Barbados: 50 years of cricket excellence

Bridgetown, Barbados - As Barbados celebrates its 50th Independence anniversary, it is most fitting to highlight the tremendous success, which this 166 square-mile island has had over the period, co-incidentally marking the same number of years for sponsored regional first-class Championships.

Barbados proudly boast of the most titles by far (21), along with two in what was referred to as the “international” Championship, contested between 2001 and 2008.

Led by the world’s greatest ever all-rounder, The Right Excellent Sir Garfield Sobers, Barbados captured the first two Shell Shield trophies in 1966 and 1967.

There was no Tournament in 1968 and after 21 years, the sponsorship was changed from Shell to Red Stripe with Busta and Carib among other sponsors.

Following are the champion Barbados first-class teams (with the matches for each player in the respective seasons in brackets), as well as the points earned and matches won between 1966 and 2016.

1966 (Shell Shield) – Garfield Sobers (captain), David Allan, Robin Bynoe, Richard Edwards, Charlie Griffith, David Holford, Conrad Hunte, Peter Lashley, Seymour Nurse (four), Rawle Brancker, Tony Howard (three), Arthur Bethell, Tony White (one).

Points: Barbados 42 (3 wins), British Guiana 24, Combined Islands 16, Trinidad & Tobago 12, Jamaica 10.

1967 (Shell Shield) – Garfield Sobers (captain), Rawle Brancker, Richard Edwards, Geoffrey Greenidge, Tony Howard, Peter Lashley, Seymour Nurse (four), Arthur Bethell, Robin Bynoe, Alfred Taylor (three), Wycliffe Phillips (two), Charlie Griffith, Vanburn Holder, David Holford, Conrad Hunte, Erskine King (one).

Points: Barbados 26 (3 wins), Guyana 14, Jamaica 8, Trinidad & Tobago 8, Leeward Islands 0, Windward Islands 0. NB: The Leeward Islands and Windward Islands each played only two matches.

1972 (Shell Shield) – David Holford (captain), Keith Boyce, Robin Bynoe, Nolan Clarke, Geoffrey Greenidge, Vanburn Holder, Tony Howard, Peter Lashley, Hallam Moseley, Seymour Nurse (four), Darnley Boxill, David Murray (two).

Points: Barbados 38 (3 wins), Guyana 26, Jamaica 18, Trinidad & Tobago 16, Combined Islands 14.

1974 (Shell Shield) – David Holford (captain), Gordon Greenidge, Vanburn Holder, Collis King, Peter Lashley, David Murray, Albert Padmore (four), Gregory Armstrong, Nolan Clarke, Geoffrey Greenidge (three) Keith Boyce, Tony Howard, Garfield Sobers (2), Stephen Hinkson (one).

Points – Barbados 32 (2 wins), Trinidad & Tobago 26, Jamaica 24, Guyana 20, Combined Islands 14.

1976 (Shell Shield) (NB: Shared title with Trinidad & Tobago) – David Holford (captain), Nolan Clarke, Wayne Daniel, Stephen Farmer, Geoffrey Greenidge, Collis King, Ricky Skeete, Emmerson Trotman (three), Teddy Foster, Joel Garner, Lawrence Maxwell (two), Gregory Armstrong, Gordon Greenidge, Albert Padmore (one).

Points – Barbados 20 (1 win), Trinidad & Tobago 20, Jamaica 18, Combined Islands 8, Guyana 2.

1977 (Shell Shield) – David Holford (captain), Stephen Farmer, Joel Garner, Gordon Greenidge, Vanburn Holder, Collis King, David Murray, Albert Padmore (four), Nolan Clarke, Desmond Haynes, Emmerson Trotman (three), Wayne Daniel, Joseph Newton, Ricky Skeete (one).

Points – Barbados 36 (three wins), Combined Islands 24, Trinidad & Tobago 24, Jamaica 6, Guyana 0.

1978 (Shell Shield) – Vanburn Holder (captain), Sylvester Clarke, Teddy Foster, Alvin Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Lawrence Maxwell, David Murray, Ricky Skeete, Richard Straker (four), Gregory Armstrong, Emmerson Trotman (three), Malcolm Marshall, Leslie Reifer (one).

Points – Barbados 24 (one win), Combined Schools 18, Jamaica 18, Trinidad & Tobago 16, Guyana 12.

