Today, 22nd June, is Windrush Day - a day that honours the British Caribbean community and celebrates all that it has contributed to British society.
Windrush Day is so named in recognition of those who travelled over to Britain, by invitation, from the Caribbean between 1948 and 1971, to help rebuild the country in the wake of the devastation of the Second World War. The first immigrants to arrive travelled from Jamaica, aboard the MV Empire Windrush, disembarking at Tibury docks on 22nd June 1948.
This will be the third year that Windrush Day has been marked in the calendar, following its launch on 22nd June 2018, and today, Middlesex Cricket is raising a bat to celebrate the incredible service that Caribbean born cricketers have given to Middlesex Cricket - all who have played an important part in our rich and successful history.
Collectively, Caribbean born players have made over 2,500 first eleven appearances for the club, have amassed nearly 55,000 runs between them and have taken over 2,600 wickets across all three formats.
On this day, and all days, we celebrate your achievements and are eternally grateful for all that you have done.
Born 25th December 1934, Basseterre, St Kitts
Peter Delisle was a middle-order batsman who represented Oxford University between 1954 and 1956 and played for Middlesex in the University holidays. He only played one full season for Middlesex, in 1955, when he passed 1000 runs for the only time in his career and hit his highest first-class score for the club, 130 against Cambridge University.
Middlesex career
55 first-class appearances / 1,935 runs at 21.50
Born 2nd October 1942, Roseau, Dominica
Little is known of Pat Lawrence, the right-handed batsman and medium fast bowler, who made four first-class appearances for the club in 1964.
Middlesex career
4 first-class appearances / 19 runs at 6.33 / 6 wickets at 31.00
Born 26th July 1943, Kingston, Jamaica
Harry Latchman was a canny leg-spin bowler who always played with a broad smile on his face. He played for Middlesex for nine consecutive seasons, having joined the club in 1965. In 1968 he had his finest year with the ball, picking up 88 first-class wickets at a miserly average of 18.88. After nine years with the club he moved to Nottinghamshire and then later in his career to Cornwall, before returning to the Middlesex area where he coached at Merchant Taylors' School. He served as Middlesex President between 2015 to 2017
Middlesex career
170 first-class appearances / 1,650 runs at 12.31 / 400 wickets at 27.58
12 List-A appearances / 88 runs at 14.66 / 9 wickets at 36.88
Born 28th February 1945, Portland, Jamaica
Stewart moved over to England from Jamaica in 1955 at the age of 11 with his family. He was a talented fast bowler who played for the club for three seasons, originally under captain Fred Titmus and later under the leadership of Peter Parfitt.
Middlesex career
51 first-class appearances / 98 runs at 4.08 / 127 wickets at 24.25
6 List-A appearances / 3 runs at 1.50 / 7 wickets at 30.71
Born 29th November 1939, Amity Hall, St Thomas, Jamaica
A medium-paced left-armer, Dennis Marriott's career in England began south of the Thames with Surrey, Where he played for three years before joining Mike Brearley’s Middlesex side in 1972. Marriott made eleven first-class appearances for the club in the following three years and was described by Brearley as “a talented and delightful part-time bowler in the Derek Underwood mould”.
Middesex career
11 first-class appearances / 51 runs at 8.50 / 24 wickets at 31.08
36 List-A appearances / 52 runs at 3.46 / 57 wickets at 18.36
Born 13th July 1953, Arima, Trinidad
Described as a quiet and efficient batsman, Gomes played in an era of West Indies cricket that was packed full of talented and explosive power hitters. At odds with those around him, Gomes was calmness personified, going about his business with quiet yet brutal efficiency, as his nine Test centuries for the West Indies confirms. He was named as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1985. His time as a Middlesex player came in his formative years and began before he has even made his West Indies debut. His Middlesex record did not do him justice and showed mere glimpses of what was to come later in his career when he really flourished.
Middlesex career
42 first-class appearances / 1,199 runs at 22.20 / 23 wickets at 39.69
42 List-A appearance / 850 runs at 26.56 / 24 wickets at 34.62
Born 14th October 1953, East Point, St Philip, Barbados
Barbados-born Butcher came to England at the age of 14 and made history when he became the first black player to represent England on the international stage, making his Test debut for England against the West Indies at Bridgetown in March 1981. A thrilling and attacking batsman, Butcher hit the ball hard and was a phenomenal fielder. He became a regular in Middlesex’s first eleven for a decade and a half and played a huge part in the club’s success in this era under Brearley and Gatting. Butcher is one of only 29 batsmen to have hit more than 10,000 first-class runs for club and was a truly phenomenal servant for Middlesex.
