“WEST INDIES ALL-TIME MEN’S TEST TEAM – A WICKET-KEEPER PLEASE!”

Sep 08, 2025 Sports

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BY:  Colin Croft – Former Guyana, Lancashire CCC & West Indies Cricketer

Kaieteur Sports – Selecting just one wicket-keeper for MY All West Indies Test XI, with six players already included – Joel Garner, Sir Curty Ambrose, late Malcolm Marshall, Sir Wes Hall, Lancelot Gibbs, Sir Gary Sobers – is probably the hardest, most contentious decision ever, even with great battersalso vying for thoselast four positions.  The batsmen would be relatively easier.

Remember criteria for selection for MY ALL WI TEST TEAM – Impact, longevity, productivity, success, dominance, consistency, effectiveness and valueto teams.

ALL WEST INDIES TEST WICKET-KEEPERS

In no order or merit, the following had been Test wicket-keepers for WI since 1928, when WI started playing Tests.  Some named might even have been forgotten altogether already.

(1) Karl Nunes (Jamaica), (2) Errol Hunte (Trinidad & Tobago), (3) Desmond Lewis (Jamaica), (4) Cyril Christiani (Guyana), (5) Derrick Sealey (Barbados), (6) Franz “Jerry”Alexander (Jamaica), (7) Simpson Guillen (Trinidad & Tobago / WI & Canterbury / NZ), (8) Junior Murray (Grenada / Windward Islands), (9) Ivan Barrow (Jamaica).

(10) David Williams (Trinidad & Tobago), (11) Jeffrey Dujon (Jamaica), (12) Michael Findlay (St. Vincent & The Grenadines /  Windward Islands), (13)Ridley Jacobs (Antigua & Barbuda / Leeward Islands), (14) Jackie Hendricks (Jamaica), (15) Ivor Mendonca (Guyana), (16) David Murray (Barbados), (17) David Allan (Barbados), (18) Deryck Murray (Trinidad & Tobago).

(19)  Courtney Brown (Barbados), (20) Rohan Kanhai (Guyana), (21) Clairmonte DePeiaza (Barbados), (22) Clifford Mc Watt (Guyana), (23) (Sir) Clyde Walcott (Barbados), (24) Alfie Binns (Jamaica), (25) Ralph Legall (Barbados); (26) Thelston Payne (Barbados), (27) Carlton Baugh (Jamaica), (28) Denesh Ramdin (Trinidad & Tobago), (29) Chadwick Walton (Jamaica).

(30) Shane Dowrich (Barbados), (31) Shai Hope (Barbados), (32) Jamar Hamilton (Antigua & Barbuda / Leeward Islands),(33) Joshua Da Silva (Trinidad & Tobago), (34) Tevin Imlach (Guyana).

Wow!  There are some quite illustrious cricketers named above, but few would have wagered that so many wicket-keepers had actually played Tests for WI in less than even 100 years!

There are also strange anomalies in thehistories of some of those WI wicket-keepers.

Late Jamaican Desmond Lewis played only three Tests; v India1971; as opener / ‘keeper, making 259 runs, avg. 86.33.  Yet, very strangely,he was dropped.  That phenomenon of ‘keepers getting many runs did not start with India’s M.S. Dhoni or Australia’s Adam Gilchrist!

Jamaican Karl Nunes, first ever WI Test wicket-keeper, and first ever WI Test captain,in 1928, played in only four Tests, but kept wickets in only three.

Guyana’s Cyril Christiani, whose brother Robert also played 22 Testsas a batter, was only 20 when he was selected in his 1^stof four Tests in 1934-35.  From all accounts from oldsters, Cyril was an excellent ‘keeper.  Unfortunately, infected by malaria, he died in 1938, aged 24.

That “excellent” moniker apparently could also have been extended to another Guyanese ‘keeper, Clifford Mc Watt.  He too had a very short career;discarded after only six Tests.

Jamaica’s Alfie Binns – all 1960s primary school ‘keepers called themselves “Binns” –was apparently also very good behind the stumps.  Hetoo had a very short career; only five Tests.

Late Barbadian Sir Clyde Walcott, of famous “Three W’s”, played 44 Tests but kept wickets in only his first 15, including to 1950’s legends Sonny Ramadhin and Alfred Valentine v England.

Sir Clyde was a very tall, big man, and like another, later,relatively tall ‘keeper, Jamaican Jackie Hendricks, Sir Clyde had back problems from his wicket-keeping stints.

Guyana’s Rohan Kanhai; 79 Tests, 6227 runs, excellent avg. 47.53;only kept wickets in his first three Tests.His batting was brilliant, but only three Tests as ‘keeper?Is that enough?

Late Barbadian David Murray effected the quickest stumping that I have ever seen in Test cricket;v Pakistan, Test No. 2 of 4, Faisalabad,December 1980.  WI won by 156 runs.

Rangy Nanan, late T&T and WI off-spinner; debut and only Test;bowled to late Pakistani left-hander Wasim Raja.  The ball, on hitting the pitch, disappeared in a massive puff of dust.

