Legendary spinner Sonny Ramadhin passes away at 92

(CWI) ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Cricket West Indies (CWI) today paid tribute to Sonny Ramadhin, the legendary spin bowler who passed away at age 92. Ramadhin was an outstanding match-winner and formed a famous partnership with left-arm spinner Alf Valentine throughout their careers. They were a crucial part of the team which led West Indies to a famous 3-1 series win against England in 1950. Ramadhin had the remarkable match figures of 11 wickets for 152 runs in the historic win at Lords – West Indies first Test match win in England.

CWI President Ricky Skerritt said:

“On behalf of CWI, I want to express our deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Sonny Ramadhin, one of the great pioneers of West Indies cricket. Mr Ramadhin made an impact from the moment he first stepped onto the field of World Cricket. Many stories are told of his tremendous feats on the 1950 tour when he combined with Alf Valentine to form cricket’s ‘spin twins’ as West Indies conquered England away from home for the first time. This iconic tour is part of our rich cricket legacy, which was pioneered by Mr. Ramadhin and others of his generation. His English exploit was celebrated in a famous calypso – and is still remembered more than 70 years later. Today we salute Sonny Ramadhin for his outstanding contribution to West Indies cricket.”

Ramadhin was born in Trinidad on May 1, 1929. He made his Test debut against England at Old Trafford in 1950 in the team alongside the legendary Three Ws, Sir Frank Worrell, Sir Everton Weekes and Sir Clyde Walcott. He played 43 Test matches and took 158 wickets at an average of 28.98 each. His best bowling figures were 7-49 against England at Edgbaston in 1957. Overall, he played 184 first-class matches and captured 758 wickets at 20.24 each.

mapoui played with sonny in rural trinidad

He was proud of being the first Indian WI player; not bad for an orphan at 2, a crab catcher, cricket pitch preparer, and a 13 year old sugar estate employee, who used to eat using his fingers until that 1950 tour when he was told to watch how others eat using knife and fork before eating! RIP great one.

A cricketer like Ramadin comes once in eons. With the legendary Alf Valentine, they mesmerized the cricketing world. My condolences to his family and friends. May his soul have peace.

After seven years of dominance in international cricket, however, Ramadhin’s ability to bamboozle batsmen ended in dramatic and rather unseemly circumstances. During the 1957 West Indies tour of England, in the first innings of the first Test at Edgbaston, he was as mesmerising as ever, taking seven for 49. But in the second innings he was first neutralised and then devastated by an approach still regarded in the West Indies as being as unsporting as Bodyline.

After Ramadhin had taken Peter Richardson’s wicket to have England struggling on 113, still 175 runs behind with only seven second innings wickets remaining, Peter May and Colin Cowdrey, facing mainly Ramadhin, took the score to 524. Playing Ramadhin as an off-spinner, they simply planted their left feet well down the wicket, padding away any ball too short to drive. At the time the leg before wicket law stated that if a batsman was hit on the pads outside the line of the stumps then he could not be given out by the umpire, even if he was not playing a shot.

mapoui was listening on his transistor as cowdrey kept padding away.

He was awarded Trinidad and Tobago’s highest honour, the Hummingbird Gold Medal, in 1972.

RIP, Great bowler and a trail blazer, he shattered the glass ceiling for East Indians.He will always remembered as the first Indian to play Test cricket for the West Indies and for his glorious partnership with Valentine, the little pals of 1950 fame