25 Facts About Manny Martindale

Emmanuel Alfred Martindale was a West Indian cricketer who played in ten Test matches from 1933 to 1939.

Manny Martindale was a right-arm fast bowler with a long run up; although not tall for a bowler of his type he bowled at a fast pace.

Manny Martindale took over 100 first-class wickets and took over half of the West Indies' wickets in the three Tests played.

When he returned to tour England a second time in 1939, Manny Martindale was less successful, but he had by then established himself in League Cricket in England.

Manny Martindale moved there to play initially for Burnley Cricket Club, but remained in England for the next 28 years as a professional cricketer.

Manny Martindale had played so little cricket that few people in the West Indies knew much about him, but his reputation grew very quickly during the tour.

Constantine was contracted to play Lancashire League cricket for Nelson and was released for only five matches across the summer: in the first of these, he and Manny Martindale took nine of the 10 MCC first-innings wickets.

Manny Martindale returned five for 70, but both bowlers were criticised in the press for bowling short at the MCC batsmen.

Manny Martindale was fit to open the bowling for the West Indies in the first Test at Lord's at the end of the month alongside Francis, recalled because Nelson CC would not release Constantine for the match; Martindale took four wickets for 85 runs, but England won easily by an innings.

Many of the English batsmen were discomfited, and a short ball from Manny Martindale struck Wally Hammond on the chin, forcing him to retire hurt.

Manny Martindale was the faster bowler but Constantine was capable of bursts of great pace.

Manny Martindale continued to thrive with five wickets for 93 runs in England's innings, although The Times report suggested that he bowled at times too short.

The five wickets meant Manny Martindale finished the series with 14 wickets at an average of 17.92; his bowling colleagues in the series took only 12 wickets and those were at a cost of 58.33 each.

Immediately after this final Test, the West Indian team went to Blackpool to play a first-class match against a team raised by Sir Lindsay Parkinson; Manny Martindale took eight wickets in an innings for the third time in the season, this time for 39 runs.

Manny Martindale finished the 1933 season with 103 first-class wickets at an average of 20.98; Ellis Achong took 71 at an average of 36.14 and no other bowler on the tour took more than 50 wickets.

Manny Martindale emulated the feat of Constantine in taking 100 wickets in 1928, but unlike Constantine, Martindale had few other effective bowlers to support him.

Manny Martindale made little impact in the two Barbados matches against the touring side, failing to take a wicket in either game.

Manny Martindale took eight wickets in the match, but lacked support to win the game as Constantine was absent.

Manny Martindale sustained a compound fracture, retired hurt, and did not bat in the second innings.

Manley further comments that Manny Martindale's success came against some very good batsmen, but he "virtually destroyed England".

Manny Martindale played for Barbados until January 1936, when he played his last first-class game in the Caribbean.

Barbados, chasing 409 to win the match against Trinidad, had subsided to 108 for seven wickets in their second innings when Manny Martindale came in to bat at No 9, joining his fellow fast bowler Foffie Williams.

Manny Martindale continued to play into his 54th year, playing two seasons for Great Harwood in the Ribblesdale League in 1962 and 1963.

Manny Martindale returned to live in Barbados in December 1964 after 28 years playing league cricket in England.

Manny Martindale had a long, smooth run-up and gathered himself shortly before delivery, which contrasted with the more explosive bowling of Constantine.