Sir Wes Hall: Life and Times
Wes Hall inducted into ICC Cricket Hall of Fame
Galaxy of West Indian greats at Lawrence Rowe Legendary Foundation banquet
Happy Birthday, Wes Hall!
His gigantic frame rushing along the turf, his footsteps shaking the ground, the famed crucifix dangling from his neck, glistening in the sun, the long, fearsome arms about to go into the final hurtling motion to send down another thunderbolt, Wes Hall was the first great West Indian fast bowler who combined the qualities of extreme pace, skill and durability .
From the pivotal tour of India and Pakistan in 1958-59 when he captured 46 wickets, Hall pulverised batsmen for the next decade with lightning speed combined with fascinating quality. He combined with lethal effect with Charlie Griffith, forming the first of many, many terrifying bowling combinations to come out of the Caribbean in the next three decades.
It was apt that his autobiography was named 'Pace Like Fire'.
Some of the feats performed by Hall have become legendary by being dipped in immense drama. He terrorised the Indian batsmen often enough, charged in to demolish sides of Pakistan, Australia and England, being instrumental in winning multiple rubbers through sheer pace. However, he is best remembered for two immortal series and, in particular, two of the most epic final overs witnessed in the history of Test cricket.
The first was the epochal series in Australia in 1960-61, when Hall captured 9 wickets in the Tied Test at Brisbane and bowled the spine-chilling last over, dismissing Richie Benaud with a bouncer bowled against the captain's instructions, somehow managing to drop a skier at square leg, and then restricting the Australian batsmen from getting the required runs. And then it was in England, at Lord's in 1963, when he broke the arm of Colin Cowdrey. And then he ran in for two terrifying deliveries, as the injured man stood at the non-striker's end, arm in plaster, with David Allen, his whole body shuddering from the impact, somehow keep the balls out with five runs to win and one wicket to fall.
His career tailed off towards the end, but he finished with 192 wickets in 48 Tests at 26.38, and can be considered the spiritual ancestor of the long line of West Indian fast bowling greats that followed from the 1970s to the 1990s.
Hall was also a fantastic personality who became extremely popular during his stint in Queensland. He later became a minister of the Christian Pentecostal Church, as also a Minister of Tourism and Sport in the Barbados government.
In 2012, Wes Hall was knighted for his services to the game.
Arunabha Sengupta
Career | M | In | R | NO | HS | Avg | BF | SR | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s | Ct | St |
Test | 48 | 66 | 818 | 14 | 50* | 15.73 | 512 | 159.7 | 0 | 2 | 32 | -- | 11 | 0 |
ODIs | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
T20s | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
World Cup | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Career | M | B | R | W | Avg | EC | SR | 5WI | 10WM | BBI | BBM |
Test | 48 | 9953 | 5066 | 192 | 26.38 | 3.054 | 51. | 9 | 1 | 7/69 | 11/126 |
ODIs | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
T20s | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
World Cup | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Test Debut
India v West Indies at Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, November 28, 1958
Last Test
New Zealand v West Indies at Eden Park, Auckland, February 27, 1969
Cecil Wright still believes he is fit to play cricket and giving hard time to young batsmen
Dave Cameron praised Wes Hall as a stalwart of "cricket and Caribbean life".
Wes Hall picked 192 wickets in the 48 Tests he featured in.
West Indies cancelled their tour to India in October.
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Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh - 1st Test
SL 229/3 OVERS: 73.0
BAN 541/7 (173.0 Ovs)
SL trail by 312 runs
Zimbabwe vs Pakistan - 2nd T20I
PAK 99 OVERS: 19.5
ZIM 118/9 (20.0 Ovs)
Zimbabwe beat Pakistan by 19 runs
Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians - Match 17
MI 88/2 OVERS: 14.0
Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh - 2nd Test
29 Apr, 2021 10:00 IST
Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy
Zimbabwe vs Pakistan - 1st Test
29 Apr, 2021 13:00 IST
Harare Sports Club, Harare
24 Apr, 2021 13:00 IST
Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur
Zimbabwe vs Pakistan - 3rd T20I
25 Apr, 2021 14:30 IST
Harare Sports Club, Harare
Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore - Match 19
25 Apr, 2021 15:30 IST
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals - Match 24
29 Apr, 2021 15:30 IST
Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad - Match 28
02 May, 2021 15:30 IST
Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Capitals - Match 35
08 May, 2021 15:30 IST
Narendra Modi Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad
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09 May, 2021 15:30 IST
M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
Mumbai Indians vs Punjab Kings - Match 42
13 May, 2021 15:30 IST
M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders - Match 18
24 Apr, 2021 19:30 IST
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Delhi Capitals - Match 20
25 Apr, 2021 19:30 IST
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders - Match 21
26 Apr, 2021 19:30 IST
Narendra Modi Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad
Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore - Match 22
27 Apr, 2021 19:30 IST
Narendra Modi Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad
Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad - Match 23
28 Apr, 2021 19:30 IST
Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders - Match 25
29 Apr, 2021 19:30 IST
Narendra Modi Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad
Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore - Match 26
30 Apr, 2021 19:30 IST
Narendra Modi Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad
Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings - Match 27
01 May, 2021 19:30 IST
Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals - Match 29
02 May, 2021 19:30 IST
Narendra Modi Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore - Match 30
03 May, 2021 19:30 IST
Narendra Modi Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad
Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Mumbai Indians - Match 31
04 May, 2021 19:30 IST
Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings - Match 32
05 May, 2021 19:30 IST
Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Punjab Kings - Match 33
06 May, 2021 19:30 IST
Narendra Modi Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad
Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Chennai Super Kings - Match 34
07 May, 2021 19:30 IST
Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians - Match 36
08 May, 2021 19:30 IST
Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Sunrisers Hyderabad - Match 38
09 May, 2021 19:30 IST
Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders - Match 39
10 May, 2021 19:30 IST
M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals - Match 40
11 May, 2021 19:30 IST
Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders - Match 41
12 May, 2021 19:30 IST
M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals - Match 43
13 May, 2021 19:30 IST
Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders - Match 18
24 Apr, 2021 19:30 IST | 14:00 GMT
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore - Match 19
25 Apr, 2021 15:30 IST | 10:00 GMT
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Delhi Capitals - Match 20
25 Apr, 2021 19:30 IST | 14:00 GMT
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders - Match 21
26 Apr, 2021 19:30 IST | 14:00 GMT
Narendra Modi Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad
Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore - Match 22
27 Apr, 2021 19:30 IST | 14:00 GMT
Narendra Modi Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad
Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Rajasthan Royals - Match 16
Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Rajasthan Royals by 10 wickets
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings - Match 15
Chennai Super Kings beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 18 runs
Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad - Match 14
Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Punjab Kings by 9 wickets
Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians - Match 13
Delhi Capitals beat Mumbai Indians by 6 wickets
Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals - Match 12
Chennai Super Kings beat Rajasthan Royals by 45 runs