Wasim drove at the ball, missed it, overbalancing slightly.  The late David Murray somehow saw that ball though the heavy sandy mist, collected it and removed the bails in onevery sharp movement, before Wasim could regain his ground.A really stupendous stumping!

The late Rangy Nanan then lifted late David Murray bodily,very high into the air – late David Murray was only about 120 pounds / 54.5 kilograms – in celebration of his 1^st Test wicket.

Unfortunately, late David Murray, quite possibly WI’s best ever pure wicket-keeper,skill-wise, played only 19 Tests.

OTHER WI TEST WICKET-KEEPING SHORT-LISTED CANDIDATES

For WI wicket-keepers who played primarily for that position, with useful runs as bonuses, not many had achieved that threshold of at least 20 Tests to make MY ALL WI TEST TEAM.

Late Jamaican, former captain Franz “Jerry” Alexander (25 Tests), Trinidad & Tobago’s Deryck Murray (62 Tests), Jamaican Jackie Hendricks (20 Tests), Jamaica’s Jeff Dujon (81 Tests), Grenada’s & WI’s Junior Murray (33 Tests), Barbados’ Courtney Browne (20 Tests), Antigua & Barbuda’s & LI’s Ridley Jacobs (64 Tests), Jamaican Carlton Baugh (21 Tests), Trinidad & Tobago’s Denesh Ramdin (74 Tests) and Barbados’ Shane Dowrich (35 Tests) all qualify.

Jamaica’sJackie Hendricks had been noted by many as perhaps the best glovemanin that lot, but his batting returns do not bode wellfor my team; 20 Tests, only 447 runs, avg. 18.62.

Barbados’ Courtney Browne; Test debut; gained infamy when he dropped Australia’s captain Steve Waugh, WI v AUS, Sabina Park, 4^th Test, April 1995, off LI’s Kenny Benjamin’s bowling.

Waugh was then on 42.  He made 200 and laid the foundation for Australia to beat WI in that Test;and that series; thus wresting unofficial ICC World Test Championship from West Indies.

LI’s Ridley Jacobs, unheralded and underrated, is acompelling candidate.  65 Tests, 2577 runs, Avg. 28.31.  3 x 100, 14 x 50.Total 367 catches and 41 stumpings in Tests and 147 ODI’s.

T&T’s Deryck Murray’s Test career started in WI’s tour to UK 1963, as 2^nd wicket-keeper to Barbados’ David Allan.

Playing all five Tests, after Allan had been injured before Test No. 1, Deryck Murray garnered 24 dismissals, courtesy of bowlers Sir Wes Hall, Sir Charlie Griffith, Sir Frank Worrell, Lance Gibbs and Sir Gary Sobers.

Faster bowlers are easier to keep to than to spinners, and with varying spinners Sir Gary and Lance Gibbs playing in many of his career Tests, Deryck Murray had to maintainhigh focus.His batting was average:  62 Tests, 1993 runs, avg. 22.90, with 218 catches, nine stumpings.

Efficient more than spectacular, Deryck Murray became legendary when, in company of LI’s fast bowler Sir Andy Roberts, snatched victory from the very jaws of defeat, v Pakistan; ICC CWC 1975; which WI had to win to progress.That success allowed WI to later lift ICC CWC 1975’s winners’ trophy, a big boost to Deryck Murray’s candidacy herein.

Jeffrey Dujon’s flying acrobatic catches behind the stumps, in that big arc between short fine leg and wide 1^st slip,standing well back, had been spectacular and picturesque, as he mostly had very fast bowlers operating for his 81 Tests.

What brings serious consideration is that Jeff Dujon made 3322 runs, avg. 31.94, 5 x 100s and 16 x 50s.  450 catches and 26 stumpings in 81 Tests and 169 ODIs.

Batting at No.  7 in that productive WI line-up and making many runs allow Jeffrey Dujon high candidature.

Denesh Ramdin was also competent behind the stumps without being spectacular.  He was a very good wicket-keeper but occasionally subject of worry about his fiery temperament.

74 Tests, 139 ODIs.  2898 Test runs, avg. 25.87, 4 x 100s, 15 x 50s.  Ramdin’s batting was quite productive, and needed to be, most times under pressure, when he played Tests for WI.

THE ELITE EIGHT – WHICH ONE IS IT?

Denesh Ramdin, late Sir Clyde Walcott, Jeffrey Dujon, Deryck Murray, Jackie Hendricks, Ridley Jacobs, Rohan Kanhai and late Franz Allexander; “The Elite Eight”; are your final choices.

Which one would you select, had you been the sole WI selector, as best WI Test wicket-keeper ever, a player for all times and purposes and pressures, given the parameters issued?

All have their plusses and minuses.Also, this is quite subjective, so any of them could probably fit into an ALL WI TEST TEAM for specific purposes at varying times.  Enjoy.  Cheers.

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• Colin Croft, Joel Garner, late Malcolm Marshall, Sir Curty Ambrose, Test XI, West Indies, wicketkeeper

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