 with five points for a win and one point for a loss.

History will show that it took Spartan another 29 years before beating Empire again in a top division (rebranded as Elite division from 2012) match. That was in 2019 by 253 runs at Queen’s Park (Series 6) when they captured the prestigious title.

In fact after 1990, Spartan lost seven times to Empire – by nine wickets at Queen’s Park in 2005; by ten wickets at Bank Hall in 2006; by 121 runs at Queen’s Park in 2007; by seven wickets at Bank Hall in 2013; by one wicket at Queen’s Park in 2014; by 180 runs at Bank Hall in 2018 and by seven wickets at Queen’s Park last season.

As far as the 1990 First division season was concerned, Derwin Thompson of Police and Empire’s Jeremy Alleyne topped the overall batting and bowling averages.

Alleyne’s teammate Roland Holder amassed the most runs (718; Ave: 42.23) and the BET swing bowler Llewellyn Tull again took the most wickets (68; Ave: 9.88), co-incidentally the same number as the previous season when BET were promoted from the Intermediate division.

Wicketkeeper/batsman Thompson, then aged 25, performed outstandingly with both bat and gloves after returning for his first full season in three years because of a nagging injury to the neck and back.

Thompson played in all 13 matches and scored 494 runs from 19 innings including an amazing ten not outs, for an average of 54.88.

It was, therefore, hardly a surprise that he was dubbed the “Not Out Specialist”.

His highest score was 93 against St. Catherine at Weymouth in the second series when he led the side in the absence of batting stalwart Leslie Reifer, who was on a cricket tour of the United States with a Police team.

Thompson was also the top wicket keeper with 37 victims (31 catches and six stumpings).

Alleyne, then a 25-year-old and better known for his batting, proved to be an effective medium-pacer, especially on rain-affected pitches. 

He earned 22 wickets at a miserly average of 7.36 with best figures of six for 10 against Combined Schools South at Harrison College ‘A’, Crumpton Street, in the fifth series. He also picked up six for 16 against Pickwick at Bank Hall in the ninth round – both match-winning performances. 

Holder, then aged 22, again showed that he was one of the best batsmen in the island by scoring two big centuries on his way to becoming the only player with over 700 runs.

He hit the highest individual score as well – 176 not out against the BCL at Blenheim ‘A’ in the third series and the second highest – 167 off Wanderers at Dayrells Road in the 12th round.

It was the fourth time in six years that Holder had scored over 500 runs in a season. In that period he piled up 3186 runs (Ave: 36.20).

No praise was too high for the super fit Tull at the age of 33. He had a best haul of nine for 21 against St. Catherine at Bayfield in the opening round, for match figures of 14 for 62.

Eleven batsmen scored over 500 runs and eight bowlers took 50 or more wickets.

BET’s Ahmed Proverbs boasted of the second most runs (601; Ave: 30.05) including a solitary ton of 166 not out off Wanderers at Wildey in Series 9.

In that match, his team-mate, attacking opening batsman Ron Bates, lashed 157 as the pair added 238 for the second wicket in a first innings total of 356 for three declared.

Bates was third on the list of leading run-scorers with 556 (Ave: 27.80).

Proverbs was one of three brothers who played for separate teams that season. The eldest, Stanton, also a top order batsman, represented St. Catherine and the youngest, Cedric, a seam bowling all-rounder, turned out for Combined Schools South.

St. Catherine captain and star batsman Thelston Payne and another left-hander Adrian Griffith, who skippered Combined Schools South, joined Holder in scoring two centuries in a total of 20.

Payne made 536 runs (Ave: 29.77) and opener Griffith 533 (Ave: 24.22).

Michael Inniss of Empire and Spartan’s Philo Wallace each took the most catches (18).

Spartan team (with matches in brackets) – Livingstone Puckerin (captain, 11), Philo Wallace, Ronnie Griffith, George Linton (13), Dexter Toppin (12), Roy Alleyne, Henderson Springer (11), Feliston Gilkes, Ottis Gibson (10), Robert Headley, Trevor Griffith (8), Wayne Alleyne, Anthony Phillips (5), Donovan Lovell, Franklyn Stephenson, Orlando Harewood (3), Ezra Moseley (2), Tony Howard, Irvine Belgrave, Basil Small (1). 

FINAL POINTS – Spartan 69, Empire 54, BET 50, YMPC 49, Police 48, Banks 44, Carlton 42, St. Catherine 28, Maple 26, Schools South 25, Wanderers 25, BCL 25, Schools North 23, Pickwick 18. 

Batsmen with over 500 runs – Roland Holder (Empire) 718 (Ave: 42.23); Ahmed Proverbs (BET) 601 (Ave: 30.05); Ron Bates (BET) 556 (Ave: 27.80); Roy Coppin (YMPC) 545 (Ave: 25.95); Richard Armstrong (Wanderers) 540 (Ave: 28.42); Thelston Payne (St. Catherine) 536 (Ave: 29.77); Ricardo Harrison (Carlton) 533 (Ave: 29.61); Adrian Griffith (Schools South) 533 (Ave: 24.22); Byron Morris (BCL) 514 (Ave: 32.12); Michael Matthews (Carlton) 507 (Ave: 26.68); Clinton St. Hill (Pickwick) 503 (Ave: 29.58).

Bowlers with over 50 wickets – Llewellyn Tull (BET) 68 (Ave: 9.88); George Linton (Spartan) 57 (Ave: 9.03); Delroy Walrond (Empire) 54 (Ave: 11.51); Henderson Springer (Spartan) 53 (Ave: 8.00); Winston Reid (YMPC) 52 (Ave: 11.84); Neil Norville (Schools North) 51 (Ave: 17.58); Anderson Cummins (YMPC) 50 (Ave: 10.82); Junior Parris (St. Catherine) 50 (Ave: 12.16).

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