Everton Weekes
Encyclopedia
Sir Everton DeCourcy Weekes, KCMG
, GCM, OBE
(born 26 February 1925) is a leading former West Indian
cricket
er. Along with Frank Worrell
and Clyde Walcott
, he formed what was known as "The Three Ws" of West Indian cricket.
, near Kensington Oval
, Weekes was named by his father after English
football team Everton
(when Weekes told English cricketer Jim Laker
this, Laker reportedly replied "It was a good thing your father wasn't a West Bromwich Albion fan.") Weekes is unaware of the source of DeCourcy, his middle name, although he believes there was a French
influence in his family.
Weekes's family was poor and his father was forced to leave his family to work in the Trinidad
oilfields when Weekes was eight. He did not return to Barbados for eleven years. In the absence of his father, Weekes and his sister were raised by his mother Lenore and an aunt, whom Weekes credits with his successful upbringing.
Weekes attended St Leonard's Boys' School, where he later bragged that he never passed an exam (although he would later successfully study Hotel Management) and preferred to concentrate on sport. In addition to cricket, Weekes was also a keen football player, representing Barbados
. As a boy Weekes assisted the groundsmen at Kensington Oval and often acted as a substitute fielder in exchange for free entry to the cricket, giving himself the opportunity to watch leading international cricketers at close range. At age 13, Weekes began playing for Westshire Cricket Club in the Barbados Cricket League (BCL). He would have preferred to have played for his local club, Pickwick
, but the club only catered to white players.
Weekes left school in 1939, aged 14 and, not having a job, spent his days playing cricket and football. He later attributed much of his cricketing success to this time spent practicing. In 1943, Weekes enlisted in the Barbados Regiment
, and served as a Lance-Corporal until his discharge in 1947 and while he never saw active service, the fact he was in the military meant he was eligible to play cricket for Garrison Sports Club in the higher standard Barbados Cricket Association in addition to Westshire in the BCL.
on a Goodwill tour of Trinidad and Tobago
. Weekes scored 88 and 117 retired and was selected for the tour, making his first-class debut
on 24 February 1945, aged 19 years, 364 days, for Barbados against Trinidad and Tobago
at Queen's Park Oval
, Port of Spain
. Batting at number six, he scored 0 and eight as Barbados lost by ten wickets.
Weekes scored his maiden first-class half century in his next match, making 53 as an opener against Trinidad in March 1945 (where he also bowled for the first time in a first class match, conceding 15 runs in four wicketless overs). In his first two first-class seasons Weekes was only a moderate success with the bat, averaging 16.62 by the end of the 1945/46 season but began to find form in 1946/47, when, batting at number four, his maiden first-class century, 126 against British Guiana at Bourda
, Georgetown
, and averaged 67.57 for the season.
The 1947/48 season included a tour by MCC
and Weekes impressed West Indian selectors with an unbeaten 118 against the tourists prior to the first Test in Bridgetown.
Weekes was one of the "Three Ws", along with Clyde Walcott
and Frank Worrell
, noted as outstanding batsmen from Barbados who all made their Test
debut in 1948 against England
. The three were all born within seventeen months of each other and within a mile of Kensington Oval in Barbados and Walcott believed that the same midwife delivered each of them. Weekes first met Walcott in 1941, aged 16, when they were team mates in a trial match. They shared a room together when on tour and, along with Worrell, would go dancing together on Saturday nights after playing cricket.
The name "Three Ws" was coined by an English journalist during the 1950 West Indian tour of England. Walcott believed that Weekes was the best all-round batsman of the three, while Worrell was the best all-rounder and modestly referred to himself as the best wicket keeper of the trio.
After their retirement from cricket, the three remained close and, following the death of Worrell in 1967, Weekes acted as one of the pallbearers at his funeral.
The 3Ws Oval
, situated on the Cave Hill campus of the University of the West Indies
was named in their honour, and a monument to the three Ws is opposite the oval. Worrell and Walcott are buried on ground overlooking the oval but there has been no official word from Weekes whether he intends to be buried with them upon his death.
, Wilfred Ferguson
, Berkeley Gaskin
, John Goddard and Prior Jones
) and five for England; Jim Laker
, Maurice Tremlett
, Dennis Brookes
, Winston Place
and Gerald Smithson
. Batting at number three, Weekes made 35 and 25 as the match ended in a draw.
Weekes's performance in his next two Tests, in the words of Wisden, "did little to indicate the remarkable feats which lay ahead" and was initially dropped from the Fourth and final Test of the series against England before an injury to George Headley
allowed Weekes to return to the side. After being dropped on 0, Weekes scored 141, his maiden Test century and was subsequently chosen for the West Indies tour of India, Pakistan and Ceylon.
In his next Test, the First against India, at Delhi
, in November 1948 (the first by West Indies in India), Weekes scored 128, followed by 194 in the Second Test in Bombay and 162 and 101 in the Third Test in Calcutta. Weekes then made 90 in the Fourth Test in Madras, being controversially run out and 56 and 48 in the Fifth Test at Bombay. Weekes's five Test centuries in consecutive innings is a Test record, passing the record previously held by Jack Fingleton
and Alan Melville
as was his achievement of seven Test half centuries in consecutive innings, passing the record previously jointly held by Jack Ryder, Patsy Hendren
, George Headley and Melville. (Andy Flower
equaled Weeke's record of seven half centuries in 2000/01).
By the end of the series, which also included a century against Ceylon, at that time a non-Test cricketing nation, and a half century against Pakistan in a match not classed as a Test match, Weekes had a Test batting average of 82.46 and had passed 1,000 Test runs in his twelfth innings, one fewer than Donald Bradman
.
Early in the tour the West Indian team's cricket kit disappeared and Weekes was surprised to see Indian fisherman wearing flannels and West Indian cricket jumpers.
As a result of his series, Weekes was named one of the 1949 Indian Cricket "Cricketers of the Year".
The next season saw no Test cricket played by West Indies but Weekes scored 236* against British Guiana at Bridgetown, averaged 219.50 for the season and raised his career first-class average to 72.64.
By the end of the series, Weekes had scored 1,410 Test runs at 74.21 and had enhanced his reputation as one of the finest slip fielders in world cricket, taking 11 catches in the series. Additionally, his 304* against University of Cambridge
remains the only triple century by a West Indian on tour in England.
