Richard Ollivierre
Encyclopedia
Kingstown
Kingstown is the chief port of Saint Vincent, and the capital of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. With a population of 25,418 Kingstown is a centre for the island's agricultural industry and a port of entry for tourists...
, St. Vincent
Saint Vincent (island)
Saint Vincent is a volcanic island in the Caribbean. It is the largest island of the chain called Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It is located in the Caribbean Sea, between Saint Lucia and Grenada. It is composed of partially submerged volcanic mountains...
– 5 June 1937 at New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
) was a coloured West Indian cricketer who toured England in 1906. He was a right hand batsman, right arm fast bowler and useful wicket-keeper.
Being from St. Vincent his chances to play in important cricket matches in the West Indies were limited. He made his debut in big matches playing with A.B. St Hill's team that played in Trinidad in 1898-99 scoring 60 in the second game but was not selected for the 1900 tour to England. He played again in the next tour to Trinidad by A.B. St Hill's team in 1900-01 and then in 1904-05 he was selected for the combined West Indies team and played in both matches against Lord Brackley's team
Lord Brackley's XI cricket team in West Indies in 1904-05
Lord Brackley's XI was the fifth team of English cricketers to tour the West Indies, playing in the 1904-05 season. The team was captained by John Egerton, 4th Earl of Ellesmere and played a total of 20 matches between January and April 1905, of which ten are regarded as first class...
.
He was chosen for the 1906 tour
West Indian cricket team in England in 1906
The West Indian cricket team toured England in the 1906 season. The team played 19 matches between 11 June and 18 August 1906 of which 13 were regarded as first-class....
to England. Before the tour he was described as "an excellent bat, fine field; requires experience in first-class matches" and "he is one of the famous brotherhood and a hard hitter. He is quite the Jessop
Gilbert Jessop
Gilbert Laird Jessop was an English cricket player, often reckoned to have been the fastest run-scorer cricket has ever known, he was Wisden Cricketer of the Year for 1898.Relations...
of the Indies, but combines the penchant of A.N. Hornby for short runs. Being the reserve wicketkeeper and a capital fast bowler, he is a good all-round exponent". With Sydney Smith
Sydney Smith (cricketer)
Sydney Gordon Smith, born at San Fernando, Trinidad on 15 January 1881, and died at Auckland, New Zealand, on 25 October 1963, was a cricketer who had three distinct careers, playing for Trinidad in the West Indies, for Northamptonshire in England and for Auckland in New Zealand...
they were the successes of the tour. He scored 480 in his 12 first class matches at an average of 20, lead the bowling averages with 58 wickets at an average of 21.56 and even kept wicket on a few occasions. The highlight of his tour was the match against Yorkshire when he took 11 wickets in the West Indies victory.
He played for W.C. Shepherd's team that played in British Guiana and Trinidad in 1909-10 and had some success with his bowling. He did not play against the 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...
tourists in 1910-11
English cricket team in West Indies in 1910-11
The sixth team of English cricketers toured the West Indies in the 1910-11 season. For the first time the MCC organised the tour. The team was captained by AWF Somerset and played a total of 12 matches, of which 11 are regarded as first-class, between February and April 1911.A party of 11 was...
but did play for the combined West Indies in all three matches against the 1912-13
English cricket team in West Indies in 1912-13
The seventh team of English cricketers toured the West Indies in the 1912-13 season. The tour was organised by MCC. As in 1910-11, the team was captained by AWF Somerset...
team and took 13 wickets in the matches and scored over 100 runs in the third match alone. Talking about the Cork Challenge Cup in the 1911-12 season 'Cricket' says that "The third tournament, in St. Vincent last year, came to a premature end, owing to the misbevaviour of the crowd, incensed at seeing its idol, Richard Ollivierre, given out l.b.w."
Soon after his 1912-13 success he emigrated to the United States and in August 1913 appeared for a 'West Indian Coloured Team' against the 1913 Australian tourists at Celtic Park, Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Having recently played at a good standard he was clearly the best bowler in the side and took 7-57 in 19 overs, 6 of them clean bowled and the other caught and bowled. The West Indians were dismissed for 13 and 61 and beaten by an innings and 139 runs.
He was one of a family of cricketers which included his brothers Charles
Charles Ollivierre
Charles Augustus Ollivierre was a West Indian cricketer who toured England in 1900 and played for Derbyshire between 1901 and 1907 becoming the first black West Indian to play for an English county....
and Helon.