Famous Cricketers No 94 - Alfred Lewis Valentine

slowly, but had obviously found his bearings after three or four weeks. He captured only three wickets for 206 runs in his first two games, but showed his class against MCC at Lord’s in late May with a return of 7/168 from 81 overs. He then bowled splendidly against Lancashire in early June to take 13/67 in 47.2 overs, including 8/26 in the first innings which was destined to remain his personal best. His 8/26 (innings) and 13/67 (match) have survived as West Indian records against Lancashire for more than 50 years. Valentine made his Test début, at the age of 20 years 40 days, on 8 June and dismissed the first eight batsmen he faced. No bowler had previously accomplished this feat on his first day in Test cricket. His 11/204 on that occasion remains the best by a West Indian in his first Test match. At Lord’s, in the second Test, he delivered no fewer than 75 maidens among his 116 overs which yielded 7 wickets at a cost of just over 18 runs each on a batsman’s pitch. In the fourth Test, at The Oval, he claimed 10 more wickets for 160 runs from 90.3 very challenging overs. At Canterbury, on 1 September, he torpedoed Kent’s second innings in a brilliant spell of 13.2 overs which yielded 5 wickets for a meagre 6 runs. Valentine bowled more overs (1185.2) and more maidens (475) than any of his colleagues this summer. His 123 wickets at an average cost of 17.94 runs each, left him second only to Sonny Ramadhin, who claimed 135 at 14.88 runs apiece. As a batsman, however, Valentine finished the tour without ever achieving double digits. He registered 49 runs (ave 3.06). His best effort came against Gloucestershire at Cheltenham in August when he scored 9 not out. His highest Test score was also 9, which came in the fourth Test. He made the first of his many noughts against the MCC on 23 May when he was bowled by Bill Edrich in his fifth match and his fifth innings. He suffered his first ‘pair of spectacles’ in his first Test (and eighth first-class match). As a fieldsman, Valentine held 7 catches during the tour, including 5 off his own bowling. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 3. West Indians v Surrey, Kennington Oval, May 13, 15, 16 (Match drawn) did not bat - 537-5d 11 2 26 2 J.C.Laker c J.D.C.Goddard 193 1 A.V.Bedser c R.J.Christiani did not bat - 14-1 30.2 10 83 1 G.N.G.Kirby c G.E.Gomez 391 4. West Indians v Cambridge University, Fenner’s, May 17, 18, 19 (Match drawn) did not bat - 730-3 32 3 97 0 594-4d 5. West Indians v MCC, Lord’s, May 20, 22, 23 (MCC won by 118 runs) c R.T.Simpson b J.M.Sims 2 170 35 9 67 5 R.T.Simpson c J.D.C.Goddard 188 W.J.Edrich st C.L.Walcott N.W.D.Yardley c C.L.Walcott E.A.Bedser st C.L.Walcott J.M.Sims b b W.J.Edrich 0 147 46 10 101 2 R.T.Simpson c J.D.C.Goddard 247 E.A.Bedser c J.D.C.Goddard 6. West Indians v Glamorgan, Cardiff, May 27, 29, 30 (West Indians won by an innings and 26 runs) b N.G.Hever 1 328 24 10 34 4 D.E.Davies b 123 W.E.Jones b S.W.Montgomery c S.Ramadhin H.G. Davies c E.DeC.Weekes 23 11 46 1 D.E.Davies b 179 7. West Indians v Lancashire, Old Trafford, June 3, 5, 6 (West Indians won by an innings and 220 runs) did not bat - 454-7d 22 9 26 8 J.T.Ikin c J.D.C.Goddard 103 G.A.Edrich c R.E.Marshall K.J.Grieves b A.Wharton b N.D.Howard b J.G.Lomax c R.J.Christiani M.J.Hilton c J.B.Stollmeyer R.Pollard c R.E.Marshall 25.2 10 41 5 W.Place b 131 G.A.Edrich c R.E.Marshall K.J.Grieves c R.E.Marshall M.J.Hilton c A.F.Rae A.Barlow c R.E.Marshall 10