111 Facts About George Headley

1.

George Alphonso Headley OD, MBE was a West Indian cricketer who played 22 Test matches, mostly before World War II.

2.

West Indies had a weak cricket team through most of George Headley's playing career; as their one world-class player, he carried a heavy responsibility and the side depended on his batting.

3.

George Headley batted at number three, scoring 2,190 runs in Tests at an average of 60.83, and 9,921 runs in all first-class matches at an average of 69.86.

4.

George Headley was chosen as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1934.

5.

George Headley was born in Panama but raised in Jamaica, where he quickly established a cricketing reputation as a batsman.

6.

George Headley soon gained his place in the Jamaican cricket team, and narrowly missed selection for the West Indies tour of England in 1928.

7.

George Headley made his Test debut in 1930, against England in Barbados, and was instantly successful.

Related searches
Neville Cardus
8.

George Headley did not play Tests between 1949 and 1953, but resumed his career in English league cricket, first in Lancashire and later in the Birmingham League.

9.

George Headley's playing career ended in 1954 on his return to Jamaica, after a public subscription paid his fare from England.

10.

George Headley lived until 1983; his son Ron and his grandson Dean each played Test match cricket, for West Indies and England respectively.

11.

George Headley was born in Colon, Panama, on 30 May 1909, the son of DeCourcy George Headley and Irene Roberts.

12.

In 1919, concerned by the amount of Spanish being spoken by her son, George Headley's mother took him to Jamaica so he could be educated in an English-speaking school.

13.

George Headley moved in with his mother's sister-in-law Mrs Clarence Smith, in Rae Town, Kingston, and remained with her until her death in 1933.

14.

George Headley's mother returned to Cuba, but regularly exchanged letters with her son.

15.

George Headley attended Calabar Elementary School, where he played for the school cricket team as a wicket-keeper, although a meagre sporting budget meant he had to do so without gloves.

16.

On leaving school, George Headley was appointed as a temporary clerk in a magistrate's court; this enabled him to play competitive cricket for the St Andrew's Police side in 1926, in a cup competition.

17.

The firm were enthusiastic cricket patrons, allowing employees time off to play in matches, so that George Headley was able to attend practice with the Jamaica team on a regular basis.

18.

George Headley made his Jamaica debut against Lord Tennyson's XI at Sabina Park on 9 February 1928, in a match won easily by the home team.

19.

George Headley hit the bowling of Alan Hilder for four consecutive fours and twice hit Lord Tennyson for three fours in a row.

20.

George Headley was finally out for 211, the highest score at the time by a West Indian batsman against an English team.

21.

George Headley concluded the series against Tennyson's team with innings of 40 and 71, to give him an aggregate of 409 runs at an average of 81.80.

22.

George Headley had another opportunity against English opposition in 1929, when a team led by Julien Cahn arrived to play two first-class games.

23.

George Headley found the fast bowlers difficult, but survived the period when the pitch was most difficult to bat on before he was out for 44.

24.

In three matches against the tourists, George Headley scored 326 runs, averaging 54.33.

25.

George Headley visited America and played some exhibition matches for the Jamaican Athletic Club in New York, scoring a century against a touring team from Bermuda; his parents had moved to America by then, which enabled Headley to combine the cricket with his first visit to his parents in ten years.

Related searches
Neville Cardus
26.

George Headley shared century partnerships with both Clifford Roach and Frank de Caires, but these were insufficient to force victory, and the match was drawn.

27.

George Headley remained in the Test side for the rest of the series, the only home player other than Roach to appear in all four Tests.

28.

George Headley scored eight and 39 as West Indies lost the match.

29.

In Jamaica, where there was widespread jubilation, George Headley attended several receptions and celebrations.

30.

George Headley played the hook very effectively and hit many short deliveries for runs.

31.

When George Headley was stumped, he had made what was at the time the fourth highest individual score in all Test cricket and the highest in a second innings.

32.

George Headley ended the series with 703 runs at an average of 87.87.

33.

George Headley made a good start to the tour and attracted praise from the press in Australia and West Indies.

34.

The first match of the Australian leg was against New South Wales, where the West Indians were bowled out for 188 and George Headley was stumped for 25.

35.

George Headley scored 27 and 16 as his team were heavily defeated.

36.

George Headley's poor run of form continued in the West Indian victory over Queensland and, having put on weight, he was struggling with his fitness.

37.

George Headley eliminated from his strokes a risky cover drive he had developed on Caribbean pitches.

38.

George Headley maintained his good form in matches against Victoria and South Australia after the third Test, scoring 77 and 113 in the first match and 75 and 39 in the second.

39.

