Joel Garner
Encyclopedia
Joel Garner also known as "Big Joel" or "Big Bird", is a former West Indian cricket
er, and a member of the highly regarded late 1970s and early '80s West Indies cricket teams.
He was a 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) fast bowler capable of ripping through the heart of opposing batting line-ups. In conjunction with fellow fast bowlers Michael Holding
, Andy Roberts, Colin Croft
and later Malcolm Marshall
, the West Indies reached unprecedented heights in the Test
and one-day cricket
arenas, not losing a Test series in 15 years.
One of the tallest bowlers ever to play Test cricket
, Garner appeared in 58 Tests between 1977 and 1987 and took 259 wickets at an average of barely above 20, making him statistically one of the most effective bowlers of all time.
However, it was in the limited overs
cricket that Garner put his height to use with devastating effect. In 98 matches he took 146 wickets. He had the ability to unleash a devastating yorker, as well as the ability to generate more bounce. He is one of only two players with more than 100 ODI wickets to average
under 20, while his economy rate of just over 3 runs per over, and average of less than 20 runs per wicket are also the best ever for any bowler who took more than 100 wickets. His 5 for 39 in the 1979 Cricket World Cup
final against England remains the best ever performance by a bowler in a final; it included a spell of 5 wickets for 4 runs, and he was on a hat-trick twice.
Joel played for Barbados in the West Indies, for South Australia
in the Sheffield Shield and alongside Viv Richards
and Ian Botham
for Somerset
in the English County Championship
. He was at Somerset in the most successful time in the county's history. In Barbados, his club team was YMPC
.
His height is almost the same as that of his successor Curtly Ambrose
, hence the same "Big" prefix.
In October 2010 Garner was named interim manager of the West Indies for the tour of Sri Lanka. He is one of the new faces in the team including captain Darren Sammy
.
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, and a member of the highly regarded late 1970s and early '80s West Indies cricket teams.
He was a 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) fast bowler capable of ripping through the heart of opposing batting line-ups. In conjunction with fellow fast bowlers Michael Holding
Michael Holding
Michael Anthony Holding is a former West Indian cricketer. One of the fastest bowlers ever to play Test cricket, he was nicknamed 'Whispering Death' by umpires due to his quiet approach to the bowling crease...
, Andy Roberts, Colin Croft
Colin Croft
Colin Everton Hunte Croft is a former West Indian cricketer. He provides expert analysis on the British Broadcasting Corporation's Test Match Special.-Cricket career:...
and later Malcolm Marshall
Malcolm Marshall
By 1984 Marshall was seen as one of the finest bowlers in the world, and he demoralised England that summer, especially at Headingley, where he ran through the order in the second innings to finish with 7-53, despite having broken his thumb whilst fielding in the first innings...
, the West Indies reached unprecedented heights in the 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...
and one-day cricket
One-day cricket
Limited overs cricket, also known as one-day cricket and in a slightly different context as List A cricket, is a version of the sport of cricket in which a match is generally completed in one day, whereas Test and first-class matches can take up to five days to complete...
arenas, not losing a Test series in 15 years.
One of the tallest bowlers ever to play Test cricket
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...
, Garner appeared in 58 Tests between 1977 and 1987 and took 259 wickets at an average of barely above 20, making him statistically one of the most effective bowlers of all time.
However, it was in the limited overs
One-day cricket
Limited overs cricket, also known as one-day cricket and in a slightly different context as List A cricket, is a version of the sport of cricket in which a match is generally completed in one day, whereas Test and first-class matches can take up to five days to complete...
cricket that Garner put his height to use with devastating effect. In 98 matches he took 146 wickets. He had the ability to unleash a devastating yorker, as well as the ability to generate more bounce. He is one of only two players with more than 100 ODI wickets to average
Bowling average
Bowling average is a statistic measuring the performance of bowlers in the sport of cricket.A bowler's bowling average is defined as the total number of runs conceded by the bowlers divided by the number of wickets taken by the bowler, so the lower the average the better. It is similar to earned...
under 20, while his economy rate of just over 3 runs per over, and average of less than 20 runs per wicket are also the best ever for any bowler who took more than 100 wickets. His 5 for 39 in 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...
final against England remains the best ever performance by a bowler in a final; it included a spell of 5 wickets for 4 runs, and he was on a hat-trick twice.
Joel played for Barbados in the West Indies, for South Australia
Southern Redbacks
The South Australia cricket team, nicknamed the Southern Redbacks and known as the West End Redbacks due to their sponsorship agreement with local brewers West End, are an Australian first class cricket team based in Adelaide, South Australia, and represent the state of South Australia...
in the Sheffield Shield and alongside Viv Richards
Viv Richards
Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards, KNH, OBE is a former West Indian cricketer. Better known by his second name, Vivian or, more popularly, simply as Viv or King Viv Richards was voted one of the five Cricketers of the Century in 2000, by a 100-member panel of experts, along with Sir Donald...
and Ian Botham
Ian Botham
Sir Ian Terence Botham OBE is a former England Test cricketer and Test team captain, and current cricket commentator. He was a genuine all-rounder with 14 centuries and 383 wickets in Test cricket, and remains well-known by his nickname "Beefy"...
for Somerset
Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...
in the English County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
. He was at Somerset in the most successful time in the county's history. In Barbados, his club team was YMPC
YMPC Cricket Club
YMPC Cricket Club is a cricket club in Barbados. The club plays in the Barbados Cricket Association Division 1 championship. The club is part of the Young Men's Progressive Club of Barbados; established in 1935 for "lower middle income whites and near whites for whom there was no space in Pickwick...
.
His height is almost the same as that of his successor Curtly Ambrose
Curtly Ambrose
Curtly Elconn Lynwall Ambrose is a former West Indian cricketer. His skill was as a right-arm fast bowler, especially in partnership with Courtney Walsh...
, hence the same "Big" prefix.
In October 2010 Garner was named interim manager of the West Indies for the tour of Sri Lanka. He is one of the new faces in the team including captain Darren Sammy
Darren Sammy
Darren Julius Garvey Sammy is a Saint Lucian cricketer who plays international cricket for the West Indies. He is a right-handed batsman and a fast-medium bowler. On making his One Day International debut against Bangladesh in 2004, Sammy became the first person from the island of St. Lucia...
.