Wes Hall
Hall's opening bowling partnership with fellow Barbadian Charlie Griffith was a feature of the strong West Indies teams throughout the 1960s.Years of non-stop cricket and resultant injury reduced Hall's effectiveness in the latter part of his Test career.After his playing days Hall entered Barbadian politics, serving in both the Barbados Senate and House of Assembly and appointed Minister of Tourism in 1987.[1] Hall was born in Saint Michael, Barbados—"just outside the walls of [HM Prison] Glendairy"—to a teenaged mother, his father a sometime light-heavyweight boxer.[13] The pair had a highly successful Test series against the Indians with Wisden Cricketers' Almanack describing the duo as "two fearsome opening bowlers reminiscent of the days of [Manny] Martindale and [Learie] Constantine.He dismissed the Indian opener Nari Contractor for a duck and quickly followed than with the wickets of Pankaj Roy and Vijay Manjrekar.[16] Hall was equal to the task, playing "a decisive part in India's downfall" taking 11 wickets in the match.By this stage, Hall had "burned himself out" and he bowled only four overs in the England second innings as the West Indies pushed for a series-equalling win.[26] Hall was first offered a contract by Accrington for the 1959 season, which he turned down through loyalty to his employer in Barbados who had provided him with leave to tour England.[28] Hall left Accrington in 1964 to take up a less restrictive contract with Great Chell Cricket Club in the Staffordshire League.Hall broke through early, taking the wickets of Bob Simpson and Neil Harvey, followed, after some stubborn resistance, by Norm O'Neill.The West Indies captain Frank Worrell then dismissed Colin McDonald before Hall struck again for his fourth wicket, Les Favell caught by Joe Solomon.[24][34] The pitches used in the remaining three Test of the series favoured slow bowling and Hall did not play as large a role from that point on.[36] Hall enjoyed an immensely successful season with Queensland and a key part of the team's second place in the Sheffield Shield competition—behind perennial powerhouse New South Wales.[39] After his first season with Queensland, Hall returned to the Caribbean to join the West Indies team in their Test series against India in 1962.[40][41] When the second Test at Sabina Park was heading towards what looked to be a tame draw on a placid pitch, Hall broke the game wide open with some "grand bowling", taking 6/49 and West Indies won the match by an innings.He then scythed through the Indian top order, taking the first five wickets of the innings to have India at 30/5 at one stage, a position they could not recover from.The success of Hall and his fast bowling partner Griffith saw the arrival of the West Indies pace duo in England for the 1963 Test series "greeted with the public awe and press build-up formerly accorded to [the Australians] Ted McDonald and Jack Gregory or Ray Lindwall and Keith Miller.[46] The West Indies, with their "sparkling batting, bowling and fielding", won the series three Tests to one and captured the imagination of the English public.As in the Tied Test in Brisbane three years earlier, Hall found himself bowling the final over of the match with both sides still capable of winning.[49] The Australian tour of the West Indies in 1964–65 was somewhat overshadowed by concerns about the bowling action of Griffith, whom the visitors considered a "chucker".[54] The picture of Wesley Hall in full flow as he ran towards the wicket is still treasured in the memories of all but the opposing batsman—and maybe in theirs as well.As a result of their huge support in 1963, the West Indies were invited to tour England again only three years later.[59] In 1966, the Trinidad-based company West Indian Tobacco (WITCO) engaged Hall on a three-year contract to promote youth cricket in Trinidad and Tobago, including playing for the Trinidad and Tobago national team in the Shell Shield, the West Indies first-class cricket championship.[55][63] Still, such was their prestige and their perceived psychological advantage over the English that the West Indies selectors stuck with the pair for the entire series.[65] Sobers still considered Hall one of the best bowlers in the Caribbean and insisted on his selection, threatening to withdraw from the tour himself if he did not get his man in the squad.This mission grew to become the SERVOL (Service Volunteered For All) voluntary organisation that now operates throughout Trinidad and Tobago and elsewhere in the Caribbean.Now you should hear my speeches.At the end of his career as a cricketer, Hall reflected, "I realised that I’d been playing for ten years, and I was married with three children and I didn’t have any money."[93] Hall was able to sustain pace and hostility for very long spells—during the Test against England at Lord's in 1963 he bowled unchanged for over three hours on the final day.Wisden said of this innings, "[Hall's] batting promised so much ... [he] made his runs in the classic mould, not in the unorthodox manner usually adopted by fast bowlers.The Australian commentator Johnnie Moyes described Hall as "a rare box-office attraction, a man who caught and held the affections of the paying public.
Wes Hall (businessman)St MichaelFast bowlerWest IndiesNew ZealandBarbadosQueenslandTrinidadBatting averageWicketsBowling average5 wickets in inningsstumpingsBarbadiancricketerTest matchesCharlie GriffithSheffield Shieldwicket-keeperbatsmanWest Indies squad to tour England in 1957first-class cricketTest hat-trickTied TestAustraliaLord'sEnglandSenateHouse of AssemblyMinister of TourismselectorWest Indies Cricket BoardPentecostal ChurchICC Cricket Hall of Fame2012 Birthday HonoursknightedSaint MichaelGlendairyCombermere SchoolBarbados Cricket AssociationFrank KingBridgetownCable Office cricket teamWanderersBarbados teamE. W. SwantonColin CowdreyKenneth BrankerWest Indian squad to tour England in 1957averagehome Test series against Pakistan in 1957–58tour IndiaPakistanJaswick Taylorall-rounderFrank WorrellBarodaRoy GilchristWisden Cricketers' Almanack[Manny] Martindale[Learie] ConstantineBrabourne StadiumBombayNari ContractorPankaj RoyVijay ManjrekarModi StadiumKanpurBagh-e-JinnahLahorehat-trick in Test cricketMushtaq MohammadNasim-ul-GhaniFazal MahmoodEngland toured the West Indies in 1959–60Sabina ParkBourdaBritish GuianabowlingM. J. K. SmithPort of SpainAccrington Cricket ClubLancashire LeagueBurnleyLiverpool1960–61 Test series against Australiafirst Testthe GabbaBrisbaneBob SimpsonNeil HarveyNorm O'NeillColin McDonaldLes FavellJoe SolomonRichie BenaudAlan Davidsonstumpsrun outcaught behindMelbourne Cricket Groundticker-tape paradeMelbourneNew South WalesVictoriaTest series against Indiaan innings1963 Test seriesTed McDonaldJack GregoryRay LindwallKeith MillerThe TimesThe OvalBrian BolusumpireSyd BullerAustralian tour of the West Indies in 1964–65chuckerWest Indies were invited to tour England again only three years laterHeadingleyWisden TrophyTrinidad and TobagoShell ShieldWest Indies team that toured India and Ceylon in 1966–67home series against England in 1967–68