In recognition of his performance, Weekes was named a 1951 Wisden Cricketer of the Year.
to tour Australia in 1951/52, Weekes was troubled by a range of injuries throughout the tour, including a ongoing thigh injury and a badly bruised right thumb when a door slammed shut on it while he was helping an injured Walcott out of his room, subsequently leaving his performances below expectations.
Additionally, as the leading West Indian batsman, Weekes was targeted by the Australian fast bowlers, in particular Ray Lindwall
, subjecting him to Bodyline
-like tactics of sustained short pitched bowling. Reviewing the series, the Sydney Morning Herald claimed that the Australian tactics to contain Weekes may have been just within the laws of cricket but infringed on the spirit of the game. Leading cricket commentator Alan McGilvray
later wrote "I remain convinced to this day the bumpers hurled at Weekes had a definite influence on charging up West Indian competitiveness in future series."
Following the Australian tour, the West Indies visited New Zealand. In a tour match against Wellington
, Weekes kept wicket in the absence of the injured Simpson Guillen and effected the only stumping of his first class career.
, Kingston, with Australia requiring just 20 runs in their second innings to win the Test, Weekes opened the bowling and had Arthur Morris
caught by Glendon Gibbs
.
The Australians were surprised at the level of racism evident throughout the West Indies at the time, and were embarrassed to find that Weekes, Worrall and Walcott had not been invited to a cocktail party at the home of a white West Indian player.
Other notable achievements include three centuries in consecutive innings against New Zealand
in 1956, and a partnership of 338 with Worrell against England in 1954, still a West Indian record for the third wicket.
In 1954, Weekes was chosen as the first tenured black captain of Barbados and the second black captain overall following Herman Griffith
's temporary captaincy in 1941.
throughout the tour, requiring five operations, and broke a finger in late June.
Reporting on the final day of the 1957 Lords Test where Weekes had made a rearguard 90 as the West Indies slumped to an innings defeat, The Times
s cricket correspondent wrote "It had been a day to quicken one's feeling for cricket, glowing with freshness and impulse and friendliness, and it had belong to Weekes."
Denis Compton
said of Weekes following this innings; "In every respect, it was the innings of a genius."
During the tour Weekes became only the fourth West Indian to pass 10,000 first-class runs.
Weekes was the first West Indian to pass 3,000 Test runs, in 31 Test matches, and the first to score 4,000 Test runs, in 42 Tests.
in the Lancashire League. When he first arrived in Bacup, Weekes was greatly affected by the cold and took to wearing an army great coat everywhere, to the extent it became part of his League image. His homesickness for Barbados was tempered by his landlady's potato pies and the presence of Worrell and Walcott, who were playing for League clubs Radcliffe and Enfield
respectively. The three Ws would regularly meet at Weekes's house midweek for an evening of piano playing and jazz singing.
In all, Weekes played seven seasons in the Lancashire League between 1949 and 1958, passing 1000 runs in each. His 1,518 runs scored in 1951 is still the club record and for 40 years was the League record, until broken by Peter Sleep
. Weekes scored a total of 9,069 runs for Bacup at 91.61, with 25 centuries, including 195* against Enfield
, a score that remains a League record, as does his 1954 batting average of 158.25. Weekes also had success with the ball, taking at least fifty wickets in all but one season at Bacup, including 80 wickets in 1956.
During the 1954 season he also played for neighbouring Central Lancashire League club Walsden as sub professional in the Wood Cup Final. His 150 runs and 9 wickets helped the village club to their first trophy in the seventy years since they became founder members of the CLL.
Weekes's performances were a significant contribution to League crowds, with over 325,000 spectators attending Lancashire League matches in 1949, a record as yet unsurpassed. He also played up for the crowds; batting in a match against Rawtenstall Cricket Club
, Weekes waited until a ball had passed him before taking his left hand off his bat and hitting the ball around his back through square leg for four.
as lightly bow-legged, with a wonderful eye, wrists the envy of any batsman, and feet always the right place to play a shot, Richie Benaud
stated that many Australians who saw Weekes in action said he was the closest batsman in style to the pre-World War II Donald Bradman
. He was also compared to Bradman in his ability to keep the scoreboard moving and at using his feet to come down the pitch to slower bowlers.
Additionally, Weekes was an excellent fielder, initially in the covers before moving into the slips, and produced a training manual entitled Aspects of Fielding.
, to do so.
Post-retirement, Weekes would make occasional appearances in charity and exhibition matches, including for the International Cavaliers
. In one 1967 match, aged 42, Weekes, out of practice and in borrowed gear, dominated a bowling attack half his age. Weekes also participated in a Cavaliers tour of Rhodesia
in the early 1960s, where he was the focus of racial discrimination, including having a match against a Bulawayo
side moved to a substandard ground in a black area due to a local bylaw banning blacks from playing in a white area. Feeling humiliated, Weekes and fellow West Indian Rohan Kanhai
threatened to abandon the tour but remained following an apology from Rhodesian government officials.
While Weekes was never coached as a young player, he was appointed a Barbados Government Sports Officer in 1958 and found great success as a coach, encouraging young players to obey their instincts and develop their own style. Such was his success, Weekes was appointed coach of the Canadian side at the 1979 Cricket World Cup
.
Additionally, Weekes served on the executive of the Barbados Cricket Association
for many years and helped develop many leading Barbadian players, including Conrad Hunte
and Seymour Nurse
, both deeply influenced by Weekes.
Weekes also found time to work as a television and radio cricket commentator, known for his acerbic wit and deep knowledge of the game and began to play Dominoes
and Bridge
competitively, representing Barbados in regional Bridge championships. The New York Times referred to his style as "aggressive".
In 1994 Weekes was appointed as an International Cricket Council
match referee, refereeing in four Tests and three One Day Internationals.
Weekes published his memoirs Mastering the Craft: Ten years of Weekes, 1948 to 1958 in December 2007, when it was announced that the book will be included in the curriculum of the Caribbean Civilisation Foundation course at the University of the West Indies.
Outside of cricket, Weekes became a Justice of the Peace
and served on a number of Barbados Government
bodies, including the Police Service Commission.
Weekes' cousin Kenneth Weekes and son David Murray
also played Test cricket for the West Indies, while his grandson Ricky Hoyte
played first-class cricket for Barbados and his nephew Donald Weekes
played one first-class match for Sussex
.
