Famous Cricketers No 94 - Alfred Lewis Valentine

1960/61 – West Indians in Australia Although Valentine had not bowled particularly well for some time, Frank Worrell gambled on taking him again to Australia, where he had been so successful nine years earlier. The gamble paid handsome dividends as Valentine bowled steadily throughout the tour and finished with 39 wickets at a cost of 28.87 runs in 11 first-class matches. He also played in all five Tests, taking 14 wickets (ave 38.07). He (8/153) and Lance Gibbs (8/112) played key roles in the solitary Test victory which the West Indies achieved at Sydney in January. In the previous match, against Tasmania at Launceston, Valentine had become the first Jamaican to exceed 400 wickets in first-class cricket. His 5/33 on that occasion was his most successful return for the season. One of the ironic features of the tour was Valentine’s batting. By being left not out eight times in his nine Test innings, he was able to achieve an average of 21 runs per innings during the series. Not only was this by far the best of his career but it was superior to the 19.50 achieved by Peter Lashley, one of the West Indian specialist batsmen. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 86. West Indians v Australian XI, Perth, November 4, 5, 7, 8 (Match drawn) b F.M.Misson 2 289-9d - - - - 194 did not bat - 339-6d 13 3 38 1 K.N.Slater c F.C.M.Alexander 384-8 87. West Indians v South Australia, Adelaide, November 11, (12), 14, 15 (Match drawn) lbw N.J.N.Hawke 0 143 29 6 78 1 B.N.Jarman c P.D.Lashley 279-9d did not bat - 149-3 1 0 2 1 J.C.Lill c F.C.M.Alexander 44-3d 88. West Indians v Victoria, Melbourne, November 18, 19, (21), 22 (West Indians won by an innings and 171 runs) b L.F.Kline 1 493 19 2 40 2 W.M.Lawry lbw 118 1 C.C.McDonald st J.L.Hendriks 17.7 2 55 3 R.W.Furlong lbw 204 1 L.V.Maddocks lbw I.Meckiff c J.L.Hendriks 89. West Indians v Queensland, Brisbane, December 2, 3, 5, (6) (Match drawn) c J.J.McLaughlin b T.R.Vievers 2 357 38 6 117 5 K.D.Mackay c L.R. Gibbs 431 P.J.P.Burge c G.S.Sobers J.R.E.Mackay c C.D.Watson C.E.Westaway c F.C.M.Alexander J.Lihou c F.C.M.Alexander 21 5 44 1 J.J.McLaughlin lbw 189-8 90. WEST INDIES v AUSTRALIA, Brisbane, December 9, 10, 12, 13, 14 (Match tied) not out 0 453 24 6 82 1 R.N.Harvey b 505 1 not out 7 284 10 4 27 0 232 91. West Indians v New South Wales, Sydney, December 23, 24, 26 (New South Wales won by an innings and 97 runs) not out 0 163 35.4 4 140 4 I.D.Craig c C.C.Hunte 468 B.C.Booth c C.C.Hunte N.C.O’Neill st J.L.Hendriks G.F.Rorke st J.L.Hendriks c R.N.Harvey b R.Benaud 0 208 92. WEST INDIES v AUSTRALIA, Melbourne, December 30, 31, January 2, 3 (Australia won by seven wickets) not out 1 181 11.1 1 55 1 J.W.Martin b 348 not out 0 233 - - - - 70-3 93. West Indians v Tasmania, Launceston, January 9, 10 (West Indians won by six wickets) c G.C.Hudson b G.O.Connor 1 210 13.4 2 33 5 B.J.Hyland b 123 1 D.J.Baldock c C.C.Hunte I.B.Crowden c C.C.Hunte B.C.Patterson b T.J.Cowley b did not bat - 78-4 18.4 4 46 2 R.Heffernan c F.M.M.Worrell 163 G.C.Hudson c C.D.Watson 26