Famous Cricketers No 71 - J.D.C.Goddard

innings of the first match, which Barbados won, and scoring a scintillating century in the first innings of the second. On this occasion he went to the crease at 70/3 and shared with Weekes (129) a fourth wicket partnership that yielded 191 runs and laid the foundation for a mammoth total of 601/9 declared. Weekes’s century was his first, Goddard’s his fifth. With Robert Christiani (149) and J.L.Thomas (117) replying with centuries for British Guiana, the game ended in a tame draw. Goddard, who had scored five glorious centuries within the space of nine matches during 1943-46, was destined to score no more. This could certainly not have been foreseen at that time. But he had, at the age of 27, reached his peak and would never bat as effectively again. Led again by Goddard, Barbados travelled to Jamaica to play two matches early in 1947. Both were drawn as neither side possessed sufficiently penetrative bowling. Goddard himself bowled 42 eight-ball overs in the first match to capture 5/128 and had to bowl 41 more in the second when, somewhat curiously, he finished again with 5/128. His batting fell off slightly as he managed only one half-century in four innings. But the tour was a triumph for Weekes, who achieved a brilliant century in the second match after scoring a superb 97 in his first innings on Jamaican soil. For Jamaica, the great Headley (as usual) shone, as did Kenneth Weekes, Everton’s cousin. Goddard proved himself an inspiration in the field by taking no fewer than 12 catches in his first season as captain. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 18. Barbados v British Guiana, Georgetown, September 21, 23, 24, 25, 26 (Barbados won by eight wickets) c L.A. Westmaas b N. Wight 5 446 18.5 3 47 5 C.A.McWatt c A.M.Taylor 401 1 C.Haynes lbw D.F.Hill b B.McG.Gaskin c E.DeC.Weekes E.S.Christiani lbw did not bat - 84-2 4 1 8 0 128 2 19. Barbados v British Guiana, Georgetown, September 28, 30, October 1, 2, 3 (Match drawn) c and b N.Wight 114 601-9d 16 2 45 1 C.A.McWatt c J.H.Lucas 491 c L.A.Westmaas b N.Wight 22 203-9d 4 1 16 0 131-4 20. Barbados v Jamaica, Kingston, March 22, 24, 25, 26, 27 (Match drawn) c R.L.Fuller b D.P.S.Beckford 26 325 27 4 103 3 K.H.Weekes b 356 1 A.F.Rae c C.L.Walcott A.E.McKenzie lbw lbw b L.G.Gooden 48 302 15 5 25 2 L.V.Dujon lbw 151-5 3 L.G. Gooden c F.M.M.Worrell 21. Barbados v Jamaica, Kingston, March 29, 31, April 1, 2, 3 (Match drawn) b G.H.Mudie 54 478 22 5 75 1 G.H.Mudie c E.DeC.Weekes 456 2 lbw G.H.Mudie 5 162-7 19 5 53 4 K.H.Weekes c J.H.Lucas 293-8d 3 J.K.Holt c and b K.R.Rickards b D.P.S.Beckford c F.M.M.Worrell SEASON’S AVERAGES Batting and Fielding M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct Season 4 7 0 274 114 39.14 1 1 12 Career 21 36 5 1597 218* 51.51 5 7 21 Bowling O M R W BB Ave 5i 10m Season (6b) 125.5 26 372 16 5-47 23.25 1 - Career (6b) 175.5 35 } 1007 34 5-47 29.61 1 - (8b) 139 13 1947/48 This was the season in which West Indies cricket came of age. The MCC team that toured the Caribbean found the hosts much stronger than at any time hitherto. The visitors did not manage to win a single first-class match and lost the Test series by a convincing margin of 2-0. Goddard’s contribution to the West Indian triumph was most significant. He was among the three captains 15