(OBE), the Barbados Gold Crown of Merit (GCM) and in 1995 Weekes was made a Knight
of the Order of St Michael and St George
(KCMG) for his services to cricket.
For the 2000 edition of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, Weekes was asked to be a member of the 100 strong electorate to select the Five Cricketers of the 20th Century. All voters were allowed to nominate five players and while there was no disclosure of which five each voter chose, Wisden editor Matthew Engel
revealed that Weekes voted for Dennis Lillee
and, as Sir Donald Bradman
received 100 votes, it is obvious Weekes voted for Bradman as well.
The former Prime Minister of Barbados
Owen Arthur
paid tribute to Weekes for his role in bringing social change to Barbados and the Caribbean, stating "Through his excellence on the cricket field, Sir Everton helped in a fundamental way to change Barbados for the better, forever, by proving that true excellence cannot be constrained by social barriers."
In addition the 3Ws Oval, Weekes has been honoured throughout Barbados, including having a roundabout in Warrens
, St. Michael named after him.
In January 2009 Weekes was one of 55 players inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame
and will choose new inductees to the Hall of Fame.
Weekes had a Test batting average of nearly 97.92 in innings immediately after those in which he scored a hundred, the second highest (after Vijay Hazare) for those who had scored five Test centuries.
As of February 2009, Weekes' career Test batting average of 58.61 is the eighth highest of all players with 30 or more innings. An oddity of his career was the first innings bias averaging 71.44 compared with 36.64 in the second, and only one of his fifteen tons came in the second innings.
scored by Everton Weekes.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, GCM, OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 26 February 1925) is a leading former West Indian
West Indian cricket team
The West Indian cricket team, also known colloquially as the West Indies or the Windies, is a multi-national cricket team representing a sporting confederation of 15 mainly English-speaking Caribbean countries, British dependencies and non-British dependencies.From the mid 1970s to the early 1990s,...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er. Along with Frank Worrell
Frank Worrell
Sir Frank Mortimer Maglinne Worrell is sometimes referred to by his nickname of Tae and was a West Indies cricketer and Jamaican senator...
and Clyde Walcott
Clyde Walcott
Sir Clyde Leopold Walcott, KA, GCM was a West Indian cricketer. Walcott was a member of the "three W's", the other two being Everton Weekes and Frank Worrell: all were very successful batsmen from Barbados, born within a short distance of each other in Bridgetown, Barbados in a period of 18...
, he formed what was known as "The Three Ws" of West Indian cricket.
Youth and early career
Born in a wooden shack on Pickwick Gap in Westbury, Saint Michael, BarbadosBarbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
, near Kensington Oval
Kensington Oval
The Kensington Oval is located to the west of the capital-city Bridgetown on the island of Barbados. "The Oval" is one of the major sporting facilities on the island and is primarily used for cricket...
, Weekes was named by his father after English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
football team Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
(when Weekes told English cricketer Jim Laker
Jim Laker
James "Jim" Charles Laker was a cricketer who played for England in the 1950s, known for "Laker's match" in 1956 at Old Trafford, when he took nineteen wickets in England's victory against Australia...
this, Laker reportedly replied "It was a good thing your father wasn't a West Bromwich Albion fan.") Weekes is unaware of the source of DeCourcy, his middle name, although he believes there was a French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
influence in his family.
Weekes's family was poor and his father was forced to leave his family to work in the Trinidad
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
oilfields when Weekes was eight. He did not return to Barbados for eleven years. In the absence of his father, Weekes and his sister were raised by his mother Lenore and an aunt, whom Weekes credits with his successful upbringing.
Weekes attended St Leonard's Boys' School, where he later bragged that he never passed an exam (although he would later successfully study Hotel Management) and preferred to concentrate on sport. In addition to cricket, Weekes was also a keen football player, representing Barbados
Barbados national football team
The Barbados national football team, nicknamed Bajan Pride, is the national association football team of Barbados and is controlled by the Barbados Football Association. It has never qualified for a major international tournament...
. As a boy Weekes assisted the groundsmen at Kensington Oval and often acted as a substitute fielder in exchange for free entry to the cricket, giving himself the opportunity to watch leading international cricketers at close range. At age 13, Weekes began playing for Westshire Cricket Club in the Barbados Cricket League (BCL). He would have preferred to have played for his local club, Pickwick
Pickwick Cricket Club
Pickwick Cricket Club is a Barbados cricket club. The club was founded on 23 November 1882, the second oldest cricket club in Barbados after Wanderers Cricket Club...
, but the club only catered to white players.
Weekes left school in 1939, aged 14 and, not having a job, spent his days playing cricket and football. He later attributed much of his cricketing success to this time spent practicing. In 1943, Weekes enlisted in the Barbados Regiment
Barbados Regiment
The Barbados Regiment is the land force component of the Barbados Defence Force. Its main tasks are the defence of Barbados from external threats, internal security and assisting the local police in maintaining law and order. The regiment also provides Barbados' contribution to international...
, and served as a Lance-Corporal until his discharge in 1947 and while he never saw active service, the fact he was in the military meant he was eligible to play cricket for Garrison Sports Club in the higher standard Barbados Cricket Association in addition to Westshire in the BCL.
Early first-class career
Weekes's excellent performances in Barbados club cricket led to his selection in a 1945 trial match to select a first-class side to represent BarbadosBarbados national cricket team
The Barbadian cricket team is the representative first class cricket team of Barbados.It does not take part in any international competitions , but rather in inter-regional competitions in the Caribbean, such as the Regional Four Day Competition and the WICB Cup, and the best players may be...
on a Goodwill tour of Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
. Weekes scored 88 and 117 retired and was selected for the tour, making his first-class debut
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...
on 24 February 1945, aged 19 years, 364 days, for Barbados against Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago cricket team
The Trinidad and Tobago cricket team is the representative cricket team of the country of Trinidad and Tobago.The team takes part in inter-regional cricket competitions in the Caribbean, such as the Regional Four Day Competition and the WICB Cup, with the best players selected for the West Indies...
at Queen's Park Oval
Queen's Park Oval
Queen's Park Oval, in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, is currently the largest capacity cricket ground in the West Indies and has hosted more Test matches than any other ground in the Caribbean. It also hosted a number of matches in the 2007 Cricket World Cup. It is privately owned by the...
, Port of Spain
Port of Spain
Port of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population...
. Batting at number six, he scored 0 and eight as Barbados lost by ten wickets.