George Headley top-scored with 33 out of the first innings total of 99 but made only 11 on his second attempt, being dismissed both times by Ironmonger.

40.

George Headley, playing Grimmett comfortably by now, batted for 146 minutes, and hit 13 fours.

41.

The tourists scored 124 more runs in their second innings, of which George Headley made 30, before more rain fell and Grant declared for the second time in the match.

42.

George Headley scored 336 runs in the Test matches at an average of 37.33, and 1,066 runs at 44.41 in all first-class games.

43.

George Headley arrived in Australia as a primarily off-side player which accounted for his difficulty against the Australian bowlers' tactics.

44.

George Headley resumed playing for Lucas on his return to Jamaica, attracting great crowds and high expectations.

45.

Jamaica made an uncertain start, losing five wickets by the time their score reached 215 but George Headley had scored 130.

Related searches
Neville Cardus
46.

George Headley then shared a partnership of 487 for the sixth wicket with Clarence Passailaigue; 236 not out after the first day's play, Headley went on to score an unbeaten 344, after batting for 407 minutes and hitting 39 fours.

47.

George Headley continued his success in the second game, opening the batting and top-scoring with 84 in the first innings.

48.

George Headley scored fifties in each of his next three matches before scoring a century against the MCC during his first appearance at Lord's Cricket Ground.

49.

George Headley scored 13 in the West Indies first innings, and his 50 was the highest score when West Indies followed-on.

50.

Between the first and second Tests, in matches where conditions were difficult for batting and ideal for spin bowlers, George Headley scored three fifties and achieved his side's highest score in each of four innings.

51.

George Headley was one of the few of his side's batsmen able to resist the bowling tactics.

52.

Ivan Barrow believed George Headley reached his batting peak during the tour.

53.

George Headley recalled how many bowlers tried to hit his pads with the ball but Headley simply flicked the ball away.

54.

George Headley's performances earned him selection as one of Wisden's Cricketers of the Year.

55.

George Headley was greatly affected by the news, particularly the nature of her death.

56.

George Headley changed his bowling style to medium pace and took 59 wickets at an average of 16.59.

57.

West Indies batted first and were bowled out for 102; George Headley's 44 was the highest score of the match.

58.

George Headley played two matches for Jamaica against the tourists; he failed in the first game but scored 127 in the second.

59.

The Daily Gleaner noted that George Headley maintained the controlled approach he had established in the season.

60.

George Headley returned to England to play for Haslingden in the 1935 English season, and played a single first-class game, scoring a century for Sir L Parkinson's XI against Leicestershire.

61.

George Headley lost his wicket through impatience in the first match, although he scored a pair of fifties, but scored a century in the third game.

62.

The Jamaican Board were reluctant to pay but George Headley pointed out that, as a professional cricketer, he was entitled to the same treatment as the Yorkshire players, whose expenses were provided.

63.

In 1936 George Headley returned to England, and played no more first-class cricket until the two trial matches for the 1939 tour of England.

64.

When Jamaica's captain, Crab Nethersole, withdrew from the tour due to political commitments, George Headley led Jamaica in both matches and scored 160 and 103.

65.

George Headley became the first player to score two hundreds in a Lord's Test, a feat not repeated until 1990.

Related searches
Neville Cardus
66.

George Headley played cautiously during his 250-minute innings, as he was aware that his team were relying on his success.

67.

George Headley again batted defensively to score 107, taking two hours to reach 50, as West Indies needed to bat for a long time to secure a draw.

68.

George Headley continued to score heavily in the tour matches, making an unbeaten 234 in an innings win over Nottinghamshire, followed by 61 against Yorkshire on a sticky wicket, one of the best innings Neville Cardus had seen.

69.

George Headley scored just five in West Indies' brief second innings, bringing to an end a sequence of six fifties in successive Test innings.

70.

George Headley played cautiously for 140 minutes, attempting to tire out the bowlers, but was run out for 65 in a misunderstanding with Vic Stollmeyer.

71.

Wisden judged George Headley to be the best batsman of the 1939 season, while other critics rated him among the best batsmen in the world, with favourable comparisons to Bradman.

72.

George Headley continued to play for the team until 1947, when he left to play for the Kensington Club.

73.

Unlike other Caribbean teams, Jamaica did not take part in inter-island competition, and although George Headley played some exhibition matches in America in 1945, it was not until June 1946 that he took part in his next first-class match.

74.

Trinidad played three matches in Jamaica and George Headley scored 52 in the second game but only reached his best form when he scored 99 in the third.

75.

Around this time, George Headley requested the Jamaican board provide support for low income players with their kit and transport costs.

76.

