Bridgetown, Barbados - George Linton, the successful former Spartan captain, leg-spinning all-rounder and Barbados player, is to be laid to rest on Wednesday, August 27.
The funeral service will be held at Dunamis Outreach Ministries, Staple Grove at 2 p.m. with tributes commencing at 1 p.m. The interment is a couple miles away to the east at Coral Ridge, both in the southern parish of Christ Church.
The 58-year-old Linton died in his sleep on August 14 at his residence, Friendship Gap, Hothersal Turning, St. Michael, hours after watching the first day's play of the BCA LIME Under-15 semi-final match between Queen's College and Lodge at the neighbouring Friendship ground, home of his former club, Yorkshire. He had been recently released from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital after spending three weeks due to an illness.
Linton was also a Barbados junior and selector selector, rising to the post of chairman. In addition, he coached the Combined Schools (now Guardian General Barbados Youth) team and was a coach at the National Sports Council for over 25 years at the time of his death.
Born November 12, 1955 at Waverley Cot, St. George, George Lester Linton moved to Hothersal Turning with his family around the age of five.
He made his first-class debut in 1982 for Barbados against the Windward Islands at Kensington Oval in the then Shell Shield championship. In 26 matches, he bowled 764.4 overs (4588 balls) including 145 maidens and took 78 wickets for 2321 runs at 29.75 runs each with five five-wicket hauls and a best of five for 35 against Guyana at Kensington Oval in 1983. In 38 innings, nine of which were not outs, he scored 734 runs with a highest of 83 including five half-centuries at an average of 25.31.
Linton also represented the Barbados and West Indies Under-19 teams, as well as Yorkshire in the BCA Intermediate division competition before making his First division (rebranded Elite division from 2012) debut for Queen's Park-based Spartan in the mid 1970s. His Division 1 career ended in 1997.
Between 1980 and 1997, Linton took 606 First division wickets (including 361 between 1988 and 1994) - he missed only the 1995 season - at the remarkable average of 11.56. His best figures were nine for 65 in the first innings against St. Catherine at Bayfield in the sixth series.
His most productive season with the ball was in 1994 when he grabbed 72 wickets (ave: 10.17) from 306 overs including 78 maidens.
Two of his most outstanding all-round seasons for Spartan, one of Barbados' top clubs, were in 1980 and 1981. In 1980, he scored 459 runs including three half-centuries and took 54 wickets at 13.88 runs apiece, having sent down 301.3 overs including 73 maidens.
Linton was one of the winners of the prestigious BCA Cave Shepherd Five Cricketers of the Year in 1981 when he captained Spartan for the first time. He amassed 556 runs from 17 innings, one not out, for an average of 34.75, and was one of only five batsmen to score over 500 runs (including one century and four half-centuries) that season. His highest score was 104 against the BCL at Blenheim 'A' in the fourth series. He took 51 wickets (only one of two bowlers with over 50 scalps) at 14.82 runs each from 276.5 overs including 55 maidens with a best of six for 37 against Combined Schools at Lodge 'A', Society, in the ninth series.
In 1982 when he played only four Division 1 matches as he started the first of six straight years as a professional cricketer in Britain, Linton produced one of the best ever all-round performances in the local derby against Empire at Bank Hall, spurring Spartan to a resounding victory by an innings and 66 runs. Simply, he did the double.
He had the honour of scoring a century (106 not out) in Spartan's 341 all out, and finished with match figures of ten for 143 (seven for 89 and three for 54) as Empire were dismissed for 184 and 91.
That season, the Spartan team was captained by batsman Richard Lorde and included the likes of former West Indies players David Holford, Tony Howard and Alvin Greenidge. Among well-known players who represented Spartan that season when they struggled generally and finished 10th in the 12-team championship were Emmerson Trotman, Henderson Jordan, Artifus Cumberbatch, Cleveland Parris, Robert Headley, Jeffrey Mascoll and the late Roleric Millar.
Linton, however, had the personal satisfaction of taking 31 wickets at 9.70 runs each (the second best overall bowling average) and scoring 161 runs (ave: 32.20).
The following year, he had the identical bowling average of 9.70, which put him at the top of the overall averages, as he grabbed 37 wickets in the last five matches. His best figures were seven for 41 against Pickwick at Queen's Park in the eighth round.
Apart from 1981, Linton was also the Spartan Division 1 captain in 1988, 1989 and 1990 (for the first three matches).
1990 was a memorable year as Spartan won both the Division 1 and Barbados Fire Cup (now Sagicor General Super Cup) titles with the likes of Livingstone Puckerin, who captained the side in the last eight First division matches, former West Indies players Tony Howard, Ezra Moseley, Philo Wallace and Ottis Gibson, as well as Franklyn Stephenson and current BCA coaches Henderson Springer and Dexter Toppin - all with first-class experience as well.
The other players who represented Spartan that season were Roy Alleyne, Ronnie Griffith, Feliston Gilkes, Robert "Fat Boy" Headley, Wayne Alleyne, Donovan Lovell, Anthony "Snuffy" Phillips, Trevor Griffith, Orlando Harewood, Irvine Belgrave and Basil Small.
It was the last time Spartan defeated Empire in the derby with the Bank Hall team winning five times since in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2013 and 2014.
Other silverware for Linton as the Spartan captain came in 1988 when they beat Carlton, led by Wilbur Bruce, by eight wickets in the Fire Cup final at Kensington Oval on December 11. It was the fifth of what is now a record eight titles for Spartan in the tournament, now in its 40th year.
That season, the Spartan squad for First division and Fire Cup matches included Tony Howard, Ezra Moseley, Ottis Gibson, Franklyn Stephenson, Henderson Springer, Livingstone Puckerin, Dexter Toppin, Nolan Clarke, Robert Headley, Roy Alleyne, Ronnie Griffith, Feliston Gilkes, Asquith Lorde, Peter Thompson, Wayne Alleyne, Wayne Cadogan, John Nurse, Michael McClean, Jeffrey Mascoll, Donovan Lovell, Orlando Harewood and the late Nigel Kellman.
First Published On bcacricket.org.
