Clarence Passailaigue
Encyclopedia
Charles Clarence Passailaigue - Passailaigue was born in Kingston
on August 4, 1901 and died at Montego Bay
, St. James, Jamaica
on January 7, 1972, aged 70. Although his career spanned the entire decade of the 1930s, in truth Passailaigue played first-class cricket
only sporadically. As an attacking batsman he announced himself to the cricketing world by scoring 183 for Jamaica at Melbourne Park
, Kingston in March, 1930, against a touring M.C.C.
side led by F.S.G. Calthorpe
. After that performance he was selected for the fourth Test
, played a few days later at Sabina Park
, Jamaica. In this timeless match played over nine days, he scored 44 and 2 not out, held three catches – from Hendren
, Wyatt
and Haig
– and bowled a couple of overs, taking 0 for 15. On the basis of these first two performances, many considered him unlucky not to win a place for the first tour to visit Australia in 1930/31 and worse, never again to be selected for a West Indian Test match. And as if to prove what a mistake this was, bearing in mind that the West Indies lost the Test series against Australia 4-1, Passailaigue recorded his highest score of 261 not out in just his third first-class match. Playing for All Jamaica against the Hon. Lionel Tennyson's
side back at Melbourne Park, Jamaica amassed 702 runs for 5 wickets in their only innings and with his good friend, George Headley
, Passailaigue shared an unbeaten stand of 487. At the time of writing, this remains a first-class sixth wicket partnership. His only first-class wicket with the ball, that of H.P. Bayley, was taken in Passailaigue’s final match, playing for Jamaica against a Combined XI in Trinidad
. His death in 1972 went unreported at the time and therefore no obituary appeared within Wisden Cricketer's Almanack|Wisden for him.
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
on August 4, 1901 and died at Montego Bay
Montego Bay
Montego Bay is the capital of St. James Parish and the second largest city in Jamaica by area and the fourth by population .It is a tourist destination with duty free shopping, cruise line terminal and the beaches...
, St. James, Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
on January 7, 1972, aged 70. Although his career spanned the entire decade of the 1930s, in truth Passailaigue played first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
only sporadically. As an attacking batsman he announced himself to the cricketing world by scoring 183 for Jamaica at Melbourne Park
Melbourne Park
Melbourne Park is a sports venue in the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Since 1988, Melbourne Park has been home of the Australian Open in tennis, which is played annually in January...
, Kingston in March, 1930, against a touring M.C.C.
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
side led by F.S.G. Calthorpe
Freddie Calthorpe
Frederick Somerset Gough Calthorpe , styled The Honourable from 1912, was an English cricketer....
. After that performance he was selected for the fourth Test
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
, played a few days later at Sabina Park
Sabina Park
Sabina Park is the home of the Kingston Cricket Club, and is the only Test cricket ground in Kingston, Jamaica and is often referred to as "The Holiday Home of Cricket"....
, Jamaica. In this timeless match played over nine days, he scored 44 and 2 not out, held three catches – from Hendren
Patsy Hendren
Elias Henry Hendren better known as Patsy Hendren was an English cricketer. Patsy was one of the most prolific English batsmen of the period between the wars, averaging 47.63 in his 51 Test matches...
, Wyatt
Bob Wyatt
Robert "Bob" Elliott Storey Wyatt was an English cricket player. He played for Warwickshire, Worcestershire, and the English cricket team....
and Haig
Nigel Haig
Nigel Esme Haig was a cricketer who played for Middlesex and England.Tall, stringy and deceptively frail in appearance, Haig played regularly from 1912 to 1934 as an amateur batsman who could open the innings or bat further down the order and as a tireless swing bowler somewhat above medium pace...
– and bowled a couple of overs, taking 0 for 15. On the basis of these first two performances, many considered him unlucky not to win a place for the first tour to visit Australia in 1930/31 and worse, never again to be selected for a West Indian Test match. And as if to prove what a mistake this was, bearing in mind that the West Indies lost the Test series against Australia 4-1, Passailaigue recorded his highest score of 261 not out in just his third first-class match. Playing for All Jamaica against the Hon. Lionel Tennyson's
Lionel Tennyson, 3rd Baron Tennyson
Lionel Hallam Tennyson, 3rd Baron Tennyson was known principally as a cricketer who captained Hampshire and England...
side back at Melbourne Park, Jamaica amassed 702 runs for 5 wickets in their only innings and with his good friend, George Headley
George Headley
George Alphonso Headley was a West Indian cricketer who played 22 Test matches, mostly before the Second World War. Considered one of the best batsmen to play for West Indies and one of the greatest cricketers of all time, Headley also represented Jamaica and played professional club cricket in...
, Passailaigue shared an unbeaten stand of 487. At the time of writing, this remains a first-class sixth wicket partnership. His only first-class wicket with the ball, that of H.P. Bayley, was taken in Passailaigue’s final match, playing for Jamaica against a Combined XI in Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
. His death in 1972 went unreported at the time and therefore no obituary appeared within Wisden Cricketer's Almanack|Wisden for him.