Middesex career
251 first-class appearance / 10,935 runs at 31.69 / 4 wickets at 40.25
261 List-A appearances / 4,752 runs at 22.72 / 1 wicket at 23.00
Born 16th January 1956, Brereton Village, St Philip, Barbados
Wayne Daniel, or ‘The Diamond’, as he was affectionately known, terrified batsmen in England for over a decade with his blistering pace for Middlesex. Daniel was an exceptional talent and one of the most penetrative bowlers around, bowling a heavy ball just back of length. With pace, height and aggression on his side, Daniel became Mike Brearley’s main weapon in his attack and his record for Middlesex was exceptional, with only seventeen bowlers taking more first-class wickets in the club’s history. Had Daniel not been born in an era where Malcom Marshall, Andy Roberts, Michael Holding et al ruled the roost for the West Indies, in a golden generation of pace, he would surely have made more than his ten Test appearances.
Middlesex career
214 first-class appearances / 1,043 runs at 10.42 / 685 wickets at 22.02
208 List-A appearances / 225 runs at 5.00 / 316 wickets at 17.41
Born 12th December 1954, Troumaca, St Vincent
Left-handed opener Slack, came to England at the age of 11, where he played club cricket locally in the High Wycombe area. In 1976, having finished the season as Buckinghamshire’s leading run scorer at the age of 21, Don Bennett recognised his ability and signed him for the 1977 season. He remained a Middlesex player for the following decade, although in early 1989 collapsed and tragically died when playing in Banjul, the capital of Gambia, at the age of just 34. His Middlesex record was special, with only seventeen batsmen scoring more first-class runs for the club, with over 12,500 runs and an impressive 25 first-class centuries to his name.
Middlesex career
210 First-class appearance / 12,565 runs at 40.53 / 19 wickets at 33.26
171 List-A appearances / 4,233 runs at 29.80 / 42 wickets at 29.26
Born 17th April 1961, Enfield, St Mary, Jamaica
Jamaica born Cowans moved to England at the age of 11 and had a trophy laden spell with Middlesex which spanned almost a decade and a half. In that time Cowans featured in three Championship winning sides and four successful one-day cup wining campaigns. His raw pace was utilised by Brearley and latterly Gatting to great effect and his performances for Middlesex earned him a Test call-up to the England side. Whilst a genuine number eleven with the bat, Cowans* did hit one half-century for Middlesex, which came off just 19 deliveries against Surrey, when he smashed the great Sylvester Clark into the grandstand on more than one occasion.
Middlesex career
188 first-class appearances / 1,307 runs at 9.26 / 532 wickets at 22.57
174 List-A appearances / 257 runs at 6.11 / 212 wickets at 25.11
Born 2nd July 1962, Hopewell, St Vincent
Neil ‘Nelly’ Williams moved to England at the age of 13 and joined Middlesex in 1982 after playing for a season and a half as an MCC young professional. The quietly spoken Williams was a hugely popular figure in the dressing room, whose unerring accuracy and late away swing at a brisk pace were his principal weapons. Spending over a decade with Middlesex, Williams was key to Middlesex’s success of this era, helping the club to four Championship titles and numerous one-day trophies. His consistency for Middlesex earned him a solitary Test call-up, against India at the Oval in 1990, where he picked up the prize wickets of Sachin Tendulkar and Mohammad Azharuddin. Williams tragically passed away, at the age of just 43, after a short battle with pneumonia following a stroke at his home in St Vincent.
Middlesex career
193 First-class appearances / 3,027 runs at 18.45 / 479 wickets at 30.63
197 List-A appearances / 770 runs at 12.41 / 205 wickets at 30.00
Born 17th June 1965, Redmans Village, St Thomas, Barbados
Allcock played for the club for three consecutive seasons, from 1989 to 1991, although plagued with injury throughout his career, Allcock missed most of the 1990 season on the treatment table. His performances for Middlesex in 1989, when he took 32 wickets in just 8 Championship matches saw England come knocking for the winter tour, although his back injury led to his withdrawal from the tour. Injury forced the right arm quick to retire in 1991, returning home to Barbados, where he trained for his commercial pilot’s license - eventually being recruited by Virgin as their first ever black pilot.