Weekes scored his maiden first-class half century in his next match, making 53 as an opener against Trinidad in March 1945 (where he also bowled for the first time in a first class match, conceding 15 runs in four wicketless overs). In his first two first-class seasons Weekes was only a moderate success with the bat, averaging 16.62 by the end of the 1945/46 season but began to find form in 1946/47, when, batting at number four, his maiden first-class century, 126 against British Guiana at Bourda
Bourda
The Bourda is a cricket ground in Georgetown, Guyana, used by the Guyanese cricket team for matches with other nations in the Caribbean as well as some Test matches involving the West Indies. Located in Bourda in Georgetown, Guyana, between Regent Street and North Road, it is home to the Georgetown...
, Georgetown
Georgetown, Guyana
Georgetown, estimated population 239,227 , is the capital and largest city of Guyana, located in the Demerara-Mahaica region. It is situated on the Atlantic Ocean coast at the mouth of the Demerara River and it was nicknamed 'Garden City of the Caribbean.' Georgetown is located at . The city serves...
, and averaged 67.57 for the season.
The 1947/48 season included a tour by MCC
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...
and Weekes impressed West Indian selectors with an unbeaten 118 against the tourists prior to the first Test in Bridgetown.
The Three Ws
Clyde Walcott
Sir Clyde Leopold Walcott, KA, GCM was a West Indian cricketer. Walcott was a member of the "three W's", the other two being Everton Weekes and Frank Worrell: all were very successful batsmen from Barbados, born within a short distance of each other in Bridgetown, Barbados in a period of 18...
and Frank Worrell
Frank Worrell
Sir Frank Mortimer Maglinne Worrell is sometimes referred to by his nickname of Tae and was a West Indies cricketer and Jamaican senator...
, noted as outstanding batsmen from Barbados who all made their 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...
debut in 1948 against England
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
. The three were all born within seventeen months of each other and within a mile of Kensington Oval in Barbados and Walcott believed that the same midwife delivered each of them. Weekes first met Walcott in 1941, aged 16, when they were team mates in a trial match. They shared a room together when on tour and, along with Worrell, would go dancing together on Saturday nights after playing cricket.
The name "Three Ws" was coined by an English journalist during the 1950 West Indian tour of England. Walcott believed that Weekes was the best all-round batsman of the three, while Worrell was the best all-rounder and modestly referred to himself as the best wicket keeper of the trio.
After their retirement from cricket, the three remained close and, following the death of Worrell in 1967, Weekes acted as one of the pallbearers at his funeral.
The 3Ws Oval
3Ws Oval
The 3Ws Oval is a cricket field at the entrance of the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies in Barbados. Mostly known for the sculpture in the shape of three large wickets that stand tall on the incline above the field. The 3Ws Oval was one of the team warm-up venues for the 2007...
, situated on the Cave Hill campus of the University of the West Indies
University of the West Indies
The University of the West Indies , is an autonomous regional institution supported by and serving 17 English-speaking countries and territories in the Caribbean: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Dominica,...
was named in their honour, and a monument to the three Ws is opposite the oval. Worrell and Walcott are buried on ground overlooking the oval but there has been no official word from Weekes whether he intends to be buried with them upon his death.
Test career
Weekes made his Test debut for the West Indies against England at Kensington Oval on 21 January 1948, aged 22 years and 329 days. He was one of 12 debutants; seven from the West Indies (the other were Walcott, Robert ChristianiRobert Christiani
Robert Julian Christiani was a West Indian cricketer who played in 22 Tests from 1947-48 to 1953-54.His brother Cyril also played Test cricket....
, Wilfred Ferguson
Wilfred Ferguson
Wilfred Ferguson was a West Indian cricketer who played in eight Tests from 1947-48 to 1953-54....
, Berkeley Gaskin
Berkeley Gaskin
Berkeley Bertram McGarrell Gaskin was a West Indian cricketer who played in two Tests in 1947-48....
, John Goddard and Prior Jones
Prior Jones
Prior Erskine Waverley Jones was a West Indian cricketer who played in nine Tests from 1947-48 to 1951-52....
) and five for England; Jim Laker
Jim Laker
James "Jim" Charles Laker was a cricketer who played for England in the 1950s, known for "Laker's match" in 1956 at Old Trafford, when he took nineteen wickets in England's victory against Australia...
, Maurice Tremlett
Maurice Tremlett
Maurice Fletcher Tremlett was an English cricketer, who played for Somerset, Central Districts and England....
, Dennis Brookes
Dennis Brookes
Dennis Brookes was an English cricketer who played for Northamptonshire between 1934 and 1959 . He also played in one Test match for England against West Indies in 1948. Brookes was President of Northamptonshire from 1982 to 1984...
, Winston Place
Winston Place
Winston Place was an English cricketer who played in 3 Tests in 1948. An opening batsman for Lancashire, he shared a prolific partnership with Cyril Washbrook and was part of the county championship winning side of 1950...
and Gerald Smithson
Gerald Smithson
Gerald Arthur Smithson was an English cricketer, who played for Yorkshire between 1946 and 1949, his highest innings for the county being 169 against Leicestershire at Grace Road, Leicester in 1947. He represented England on the Marylebone Cricket Club tour of the West Indies in 1947-48...
. Batting at number three, Weekes made 35 and 25 as the match ended in a draw.
Weekes's performance in his next two Tests, in the words of Wisden, "did little to indicate the remarkable feats which lay ahead" and was initially dropped from the Fourth and final Test of the series against England before an injury to 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...
allowed Weekes to return to the side. After being dropped on 0, Weekes scored 141, his maiden Test century and was subsequently chosen for the West Indies tour of India, Pakistan and Ceylon.
In his next Test, the First against India, at Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, in November 1948 (the first by West Indies in India), Weekes scored 128, followed by 194 in the Second Test in Bombay and 162 and 101 in the Third Test in Calcutta. Weekes then made 90 in the Fourth Test in Madras, being controversially run out and 56 and 48 in the Fifth Test at Bombay. Weekes's five Test centuries in consecutive innings is a Test record, passing the record previously held by Jack Fingleton
Jack Fingleton
John "Jack" Henry Webb Fingleton OBE was an Australian cricketer who was trained as a journalist and became a political and cricket commentator after the end of his playing career...
and Alan Melville
Alan Melville
Alan Melville was a South African cricketer who played in 11 Tests from 1938 to 1949. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year ....
as was his achievement of seven Test half centuries in consecutive innings, passing the record previously jointly held by Jack Ryder, Patsy 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...
