All Ten: The Ultimate Bowling Feat

237 Eddie Hemmings It is probably best remembered for Lord’s 1990 when Kapil Dev decided that the best way to avoid the follow-on was to hit him for four successive sixes. He had his revenge in the second innings, picking up Kapil cheaply and helping bowl England to victory. The first proper all-ten in the West Indies was a long time coming. Fitz Hinds had taken ten for 36 for A.B. St Hill’s team against Trinidad in January 1901 but this was a 12-a-side match and fast bowler Henry Simmons chipped in late with a solitary wicket that prevented Hinds achieving an all-eleven, With the West Indian first-class season largely held in the early months of the year a number of territories took the opportunity to arrange special matches in the period between the end of the English season and the start of the Australian one. In 1982 the Jamaican Cricket Board of Control’s second International Cricket Festival, sponsored by Shell, Air Florida and the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, comprised two matches between a West Indies Eleven captained by Clive Lloyd and an International Eleven under the New Zealander John Wright. The first, a 45-overs-a-side match played under lights at the National Stadium, Kingston, was the first night match contested in Jamaica. It was a great success, a crowd of more than 20,000 seeing an exciting finish and a win for the West Indies by three runs. Hemmings’ figures of nought for 41 from nine overs in this first match contrasted with those in the second match, which was played at Sabina Park. The match was preceded by an emotional ceremony, watched by many former West Indies stars, which saw 73-year-old Jamaican great George Headley open the new 7,000 seat south stand named in his honour. The West Indies side was almost at its awesome full Test strength, while Wright’s side included seven Englishmen supplemented by Sri Lankan opening batsman Gehan Mendis, Indian left-arm opening bowler Kharsan Ghavri, and Barbados-born Roland Butcher. Heavy rain before the match had affected part of the pitch and if hadn’t been a festival match it might not have started. The visitors’ first innings 262 wasn’t a bad effort given that the West Indies’ pace attack comprised Sylvester Clarke, Andy Roberts, Michael Holding and Malcolm Marshall, and that of their team only Roland Butcher had previously played first- class cricket in the West Indies. Clarke had the best figures (five for 26), whilst Lancashire’s Graeme Fowler (63) and Surrey’s Jack Richards (62) would have been well pleased with their performances against such a fearsome foursome. Kent’s Kevin Jarvis was probably also feeling happy with his 14 not out, a total he had never reached before in 160 first- class matches. Hemmings himself was a useful batsman who had made his maiden, and only, first-class century two months before. This time however Clarke trapped him in front before he had scored. Ghavri and Lancashire’s Paul Allott opened the bowling against the West Indies side but could make little headway against Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes, and it took the introduction of Hemmings to effect a breakthrough by having Greenidge caught by Ghavri, although not before the famous opening pair had put on 98. Jamaica’s left-hand batsman