Middlesex career
12 First-class appearances / 53 runs at 10.60 / 40 wickets at 20.47
13 List-A appearances / 26 runs at 8.66 / 18 wickets at 26.94
Born 15th February 1956, Holders Hill, St James, Barbados
A hugely popular player at Middlesex, Desmond Haynes played the game with a smile on his face. A solid, natural batsman, with brilliant technique and capable of glorious stroke-play all round the wicket, Haynes was the rock at the top of Middlesex’s order under Mike Gatting. An incredible 116 Test match caps for the West Indies bears testament to Haynes’ ability – in which he hit 18 Test hundreds and formed a formidable opening partnership with Gordon Greenidge. He was named as one of Wisden’s Cricketers of the Year in 1991 and his record for Middlesex was sensational – over 7,000 first-class runs at an average of almost 50, including 21 centuries!
Middlesex career
95 First-class appearances / 7,071 runs at 49.10 / 4 wickets at 48.00
96 List-A appearances / 4,105 runs at 48.86 / 7 wickets at 63.85
Born 9th January 1975, Mon Repos, St Lucia
Kervin Marc joined Middlesex for two seasons, in 1994 and 1995. The right arm fast bowler and right handed bat played just a two matches for the club, one in each of the two seasons he spent at Lord's. After cricket, Marc became an artist and then set up a fashion brand in London, where he designs and locally makes leather and fabric goods.
Middlesex career
2 First-class appearances / 17 runs at 8.50 / 3 wickets at 56.66
Born 12th August 1976, Boscobelle, St Peter, Barbados
Left-arm quick Pedro Collins was part of the West Indies pace battery alongside the likes of Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, and Ian Bishop, and bowled with both pace and late swing. He represented Surrey for two seasons in 2008 and 2009 before Middlesex acquired his services in 2010. Brother of fellow West Indies paceman Fidel Edwards, Collins was a popular character in his one season at Middlesex, in which he represented the club in all three formats of the game.
Middlesex career
10 first class appearances / 36 runs at 4.00 / 36 wickets at 27.75
7 List-A appearances / 13 runs at 13.00 / 13 wickets at 18.76
16 T20 appearances / 1 run at 1.00 / 16 wickets at 26.37
Born 21st December 1977, Boscobelle, St Peter, Barbados
Collymore joined Middlesex in 2011 and played a major part in helping the club secure promotion back into the top-flight of the County Championship that summer, picking up 49 wickets. Prior to joining Middlesex, the West Indies quick had enjoyed successful spells in the English County Championship with both Warwickshire and Sussex. A loved character at Middlesex, Collymore was a wonderful role model to some of the younger players around him, and always had a wise word to share to his young teammates. Whilst not out of the true West Indies pace mould, Collymore’s strength was his control, accuracy and experience, bowling with an open-chested delivery. He was unlucky not to receive more international caps than the 30 Test caps he received for the West Indies, due to ongoing problems with back injuries, which many attributed to his front on position of delivery at the crease.
Middlesex career
33 first-class appearances / 94 runs at 5.22 / 86 wickets at 29.03
12 List-A appearances / 12 runs at 5.00 / 10 wickets at 37.00
Born 7th October 1983, Santa Cruz, Trinidad
West Indies all-rounder joined Middlesex in the summer of 2018 to represent the club in the T20 Blast, having previously had English contracts with Kent, Essex and Essex. Middlesex fans saw glimpses of Bravo’s brilliance that had made him a global star in all of the major T20 franchise tournaments around the world, yet it’s fair to say that we didn’t see the best of him. Bravo played in just six Blast group games for the club that summer.
6 T20 appearances / 131 runs at 26.00 / 7 wickets at 28.42
Born 5th September 1990, St Michael, Barbados
Miguel Cummins joined Middlesex in 2019 as a Kolpak signing and committed himself for the 2019 and 2020 seasons. The affable West Indies paceman is a right arm fast pace merchant, with both Test and ODI experience for the West Indies. In 2019 he made just three appearances for the club, but showed plenty of promise in those brief appearances. From 2021 a change in regulations dictate that Cummins will no longer be eligible to play for the club on the Kolpak ruling.
Middlesex career
3 first-class appearances / 35 runs at 8.50 / 8 wickets at 33.25
