SIR VIVIAN RICHARDS - FINEST BATSMAN

by Oscar Ramjeet

 Last week I wrote about Sir Garfield Sobers who I consider the greatest cricketer of all time. This week I will look at Sir Vivian Richards, who is known as the "Master Blaster" because of his aggressive batting, and in my view, the greatest West Indies batsman.

Sir Viv was named in Wisden 2000, along with Sir Donald Bradman, Jack Hobbs, Sir Garfield Sobers and Shane Warne, as one of the five cricketers of the century.

The "Glory Days" authored by Tony King and Peter Laurie said that " Richards had something that seems sadly lacking in West Indies cricket today; a fierce pride in the West Indian "nation" and an understanding of what cricket means to the West Indian people. This gave him a strong and ruthless desire to win which rubbed off on his team mates."

Even the best bowlers were scared of his unorthodox batting. His lightning fast reflexes and strength made up for his unconventional technique. He amassed 8,540 runs including 24 centuries and 45 half centuries in 121 tests. His average is 50.23 and he became the first West Indian cricketer to score one hundred first class 100s. He also holds the record for the most test sixes (84). His highest test score was 291 against England at the Oval.

He was also an off spinner and claimed 32 test wickets at an average of 61.37. He was also a brilliant cover point and slip fielder and he is one of the few players to have taken more than 100 catches. (122 to be exact). He was Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1977.

Richards captained the West Indies in 50 test matches. He won 27, drew 15 and lost only 8. He is the only West Indies captain never to have lost a series.

His first class record is magnificent. He played 507 matches and scored 36,212 runs. His highest score was 322 at an average of 49.40. He scored 114 first class centuries and took 464 catches.

He scored the fastest century in the history of test cricket. He reached the hundred in only 56 deliveries in 81 minutes and it was before his home crowd - it was at the Antigua Recreational Centre Ground while "Gravy" was performing his antics and entertaining the crowd in between overs and at intervals.

After his retirement from first class cricket, Richards remained actively involved in Caribbean cricket. He was appointed coach of the West Indies team for the 1999-2000 tour of New Zealand. He also served as Chairman of the Selection Panel. He resigned a month ago and is now serving as a BBC commentator in the current West Indies tour to England.

He was knighted in 1999 for his excellent services to cricket and is an ambassador-at-large for Antigua and Barbuda. An Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws was conferred on him by the University of the West Indies (UWI) in 1990.