The second match was drawn; George Headley made 79 before he had to retire when he fell and injured his knee.

77.

George Headley played only two innings in the two matches, scoring 36 and 4 not out.

78.

George Headley was verbally abused by a section of the crowd, who disapproved of a black captain; he was dissatisfied with the impartiality of the umpires.

79.

Crab Nethersole, the Jamaican manager for the tour, reported that injuries to key players and the poor attitude of the crowd made the tour difficult, although George Headley's captaincy was universally praised.

80.

Crab Nethersole, the former Jamaican captain and member of the Board of Control for cricket, argued George Headley should be outright captain but a compromise was reached.

81.

George Headley was scheduled to captain the first and fourth Test matches, played in Barbados and Jamaica, and the white players Gerry Gomez and John Goddard were given the captaincy of the second and third matches.

82.

George Headley's back caused him to miss the second and third Tests, but he was fit enough to play for Jamaica when the tourists arrived there to play two games against the island before the fourth and final Test.

83.

George Headley scored 36 not out, but aggravated his back pains and he withdrew from the final Test.

84.

West Indies then moved to Pakistan; in a non-first-class game George Headley took six wickets as a bowler, but then in a match against a representative Pakistan XI he fell and injured his side while attempting to take a catch.

85.

George Headley played for the Kensington Club until 1950, when he resumed league cricket in England; he returned for a final season with Kensington in 1955 before retiring from Senior Cup cricket.

Related searches
Neville Cardus
86.

However, George Headley accepted a contract with Bacup in the Lancashire League, to replace Everton Weekes who was in the touring party.

87.

For Bacup George Headley scored 909 runs and took 20 wickets in 1950, before signing to play for Dudley in the Birmingham League in 1951.

88.

Reaction among critics was mixed, and George Headley, nearing his 45th birthday, remains the oldest man as of 2015 to play a Test match for West Indies.

89.

George Headley batted at number six, and it appeared that England, under the captaincy of Len Hutton, let George Headley score an easy run to begin his innings, which Hutton later confirmed to be the case.

90.

However, George Headley later argued that the run was given to ensure that he was batting at the beginning of the next over, so that England could try to get him out before he settled down.

91.

George Headley scored 16 and 1 in the match, his final Test appearance.

92.

George Headley used his experience to influence the captain, Jeff Stollmeyer, advising him not to enforce the follow on and to use leg theory bowling to slow down the tourists' scoring.

93.

In 22 Tests, George Headley scored 2,190 runs at an average of 60.83.

94.

George Headley finished his career at Dudley at the end of 1954; his son Ron played for the club from 1957, having already played for its second team in 1952 as a 13-year-old.

95.

George Headley is regarded by critics as one of the best batsmen from the Caribbean and one of the greatest batsmen of all time.

96.

George Headley was given the nicknames "the Black Bradman" and "Atlas" by commentators, and was the first world-class batsman from the West Indies who was black.

97.

George Headley usually batted at number three and as the opening batsmen were often dismissed quickly, he frequently began his innings early.

98.

George Headley averaged a century every fourth innings in which he batted, second again to Bradman, and did not suffer a poor series in his career before the war.

99.

George Headley's movements were precise and economical on the cricket field; his cap was usually at a slight angle and his sleeves were buttoned down to the wrist.

100.

George Headley hit the ball hard and was very difficult to get out.

101.

George Headley faced criticism for playing off the back foot so often, but R C Robertson-Glasgow believed his square cut, late cut, and hook were exceptionally good.

102.

George Headley himself preferred batting when the odds favoured the bowlers as he had to go for his shots and play his natural attacking game.

103.

George Headley was black excellence personified in a white world and in a white sport.

104.

George Headley had a heavy workload, particularly in rural areas; together with his assistant Dickie Fuller his role involved encouraging school children to watch and play cricket, and trying to improve standards and facilities throughout the country.

105.

George Headley became involved in the selection of teams, taking some of them overseas.

Related searches
Neville Cardus
106.

In 1961, George Headley coached for six months in Nigeria and earned praise from the Nigerian Cricket Association.

107.

George Headley's official coaching role in Jamaica ended after a new government withdrew funding for coaching in 1962.

108.

George Headley had nine children in total, including Ron Headley who was born two days after the end of the Lord's Test of 1939.

109.

Ron George Headley went on to play professional cricket for the English counties Worcestershire and Derbyshire, and represented Jamaica before playing two Tests for West Indies in 1973.

110.

Ron's son Dean, George Headley's grandson, played Test cricket for England; the family thus became the first to have three generations play Test cricket.

111.

George Headley was the official representative of the Jamaican Cricket Board at Constantine's funeral in 1971.