, George Headley and Melville. (Andy Flower
Andy Flower
Andrew "Andy" Flower OBE is a former international cricketer for Zimbabwe and is currently the England coach.-Playing career:...
equaled Weeke's record of seven half centuries in 2000/01).
By the end of the series, which also included a century against Ceylon, at that time a non-Test cricketing nation, and a half century against Pakistan in a match not classed as a Test match, Weekes had a Test batting average of 82.46 and had passed 1,000 Test runs in his twelfth innings, one fewer than Donald Bradman
Donald Bradman
Sir Donald George Bradman, AC , often referred to as "The Don", was an Australian cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time...
.
Early in the tour the West Indian team's cricket kit disappeared and Weekes was surprised to see Indian fisherman wearing flannels and West Indian cricket jumpers.
As a result of his series, Weekes was named one of the 1949 Indian Cricket "Cricketers of the Year".
The next season saw no Test cricket played by West Indies but Weekes scored 236* against British Guiana at Bridgetown, averaged 219.50 for the season and raised his career first-class average to 72.64.
West Indies in England 1950
In 1950 West Indies toured England and Weekes continued his excellent form, scoring 338 runs at 56.33 and playing a significant part in the West Indies 3-1 victory in the Test series, as well as 2310 first-class runs at 79.65 (including five double centuries, a record for a West Indian tour of England).By the end of the series, Weekes had scored 1,410 Test runs at 74.21 and had enhanced his reputation as one of the finest slip fielders in world cricket, taking 11 catches in the series. Additionally, his 304* against University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
remains the only triple century by a West Indian on tour in England.
In recognition of his performance, Weekes was named a 1951 Wisden Cricketer of the Year.
West Indies in Australia and New Zealand 1951/52
Named as a member of the West Indian teamWest Indian cricket team in Australia in 1951-52
The West Indies cricket team toured Australia in the 1951-52 season and played five Test matches against Australia. The series was billed as the "World Championship of cricket", with both teams having beaten England in the previous 18 months...
to tour Australia in 1951/52, Weekes was troubled by a range of injuries throughout the tour, including a ongoing thigh injury and a badly bruised right thumb when a door slammed shut on it while he was helping an injured Walcott out of his room, subsequently leaving his performances below expectations.
Additionally, as the leading West Indian batsman, Weekes was targeted by the Australian fast bowlers, in particular Ray Lindwall
Ray Lindwall
Raymond Russell Lindwall MBE was a cricketer who represented Australia in 61 Tests from 1946 to 1960. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time. He also played top-flight rugby league football with St...
, subjecting him to Bodyline
Bodyline
Bodyline, also known as fast leg theory bowling, was a cricketing tactic devised by the English cricket team for their 1932–33 Ashes tour of Australia, specifically to combat the extraordinary batting skill of Australia's Don Bradman...
-like tactics of sustained short pitched bowling. Reviewing the series, the Sydney Morning Herald claimed that the Australian tactics to contain Weekes may have been just within the laws of cricket but infringed on the spirit of the game. Leading cricket commentator Alan McGilvray
Alan McGilvray
Alan David McGilvray AM MBE was an Australian cricketer who played several first-class seasons for New South Wales in the mid-1930s before becoming the doyen of Australian cricket commentators...
later wrote "I remain convinced to this day the bumpers hurled at Weekes had a definite influence on charging up West Indian competitiveness in future series."
Following the Australian tour, the West Indies visited New Zealand. In a tour match against Wellington
Wellington Firebirds
The Wellington Firebirds are one of six New Zealand first-class cricket teams that make up New Zealand Cricket.It is based in Wellington. It competes in the State Championship first class competition, the State Shield domestic one day competition and the State Twenty20 Cricket Tournament.The...
, Weekes kept wicket in the absence of the injured Simpson Guillen and effected the only stumping of his first class career.
India in the West Indies 1952/53
During the Port of Spain Test against India in February 1953, Weekes surpassed George Headley's record of 2190 as West Indies highest Test run scorer. Weekes would hold this record until June 1966 when surpassed by Gary Sobers.Australia in the West Indies 1954/55
Weekes took his sole Test wicket in this series. In the First Test at Sabina ParkSabina 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"....
, Kingston, with Australia requiring just 20 runs in their second innings to win the Test, Weekes opened the bowling and had Arthur Morris
Arthur Morris
Arthur Robert Morris MBE is a former Australian cricketer who played 46 Test matches between 1946 and 1955. An opener, Morris is regarded as one of Australia's greatest left-handed batsmen. He is best known for his key role in Don Bradman's Invincibles side, which made an undefeated tour of...
caught by Glendon Gibbs
Glendon Gibbs
Glendon Lionel Gibbs was a West Indian cricketer who played in one Test in 1955....
.
The Australians were surprised at the level of racism evident throughout the West Indies at the time, and were embarrassed to find that Weekes, Worrall and Walcott had not been invited to a cocktail party at the home of a white West Indian player.
Other notable achievements include three centuries in consecutive innings against New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in 1956, and a partnership of 338 with Worrell against England in 1954, still a West Indian record for the third wicket.
In 1954, Weekes was chosen as the first tenured black captain of Barbados and the second black captain overall following Herman Griffith
Herman Griffith
Herman Clarence Griffith was a West Indian cricketer who played in West Indies' first Test match in their inaugural Test tour of England and was one of the leading bowlers on that tour....
's temporary captaincy in 1941.
West Indies in England 1957
Weekes was affected by sinusitusSinusitis
Sinusitis is inflammation of the paranasal sinuses, which may be due to infection, allergy, or autoimmune issues. Most cases are due to a viral infection and resolve over the course of 10 days...
throughout the tour, requiring five operations, and broke a finger in late June.
Reporting on the final day of the 1957 Lords Test where Weekes had made a rearguard 90 as the West Indies slumped to an innings defeat, The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
s cricket correspondent wrote "It had been a day to quicken one's feeling for cricket, glowing with freshness and impulse and friendliness, and it had belong to Weekes."
Denis Compton
Denis Compton
Denis Charles Scott Compton CBE was an English cricketer who played in 78 Test matches, and a footballer...
said of Weekes following this innings; "In every respect, it was the innings of a genius."