1979 (Shell Shield) – David Holford, Lawrence Maxwell (captains) (two matches each), Sylvester Clarke, Alvin Greenidge, Nigel Johnson, Malcolm Marshall, Thelston Payne (four), Clyde Beckles, Richard Straker (three), Teddy Foster, Joel Garner, Desmond Haynes, David Murray (two), Hartley Alleyne, Hubert “Ellis” Brathwaite, Wayne Daniel, Gordon Greenidge, Collis King, Albert Padmore (one).

Points – Barbados 30 (two wins), Trinidad & Tobago 24, Combined Islands 20, Jamaica 10, Guyana 0.

1980 (Shell Shield) – Albert Padmore (captain), Sylvester Clarke, Desmond Haynes, Collis King, Malcolm Marshall, Thelston Payne (four), Wayne Daniel, Alvin Greenidge, Emmerson Trotman (three), Carlisle Best, Teddy Foster, Joel Garner, David Murray, Ricky Skeete (two), George Reifer (one).

Points – Barbados 102 (four wins), Combined Islands 68, Trinidad & Tobago 64, Guyana 41, Jamaica 28.

1982 (Shell Shield) – Albert Padmore (captain), Alvin Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Collis King, Ezra Moseley (five), Sylvester Clarke, Joel Garner, Gordon Greenidge, David Murray, Leslie Reifer, Franklyn Stephenson, Emmerson Trotman (three), Carlisle Best, Wayne Daniel, Ricky Skeete (two), George Linton, Thelston Payne, George Reifer (one).

Points – Barbados 57 (three wins), Windward Islands 52, Jamaica 36, Guyana 25, Leeward Islands 24, Trinidad & Tobago 20.

1984 (Shell Shield) – Carlisle Best (captain), Hubert “Ellis” Brathwaite, Roderick Estwick, George Linton, Thelston Payne, Neil Phillips (five), Milton Small, Michael Worrell (four), Dave Cumberbatch, Ricardo Ellcock, Arnold Gilkes, Leslie Reifer (three), Terry Hunte, George Reifer (two), Gordon Greenidge (one).

Points – Barbados 48 (two wins), Guyana 41, Jamaica 36, Leeward Islands 36, Windward Islands 32, Trinidad & Tobago 17.

1986 (Shell Shield) – Joel Garner (captain), Carlisle Best, Desmond Haynes, Thelston Payne (five), Gordon Greenidge, Tyrone Greenidge, Terry Hunte, George Linton, Malcolm Marshall (four), Noel Broomes, Roderick Estwick, Sherlon Greaves, Roland Holder, Winston Reid (two), Victor “Vibert” Greene, Nigel Johnson, Elvis Reifer, Leslie Reifer, Michael Worrell (one).

Points – Barbados 64 (three wins), Trinidad & Tobago 48, Jamaica 32, Leeward Islands 32, Windward Islands 25, Guyana 24.

1991 (Red Stripe Cup) – Desmond Haynes (captain), Carlisle Best, Courtney Browne, Anderson Cummins, Roland Holder, Samuel Skeete (five), Gordon Greenidge, Malcolm Marshall, Ezra Moseley, Philo Wallace (four), Sherwin Campbell, Henderson Springer (three), Ottis Gibson (two), Ahmed Proverbs (one).

Points – Barbados 72 (four wins), Trinidad & Tobago 37, Guyana 36, Leeward Islands 36, Jamaica 20, Windward Islands 12.

1995 (Red Stripe Cup) – Courtney Browne (captain), Vasbert Drakes, Ottis Gibson, Livingstone Puckerin, Winston Reid, Floyd Reifer, Philo Wallace (five), Desmond Haynes, Patterson Thompson (four), Henderson Bryan, Ricky Hoyte, Dayne Maynard (three), Stanton Proverbs (two), Adrian Griffith (one).

Points – Barbados 56 (three wins), Leeward Islands 52, Trinidad & Tobago 48, Jamaica 29, Guyana 28, Windward Islands 12.

1997 (Red Stripe Cup) – Philo Wallace (captain), Henderson Bryan, Ottis Gibson, Winston Reid, Floyd Reifer (ten), Sherwin Campbell, Roland Holder (seven), Pedro Collins, Adrian Griffith, Terry Rollock (six), Courtney Browne, Ricky Hoyte (five), Dave Marshall, Stanton Proverbs, Patterson Thompson (four), Sean Armstrong, Ryan Hurley (three).

Points – Barbados 112 (six wins), Jamaica 93, Leeward Islands 80, Trinidad & Tobago 76, Guyana 44, Windward Islands 27.

