Herman Griffith
Encyclopedia
Herman Clarence Griffith (December 1, 1893-March 18, 1980) 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.
Griffith was born in Arima, Trinidad. His first tour was to England in 1928. He took 11 wickets in the three Tests, the most of any West Indian bowler. England only gave up 30 wickets in the three Tests, as they won each by an innings. Griffith's best bowling of the tour, and his best in Test cricket, came in the final match at The Oval
when he took six for 103, at one stage taking five for 21 as England collapsed from 301 for two to 333 for seven.
On the tour as a whole, Griffith was less successful in first-class matches than Learie Constantine
, but took 103 wickets in all matches to finish second in the tour bowling averages. He mostly batted at No 10 or 11, but was a more than useful batsman, making more than 300 runs on the tour and sharing in several partnerships that rescued earlier batting collapses.
He was the first bowler in Test cricket to send Donald Bradman
back to the pavilion with a duck. This occurred during the Fifth Test of West Indies' tour of Australia in 1931
. This led to the Australians missing their target and the West Indies' first Test victory against Australia (and, in fact, their second overall).
He was part of the touring side in 1933
and took three Test wickets against England when just short of his fortieth birthday.
C. L. R. James
was a great admirer and once said of him,
He died in Bridgetown, Barbados at the age of 86.
In June 1988 Griffith was celebrated on the Barbadian 50c stamp alongside the Barbados Cricket Buckle
. In error 101 stamps were issued featuring a photograph of Barto Bartlett
instead of Herman Griffith.
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,...
cricketer
Cricketer
A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
who played in West Indies' first Test match
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...
in their inaugural Test tour of England
West Indian cricket team in England in 1928
The West Indian cricket team that toured England in the 1928 season was the first to play Test cricket. The team was not very successful, losing all three Tests by an innings and winning only five of the 30 first-class matches played....
and was one of the leading bowlers on that tour.
Griffith was born in Arima, Trinidad. His first tour was to England in 1928. He took 11 wickets in the three Tests, the most of any West Indian bowler. England only gave up 30 wickets in the three Tests, as they won each by an innings. Griffith's best bowling of the tour, and his best in Test cricket, came in the final match at The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
when he took six for 103, at one stage taking five for 21 as England collapsed from 301 for two to 333 for seven.
On the tour as a whole, Griffith was less successful in first-class matches than Learie Constantine
Learie Constantine
Learie Nicholas Constantine, Baron Constantine MBE was a West Indian cricketer who played 18 Test matches before the Second World War. He took West Indies' first wicket in Test cricket and was the team's leading all-rounder and opening bowler for the entirety of his career...
, but took 103 wickets in all matches to finish second in the tour bowling averages. He mostly batted at No 10 or 11, but was a more than useful batsman, making more than 300 runs on the tour and sharing in several partnerships that rescued earlier batting collapses.
He was the first bowler in Test cricket to send 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...
back to the pavilion with a duck. This occurred during the Fifth Test of West Indies' tour of Australia in 1931
West Indian cricket team in Australia in 1930-31
The West Indies cricket team toured Australia in 1930-31 and played 5 Test matches against Australia. Australia won the series 4-1.-Test series summary:* at Adelaide Oval – Australia won by 10 wickets...
. This led to the Australians missing their target and the West Indies' first Test victory against Australia (and, in fact, their second overall).
He was part of the touring side in 1933
West Indian cricket team in England in 1933
The West Indies cricket team toured England in 1933, playing three Test matches, losing two of them and drawing the other. In all, the side played 30 first-class matches, winning only five and losing nine....
and took three Test wickets against England when just short of his fortieth birthday.
C. L. R. James
C. L. R. James
Cyril Lionel Robert James , who sometimes wrote under the pen-name J.R. Johnson, was an Afro-Trinidadian historian, journalist, socialist theorist and essayist. His works are influential in various theoretical, social, and historiographical contexts...
was a great admirer and once said of him,
Griffith had had a secondary education, called nobody mister except the captain, and had the reputation of being ready to call anybody anything which seemed to him to apply.
He died in Bridgetown, Barbados at the age of 86.
In June 1988 Griffith was celebrated on the Barbadian 50c stamp alongside the Barbados Cricket Buckle
Barbados Cricket Buckle
The Barbados Cricket Buckle is a repoussé engraving on a belt buckle of a slave playing cricket in Barbados circa 1780-1810.It is believed to be the only known image of a slave playing cricket and the oldest known image depicting cricket outside the British Isles."That the belt buckle depicts the...
. In error 101 stamps were issued featuring a photograph of Barto Bartlett
Edward Bartlett (cricketer)
Edward Lawson Bartlett was a West Indian cricketer who played in West Indies' inaugural Test tour of England in 1928.He was born in Flint Hall, St. Michael, Barbados....
instead of Herman Griffith.