During the tour Weekes became only the fourth West Indian to pass 10,000 first-class runs.
Weekes was the first West Indian to pass 3,000 Test runs, in 31 Test matches, and the first to score 4,000 Test runs, in 42 Tests.
Lancashire League
In 1949 Weekes accepted an offer of £500 to play as the professional for BacupBacup Cricket Club
Bacup Cricket Club, based at Lanehead in Bacup, Lancashire, are a cricket club in the Lancashire League.The club started in 1892 when the Lancashire League was formed. Their professional for the 2008 season was Chris Harris. Their captain for the 2011 season is David Warren and their professional...
in the Lancashire League. When he first arrived in Bacup, Weekes was greatly affected by the cold and took to wearing an army great coat everywhere, to the extent it became part of his League image. His homesickness for Barbados was tempered by his landlady's potato pies and the presence of Worrell and Walcott, who were playing for League clubs Radcliffe and Enfield
Enfield Cricket Club
Enfield Cricket Club is a cricket club in the Lancashire League, which plays its home games at Dill Hall Lane in Accrington. For the 2011 season its captain is Adam Bracewell, and its professional is Werner Coetsee of South Africa. The club has won the league on 5 occasions and the cup on 4...
respectively. The three Ws would regularly meet at Weekes's house midweek for an evening of piano playing and jazz singing.
In all, Weekes played seven seasons in the Lancashire League between 1949 and 1958, passing 1000 runs in each. His 1,518 runs scored in 1951 is still the club record and for 40 years was the League record, until broken by Peter Sleep
Peter Sleep
Peter Raymond Sleep is a former Australian cricketer who played 14 Tests for Australia between 1979 and 1990...
. Weekes scored a total of 9,069 runs for Bacup at 91.61, with 25 centuries, including 195* against Enfield
Enfield Cricket Club
Enfield Cricket Club is a cricket club in the Lancashire League, which plays its home games at Dill Hall Lane in Accrington. For the 2011 season its captain is Adam Bracewell, and its professional is Werner Coetsee of South Africa. The club has won the league on 5 occasions and the cup on 4...
, a score that remains a League record, as does his 1954 batting average of 158.25. Weekes also had success with the ball, taking at least fifty wickets in all but one season at Bacup, including 80 wickets in 1956.
During the 1954 season he also played for neighbouring Central Lancashire League club Walsden as sub professional in the Wood Cup Final. His 150 runs and 9 wickets helped the village club to their first trophy in the seventy years since they became founder members of the CLL.
Weekes's performances were a significant contribution to League crowds, with over 325,000 spectators attending Lancashire League matches in 1949, a record as yet unsurpassed. He also played up for the crowds; batting in a match against Rawtenstall Cricket Club
Rawtenstall Cricket Club
Rawtenstall Cricket Club is a cricket club in the Lancashire League, which plays its home games at the Worswick Memorial Ground in Rawtenstall. For the 2011 season its captain is Vinny Hanson, and its professional is Sri Lankan Malinga Bandara. The club has won the league on seven occasions and won...
, Weekes waited until a ball had passed him before taking his left hand off his bat and hitting the ball around his back through square leg for four.
Style
Weekes had a classic batting style, possessed a variety of shots on both sides of the wicket, and is considered one of the hardest hitters in cricket history. Described by The TimesThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
as lightly bow-legged, with a wonderful eye, wrists the envy of any batsman, and feet always the right place to play a shot, Richie Benaud
Richie Benaud
Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....
stated that many Australians who saw Weekes in action said he was the closest batsman in style to the pre-World War II Donald Bradman
Donald Bradman
Sir Donald George Bradman, AC , often referred to as "The Don", was an Australian cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time...
. He was also compared to Bradman in his ability to keep the scoreboard moving and at using his feet to come down the pitch to slower bowlers.
Additionally, Weekes was an excellent fielder, initially in the covers before moving into the slips, and produced a training manual entitled Aspects of Fielding.
Retirement and post-cricketing career
Weekes retired from Test cricket in 1958 due to a persistent thigh injury but continued in first-class cricket until 1964, his final first-class match being against Trinidad and Tobago in Port-of-Spain, scoring 19 and 13. Weekes passed 12,000 first-class runs in his final innings, becoming only the third West Indian, after Worrell and Roy MarshallRoy Marshall
Roy Edwin Marshall was a West Indian cricketer who played in four Tests from 1951 to 1952. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1959.-Early career:...
, to do so.
Post-retirement, Weekes would make occasional appearances in charity and exhibition matches, including for the International Cavaliers
International Cavaliers
The International Cavaliers were an ad hoc cricket team made up of famous cricketers in order to encourage local cricket. Their teams included many prominent cricketers from the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s and 1970s as many retired veterans and talented young players were in the team at one point or another...
. In one 1967 match, aged 42, Weekes, out of practice and in borrowed gear, dominated a bowling attack half his age. Weekes also participated in a Cavaliers tour of Rhodesia
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
in the early 1960s, where he was the focus of racial discrimination, including having a match against a Bulawayo
Bulawayo
Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe after the capital Harare, with an estimated population in 2010 of 2,000,000. It is located in Matabeleland, 439 km southwest of Harare, and is now treated as a separate provincial area from Matabeleland...
side moved to a substandard ground in a black area due to a local bylaw banning blacks from playing in a white area. Feeling humiliated, Weekes and fellow West Indian Rohan Kanhai
Rohan Kanhai
Rohan Bholalall Kanhai is a former West Indian Cricket player of Indo-Guyanese descent. He is widely considered as one of the best batsmen of the 1960s. Kanhai featured in several great West Indian teams, playing with, among others, Sir Garfield Sobers, Roy Fredericks, Lance Gibbs, and Alvin...
threatened to abandon the tour but remained following an apology from Rhodesian government officials.
While Weekes was never coached as a young player, he was appointed a Barbados Government Sports Officer in 1958 and found great success as a coach, encouraging young players to obey their instincts and develop their own style. Such was his success, Weekes was appointed coach of the Canadian side at the 1979 Cricket World Cup
1979 Cricket World Cup
The 1979 Cricket World Cup was the second edition of the tournament and was won by the West Indies. It was held from June 9 to June 23, 1979 in England. The format had remained unchanged from 1975. Eight countries participated in the event. The preliminary matches were played in 2 groups of 4...
.