1999 (Busta Cup) – Roland Holder (captain) (NB: Played six matches), Courtney Browne, Sherwin Campbell, Pedro Collins, Adrian Griffith, Ryan Hinds, Winston Reid (seven), Corey Collymore (five), Henderson Bryan, Dave Marshall, Patterson Thompson (four), Floyd Reifer, Philo Wallace, Horace Walrond (three), Ricky Hoyte (two), Hattian Graham (one).

Points – Barbados 72 (four wins), Trinidad & Tobago 44, Guyana 37, Jamaica 36, Leeward Islands 20, Windward Islands 20

2001 (Busta Cup) – Ian Bradshaw (captain, NB: seven matches), Sherwin Campbell (captain: NB: one match), Henderson Bryan, Corey Collymore, Adrian Griffith, Philo Wallace (seven), Sean Armstrong, Courtney Browne, Roland Holder, Dave Marshall (six), Ryan Hinds, Floyd Reifer (five), Ryan Austin (four), Shirley Clarke, Corey Glasgow, Dayne Maynard (one).

Points – Barbados 57 (four wins), Guyana 57, England A 54, Jamaica 51, Leeward Islands 48, Trinidad & Tobago 38, West Indies B 20, Windward Islands 0.

2003 (Carib Beer Cup) – Courtney Bowne (captain), Tino Best, Sherwin Campbell, Ryan Hurley, Floyd Reifer, Philo Wallace (nine), Dwayne Smith (eight), Sulieman Benn, Ian Bradshaw, Ryan Hinds (seven), Kurt Wilkinson (six), Corey Collymore (three), Pedro Collins, Vasbert Drakes, Antonio Thomas (two), Randy Thomas (one).

Points – Barbados 72 (five wins), Guyana 48, Trinidad & Tobago 43, Jamaica 43, India A 36, Leeward Islands 34, Windward Islands 30, West Indies B 12.

2004 (Carib Beer Cup) – Courtney Browne (captain), Sherwin Campbell, Pedro Collins, Ryan Hinds, Floyd Reifer (nine), Tino Best, Martin Nurse (seven), Antonio Mayers (six), Sulieman Benn, Ryan Nurse, Kurt Wilkinson (five), Ian Bradshaw, Shawn Graham, Dwayne Smith (four), Corey Collymore (three), Fidel Edwards, Ryan Hurley (two).

Points – Barbados 84 (seven wins), Jamaica 52, Windward Islands 48, Guyana 40, Trinidad & Tobago 40, West Indies B 27, Kenya 16, Leeward Islands 16.

2007 (Carib Beer Cup) – Ryan Hinds (captain), Tino Best, Wayne Blackman, Pedro Collins, Floyd Reifer, Dale Richards (five), Ryan Austin, Corey Collymore, Kevin Stoute (four), Patrick Browne (three), Kirk Edwards, Alcindo Holder, Carlo Morris, Dwayne Smith (two), Shamarh Brooks, Fidel Edwards (one).

Points – Barbados 54 (four wins), Trinidad & Tobago 44, Jamaica 25, Guyana 24, Leeward Islands 15, Windward Islands 10.

2014 (WICB Cup) – Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Sulieman Benn, Carlos Brathwaite, Jonathan Carter, Shane Dowrich, Ashley Nurse (seven), Roston Chase, Miguel Cummins (five), Kirk Edwards, Omar Phillips, Kevin Stoute (four), Tino Best, Rashidi Boucher, Jason Holder (three), Fidel Edwards, Shai Hope (two).

Points – Barbados 82 (four wins), Trinidad & Tobago 80, Windward Islands 65, Jamaica 59, Combined Campuses & Colleges 49, Leeward Islands 42, Guyana 29.

NB: Courtney Browne was the Barbados captain in 2003 and 2004 when they were the Carib Beer “International” champions.

Trust that you have well and truly digested the greatness of Barbados as a cricketing nation. The many outstanding names in the winning teams speak volumes.

Surely another column is needed to put in perspective the impact Barbados and its players have had on West Indies and world cricket.

(NB: First appeared in Barbados Today on November 25 in Keith Holder's weekly column).

Keith Holder is a veteran, award-winning freelance sports journalist, who has been covering local, regional and international cricket since 1980 as a writer and commentator. He has compiled statistics on the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) Division 1 (now Elite) championship for three-and-a-half decades and is responsible for editing the BCA website (www.bcacricket.org). Holder is also the host of the cricket Talk Show, Mid Wicket, on the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation 100.7 FM on Tuesday nights. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Firs Published On bcacricket.org.