Pace like fire from Hall of Fame
By REZA ABASALI Saturday, June 13 2015
Local cricket historian Reza Abasali celebrates the greatness of former West Indian fast bowler Sir Wes Hall who this week was unsurprisingly inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame. Hall was at his notorious best in the 1958 tour of the subcontinent but was also known for a devastating marathon spell against England in 1963 at Lord’s cricket ground.
Almost fifty-two years ago in June 1963 at Lord’s, the second Test between the West Indies and England can be only be described as a tension-filled drama as fortunes changed almost at every session. This match remains one of the most exciting played in the history of Test cricket.
At the age of 21, Wes Hall made his Test debut in Bombay, India in November 1958. He played throughout the Indian and Pakistan series capturing 46 wickets and immediately establishing himself as a world class bowler. His partnership with his controversial Barbadian friend Charlie Griffith instilled morbid fear in the hearts of many opposition batsmen during the 60s.
The Lords Test in June of 1963 was the 42nd clash between the two countries. WI won the 1st Test at Old Trafford convincingly by 10 wickets.
On a damp, cold morning of June 20, 1963, Sir Frank Worrell won the toss and elected to bat. In a high class exhibition of swing bowling, firebrand Fred Trueman limited the WI to 301 (Kanhai 73), ultimately finishing with 6-100 in 44 overs.
In their first turn at the crease, England were on the rack at 20-2 when captain Ted Dexter strode to the crease. Dexter’s 70 runs in 75 balls were simply majestic. I quote Trinidad- born Noble Laureate V.S. Naipaul:-
“Dexter, tall, commanding, incapable of error and gracelessness. Every shot, whatever is the result finished decisive. Dexter hooking: the ball seeming momentarily arrested by the bat before being redirected. Dexter simplifying, an illusion of time, even against these very fast bowlers†(Hall and Griffith)
England recovered to 297. (Griffith 5-91). In WI second innings, they found themselves in deep trouble at 104-5 before being rescued by an absolutely ethereal and heroic 133 (17 fours and 2 sixes) from the gold-capped toothed Guyanese Basil Butcher. (Butcher’s innings was even more commendable as he learnt during the match that his wife had suffered a miscarriage in Guyana). WI ended the 3rd day at 214-5 (Butcher 129 not out) but were shot out for 229 the following day (Trueman 5-52, including three of the last 5 wickets)
England required 234 to get in almost two days and finished at 116-3 at the end of the 4th day. The dangerous Dexter was cleaned bowled by Lance Gibbs for two and Cowdrey retired hurt on 19 after his left wrist was snapped by Hall.
The fifth and final day of the Lord’s Test of June 1963, Wesley Winfield Hall ascended to the avatar of pace bowling stamina. Rain delayed the start of play until 2.20pm. Excluding the break for tea, Hall bowled non-stop until 6pm – three and half hours of sustained and hostile fast bowling, all for his captain the late great Sir Frank Worrell. Wes Hall’s unflinching commitment to his team and country was unmistakable and indefatigable. Fortunes changed dramatically throughout the day. A battered and bruised Brian Close strove gallantly to earn an English victory but he lost Trueman for duck first ball (caught Murray b Hall), making the score 203 for seven. Forty five minutes to get 31 runs. Within 15 runs of victory, Close perished for 70 caught by Murray off Griffith.
At 226-8, Wes Hall bowled the final over. Two scampered runs from first three balls. On the 4th ball, 38-year-old Derek Shackleton was run out by Worrell to leave the equation at six runs needed off two balls. Colin Cowdrey descended the pavilion, his left arm plastered, but he would be the non-striker. David Allen calmly negotiated Hall’s final two thunderbolts and the match was drawn. Thousands of spectators run on to the field. England finished on 228-9. Wes Hall’s final figures read: 40-9-93-4.
Hall was also the first WI bowler to take a hat-trick, which was achieved in Lahore, Pakistan in March 1959 (Kanhai 217 in this match). A former Senator and Tourism Minister in his native Barbados, he played his last Test match against New Zealand at Auckland in February 1969. In 48 Tests, Wes Hall captured 192 Test wickets at an average of 26.38 per wicket.
A fast bowler whose character and spirit were edified by a large golden crucifix dangling in his open-necked shirt, Sir Wes Hall remains an icon in the sands of West Indian cricket history.