Additionally, Weekes served on the executive of the Barbados Cricket Association
Barbados Cricket Association
The Barbados Cricket Association is the ruling body for cricket in Barbados. The BCA was sstablished in 1933 by an Act of Parliament to replace the Barbados Cricket Challenge Cup Committee, which had administered Barbadian cricket since its formation in 1892...
for many years and helped develop many leading Barbadian players, including Conrad Hunte
Conrad Hunte
Sir Conrad Cleophas Hunte, KA was a Barbadian cricketer. Hunte played 44 Test matches as an opening batsman for the West Indies.-Early life and career:...
and Seymour Nurse
Seymour Nurse
Seymour MacDonald Nurse is a Barbadian former cricketer. Nurse played 29 Test matches for the West Indies between 1960 and 1969. A powerfully built right-hand batsman and an aggressive, if somewhat impetuous, shotmaker, Nurse preferred to bat in the middle order but was often asked to open the...
, both deeply influenced by Weekes.
Weekes also found time to work as a television and radio cricket commentator, known for his acerbic wit and deep knowledge of the game and began to play Dominoes
Dominoes
Dominoes generally refers to the collective gaming pieces making up a domino set or to the subcategory of tile games played with domino pieces. In the area of mathematical tilings and polyominoes, the word domino often refers to any rectangle formed from joining two congruent squares edge to edge...
and Bridge
Contract bridge
Contract bridge, usually known simply as bridge, is a trick-taking card game using a standard deck of 52 playing cards played by four players in two competing partnerships with partners sitting opposite each other around a small table...
competitively, representing Barbados in regional Bridge championships. The New York Times referred to his style as "aggressive".
In 1994 Weekes was appointed as an International Cricket Council
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
match referee, refereeing in four Tests and three One Day Internationals.
Weekes published his memoirs Mastering the Craft: Ten years of Weekes, 1948 to 1958 in December 2007, when it was announced that the book will be included in the curriculum of the Caribbean Civilisation Foundation course at the University of the West Indies.
Outside of cricket, Weekes became a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
and served on a number of Barbados Government
Government of Barbados
Government of Barbados consists of: The Monarch, HM Queen Elizabeth II ; The Prime Minister, The Hon. Freundel Stuart, and his Cabinet; as legislature, divided into two chambers , and an independent judiciary...
bodies, including the Police Service Commission.
Weekes' cousin Kenneth Weekes and son David Murray
David Murray (cricketer)
David Anthony Murray is a former West Indian cricketer who played in nineteen Tests and ten ODIs from 1973 to 1982.Murray, a son of the great West Indian batsman Everton Weekes often courted controversy...
also played Test cricket for the West Indies, while his grandson Ricky Hoyte
Ricky Hoyte
Ricky Hoyte is a former West Indian cricketer. He was a left-handed batsman and a wicket-keeper. He played first-class and List A cricket for Barbados in West Indian domestic cricket from 1990 to 1999. He didn't play Test cricket or One Day Internationals for West Indies but did play for them at...
played first-class cricket for Barbados and his nephew Donald Weekes
Donald Weekes
Donald James Weekes is a former English cricketer. Weekes was a right-handed batsman who right-arm fast. He was born at Horsham, Sussex....
played one first-class match for Sussex
Sussex County Cricket Club
Sussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Sussex. The club was founded as a successor to Brighton Cricket Club which was a representative of the county of Sussex as a...
.
Honours and Legacy
Following the end of his cricketing career, Weekes received a range of distinctions, including being made an Officer of the Order of the British EmpireOrder of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(OBE), the Barbados Gold Crown of Merit (GCM) and in 1995 Weekes was made a Knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
of the Order of St Michael and St George
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(KCMG) for his services to cricket.
For the 2000 edition of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, Weekes was asked to be a member of the 100 strong electorate to select the Five Cricketers of the 20th Century. All voters were allowed to nominate five players and while there was no disclosure of which five each voter chose, Wisden editor Matthew Engel
Matthew Engel
Matthew Lewis Engel is a British writer and editor who began his career in 1972. He worked on The Guardian newspaper for nearly 25 years, reporting on a wide range of political and sporting events including a stint as Washington correspondent beginning on 9/11. He now writes a column in the...
revealed that Weekes voted for Dennis Lillee
Dennis Lillee
Dennis Keith Lillee, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation"...
and, as Sir Donald Bradman
Donald Bradman
Sir Donald George Bradman, AC , often referred to as "The Don", was an Australian cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time...
received 100 votes, it is obvious Weekes voted for Bradman as well.
The former Prime Minister of Barbados
Prime Minister of Barbados
The Prime Minister of Barbados is a very influential position as head of government of Barbados. According to Barbados Constitution, the Prime Minister must always be a member of Parliament, and is appointed by the Governor-General who is responsible for conducting parliamentary elections, and for...
Owen Arthur
Owen Arthur
Owen Seymour Arthur, MP was the fifth Prime Minister of Barbados who was in office from 1994 to 2008 and is the current Leader of Opposition in Barbados. To date, he is the longest serving Barbadian Prime Minister....
paid tribute to Weekes for his role in bringing social change to Barbados and the Caribbean, stating "Through his excellence on the cricket field, Sir Everton helped in a fundamental way to change Barbados for the better, forever, by proving that true excellence cannot be constrained by social barriers."
In addition the 3Ws Oval, Weekes has been honoured throughout Barbados, including having a roundabout in Warrens
Warrens, Saint Michael, Barbados
The town of Warrens located in the parish of Saint Michael is one of the fastest developing areas in the country of Barbados. In the span of a few short years beginning around the year 2000, the Warrens, Saint Michael area has become synonymous with new money flowing into the country and for the...
, St. Michael named after him.
In January 2009 Weekes was one of 55 players inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame
ICC Cricket Hall of Fame
The ICC Cricket Hall of Fame "recognises the achievements of the legends of the game from cricket's long and illustrious history". A hall of fame, it was launched by the International Cricket Council on 2 January 2009, in association with the Federation of International Cricketers'...
and will choose new inductees to the Hall of Fame.
Weekes had a Test batting average of nearly 97.92 in innings immediately after those in which he scored a hundred, the second highest (after Vijay Hazare) for those who had scored five Test centuries.
As of February 2009, Weekes' career Test batting average of 58.61 is the eighth highest of all players with 30 or more innings. An oddity of his career was the first innings bias averaging 71.44 compared with 36.64 in the second, and only one of his fifteen tons came in the second innings.
