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

1956/57 Goddard played two games for Barbados this season when the WICBC staged a quadrangular tournament at Georgetown. In preparation for the upcoming tour of England, he was restored to the captaincy. Barbados defeated Trinidad easily enough but were lucky to escape with a draw against British Guiana, led now by Walcott. Basil Butcher, Rohan Kanhai, Pairaudeau and Joseph Solomon all scored centuries for the hosts during the tournament while Collie Smith and Sobers shaped well as all-rounders. In retrospect, it does seem remarkably odd that both Alfie Binns (Jamaica) and Clairmonte Depeiza (Barbados) kept wicket reasonably well and scored heavily as batsmen but were eventually left behind when the team was chosen to tour England. Depeiza, who had scored a match-saving century in a memorable Test against Australia in 1955, might well have made a huge difference to the West Indian fortunes in 1957. Goddard’s own form was mediocre and he accomplished little either as a batsman or bowler. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 91. Barbados v Trinidad, Georgetown, October 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 (Barbados won by an innings and 148 runs) c S.Oliver b B.Peters 16 433 - - - - 115 4 1 7 1 D.Ramsamooj lbw 170 1 92. Barbados v British Guiana, Georgetown, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25 (Match drawn) run out 11 211 15 6 21 1 C.A.McWatt lbw 581 1 did not bat - 67-4 SEASON’S AVERAGES Batting and Fielding M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct Season 2 2 0 27 16 13.50 - - 2 Career 92 121 28 3470 218* 37.31 5 17 82 Bowling O M R W BB Ave 5i 10m Season (6b) 19 7 28 2 1-7 14.00 - - Career (6b) 1222.2 380 } 3640 138 5-31 26.37 3 - (8b) 255 40 1957 - West Indians in England Goddard’s second tour of England was vastly different from his first. He found a much stronger England on this occasion while his own team was lacking a number of fundamentals. Whereas the 1950 squad was blessed with a reliable opening partnership, an accomplished wicketkeeper, a fine array of batsmen at the height of their powers, and a pair of mystery bowlers, the West Indies team of 1957 had no such advantages. The selectors, almost inexplicably, had omitted Hunte and Depeiaza whose presence could have made a huge difference to the outcome. Goddard had no experienced fast bowlers to counter the thunderbolts of Peter Loader, Brian Statham and Fred Trueman. Once May and Cowdrey had, to their own satisfaction and in a rather unorthodox manner, solved the Riddle of Ramadhin at Birmingham, the sting and mystique disappeared at once from the Caribbean attack. To make matters worse, Walcott and Weekes, two major players from whom great things were expected, were handicapped by a succession of minor aches and pains. Even so, the West Indies won 14 of their 31 first-class matches and lost only 3. They were powerful enough to overwhelm the majority of the counties but not sufficiently well-balanced to topple England. The latter were immensely strong and would perhaps still have triumphed - even had the West Indies avoided some of the obvious pitfalls. Boasting such great stars as Bailey, Cowdrey, Evans, Graveney, Laker, Loader, Lock, May, Peter Richardson, Statham and Trueman - all at, or close to, their prime - England needed only a settled opening partnership to be considered one of the finest teams ever assembled. They won the series 3-0 and came close to winning all five of the Tests. Only two members of the touring side enhanced their reputations: Worrell and ‘Collie’ Smith, each with wonderful all-round performances. Between them they struck the three Test centuries scored by their team and did most to salvage the game at Trent 27