M. C. C. team in the West Indies 1929-30

Favoured by beautiful weather throughout their visit to the West Indies, the M.C.C. team had a most enjoyable tour. Engaging in thirteen matches they won four, lost two and drew seven. As is always the case when an English team visits the Islands, batsmen showed to far greater advantage than bowlers, the hard pitches generally proving unresponsive to spin. On the only occasion in an important contest when their batting failed in both innings, the M.C.C. team suffered their initial defeat - in the first meeting with Trinidad. The other reverse came in the third match with the full strength of West Indies but this time some recovery followed a breakdown in the first innings.

As the outcome of the four representative games honours were even, each side winning one and the remaining two being left drawn. The Englishmen might have won the last match had Calthorpe, after establishing a lead of 563, enforced the follow-on but M.C.C. batted a second time and, rain preventing any play on the last two days, the chance of victory vanished.

While the batting generally gave every satisfaction, that of Hendren formed an outstanding feature of the tour. Four times the Middlesex cricketer put together a score of over 200 and on each occasion carried out his bat. In addition, he obtained two other centuries and at the end of the programme had an average of 126 for all matches and one of 115 for the representative engagements.

Sandham, too, made six hundreds, including a great innings of 325 in the final game, and Ames, besides keeping wicket ably, reached three-figures in four matches. These three men, and Gunn, formed the backbone of the side in run-getting but six others also returned an average of over twenty.

No fewer than twelve three-figure scores - including two of over 200 - were hit off the M.C.C. bowling but there were times when, able to spin the ball, Rhodes, Stevens, Voce and Astill did effective work. The team originally consisted of fourteen players, these being:

• HON. F. S. G. CALTHORPE ( Warwickshire), captain,
• MAJOR R. T. STANYFORTH (The Army),
• MR. N. HAIG ( Middlesex),
• MR. G. T. S. Stevens ( Middlesex),
• MR. R. E. S. Wyatt ( Warwickshire),
• W. Rhodes ( Yorkshire),
• G. Gunn ( Notts),
• E. HENDREN ( Middlesex),
• W. E. Astill ( Leicestershire),
• A. Sandham ( Surrey),
• L. G. AMES ( Kent),
• J. O'Connor ( Essex),
• L. TOWNSEND ( Derbyshire) and
• W. Voce ( Notts).

Unfortunately Major Stanyforth, after taking part in four matches, met with an injury and did not play again. Accordingly, another wicket-keeper - W. F. Price of Middlesex - was sent out England to complete the team.

Match reports for

1st Test: West Indies v England at Bridgetown, Jan 11-16, 1930
Report | Scorecard

2nd Test: West Indies v England at Port of Spain, Feb 1-6, 1930
Report | Scorecard

3rd Test: West Indies v England at Georgetown, Feb 21-26, 1930
Report | Scorecard

4th Test: West Indies v England at Kingston, Apr 3-12, 1930
Report | Scorecard