Test match performance
| Batting | Bowling | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opposition | Matches | Runs | Average | High Score | 100 / 50 | Runs | Wickets | Average | Best (Inns) |
| England | 17 | 1313 | 45.27 | 206 | 3/7 | 39 | 0 | - | - |
| Australia | 10 | 714 | 39.66 | 139 | 1/5 | 8 | 1 | 8.00 | 1/8 |
| India | 10 | 1495 | 106.78 | 207 | 7/4 | 29 | 0 | - | - |
| New Zealand New Zealand cricket team The New Zealand cricket team, nicknamed the Black Caps, are the national cricket team representing New Zealand. They played their first in 1930 against England in Christchurch, New Zealand, becoming the fifth country to play Test cricket. It took the team until 1955–56 to win a Test, against the... |
6 | 478 | 59.75 | 156 | 3/1 | - | - | - | - |
| Pakistan | 5 | 455 | 65.00 | 197 | 1/2 | - | - | - | - |
| Overall | 48 | 4455 | 58.61 | 207 | 15/19 | 77 | 1 | 77.00 | 1/8 |
Test Centuries
The following table summarises the Test centuriesCentury (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a batsman reaches his century when he scores 100 or more runs in a single innings. The term is also included in "century partnership" which occurs when two batsmen add 100 runs to the team total when they are batting together. A century is regarded as a landmark score for...
scored by Everton Weekes.
- In the column Runs, *Not outIn cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
indicates being not out. - The column title Match refers to the Match Number of his career.
| Everton Weekes's Test Centuries | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | |Match | |City/Country | |Year | Kingston 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... , 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... | 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".... |
1948 | Won |
| [2] | 128 | 5 | Delhi Delhi Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census... , India India India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world... |
Feroz Shah Kotla Feroz Shah Kotla The Feroz Shah Kotla or Kotla was originally a fortress built by Sultan Ferozshah Tughlaq to house his version of Delhi city called Ferozabad. A pristine polished sandstone pillar from the 3rd century B.C... |
1948 | Drawn | |
| [3] | 194 | 6 | Mumbai Mumbai Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million... , India India India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world... |
Brabourne Stadium Brabourne Stadium The Brabourne Stadium is a cricket ground in the Indian city of Mumbai. It is located on 90,000 square yards of reclaimed land along Marine Drive near Churchgate railway station in South Mumbai. The stadium is owned by the Cricket Club of India . Brabourne Stadium is India's first permanent... |
1948 | Drawn | |
| [4] | 162 | 7 | Kolkata Kolkata Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India... , India India India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world... |
Eden Gardens Eden Gardens Eden Gardens is a cricket ground in Kolkata , India. It is the home of the Bengal cricket team and the Indian Premier League's Kolkata Knight Riders, as well as being a Test and One Day International ground. It is the largest cricket stadium in India by seating capacity... |
1948 | Drawn | |
| [5] | 101 | ||||||
| [6] | 129 | 12 | Nottingham Nottingham Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
Trent Bridge Trent Bridge Trent Bridge is a Test, One-day international and County cricket ground located in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England and is also the headquarters of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. As well as International cricket and Nottinghamshire's home games, the ground has hosted the Finals Day of... |
1950 | Won | |
| [7] | 207 | 21 | Port of Spain Port of Spain Port of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population... , 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... |
Queen's Park Oval Queen's Park Oval Queen's Park Oval, in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, is currently the largest capacity cricket ground in the West Indies and has hosted more Test matches than any other ground in the Caribbean. It also hosted a number of matches in the 2007 Cricket World Cup. It is privately owned by the... |
1953 | Drawn | |
| [8] | 161 | 23 | Port of Spain Port of Spain Port of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population... , 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... |
Queen's Park Oval Queen's Park Oval Queen's Park Oval, in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, is currently the largest capacity cricket ground in the West Indies and has hosted more Test matches than any other ground in the Caribbean. It also hosted a number of matches in the 2007 Cricket World Cup. It is privately owned by the... |
1953 | Drawn | |
| [9] | 109 | 25 | Kingston 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... , 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... |
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".... |
1953 | Drawn | |
| [10] | 206 | 28 | Port of Spain Port of Spain Port of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population... , 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... |
Queen's Park Oval Queen's Park Oval Queen's Park Oval, in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, is currently the largest capacity cricket ground in the West Indies and has hosted more Test matches than any other ground in the Caribbean. It also hosted a number of matches in the 2007 Cricket World Cup. It is privately owned by the... |
1954 | Drawn | |
| [11] | 139 | 31 | Port of Spain Port of Spain Port of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population... , 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... |
Queen's Park Oval Queen's Park Oval Queen's Park Oval, in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, is currently the largest capacity cricket ground in the West Indies and has hosted more Test matches than any other ground in the Caribbean. It also hosted a number of matches in the 2007 Cricket World Cup. It is privately owned by the... |
1955 | Drawn | |
| [12] | 123 | 35 | Dunedin Dunedin Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until... , New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
Carisbrook Carisbrook Carisbrook was a major sporting venue in Dunedin, New Zealand. The city's main domestic and international rugby union venue, it has also been used for other sports such as cricket, football, rugby league and motocross. Carisbrook has also hosted a Joe Cocker concert and frequently hosted pre-game... |
1956 | Won | |
| [13] | 103 | 36 | Christchurch Christchurch Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of... , New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
Lancaster Park | 1956 | Won | |
| [14] | 156 | 37 | Wellington Wellington Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range... , New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
Basin Reserve Basin Reserve The Basin Reserve , is a cricket ground in Wellington, New Zealand, used for Test, first-class and one-day cricket. Some argue that its proximity to the city, its Historic Place status and its age make it the most famous cricket ground in New Zealand... |
1956 | Won | |
| [15] | 197 | 44 | Bridgetown Bridgetown The city of Bridgetown , metropolitan pop 96,578 , is the capital and largest city of the nation of Barbados. Formerly, the Town of Saint Michael, the Greater Bridgetown area is located within the parish of Saint Michael... , Barbados Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint... |
Kensington Oval Kensington Oval The Kensington Oval is located to the west of the capital-city Bridgetown on the island of Barbados. "The Oval" is one of the major sporting facilities on the island and is primarily used for cricket... |
1958 | Drawn | |