Born at Troumaca, St. Vincent, West Indies in 1954, Wilf Slack was a left-handed opening batsman and right-arm medium pace bowler. His family migrated from the Windward Islands to High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire when he was only 11 years old. Playing his early cricket for Buckinghamshire in the minor county championship in 1976. He represented Middlesex in 201 matches between 1977 and 1988 and accumulated 12,565 runs (av. 40.53) including 25 centuries with a top score of 248 n.o. versus Worcestershire at Lord's in 1981. He took 19 wickets at (av. 33.26) with a best performance of 3 for 17 and he held 137 catches. He hit 1,000 runs in a season eight times with a best of 1,900 (av. 54.28) in 1985. He played three Tests for England between 1985/86 and 1986 scoring 81 runs (av. 13.50) with a top score of 52 versus West Indies at St. Johns Antigua in 1985/86 and he held 3 catches. He toured abroad five times with Middlesex to Zimbabwe in 1980/81, Vic Lewis XI to Pakistan in 1981/82, England 'B' to Sri Lanka in 1985/86, England to West Indies in 1985/86 and to Australia in 1986/87. He played for his native Windward Islands between 1981/82 and 1982/83. On three occasions whilst batting for Middlesex he collapsed but no cause could be found for these blackouts. He had been batting in an exhibition match in The Gambia when he suddenly collapsed and died in 1989, the reason given being a heart attack. A sad loss for Middlesex cricket, a fitting tribute to his life is the 'Wilf Slack Memorial Cricket Ground' in Finchley, within half a mile of the Middlesex Indoor Cricket School and Sports centre.
