NEW INDUCTEES from left Lesly Lowe, Lloyd Dixon, Farokh Engineer, Austin Hutchinson and Joslyn Chance Sr.

Engineer praises Cricket Hall of Fame visionaries

By STAN WALKER
In one of its most successful and entertaining ceremonies, the Cricket Hall of Fame inducted five new members into the prestigious institution at the Marriott Hotel, downtown Hartford, Saturday, October 3. Topping the class was former Indian and Rest of World XI wicketkeeper/batsman Farokh Engineer. He was joined by four locals Lesly Lowe, Austin Hutchinson and Lloyd Dixon all of New York and Joslyn Chance Sr. of Bloomfield, Connecticut.

Three other individuals Hartford’s Mayor Eddie Perez, Patricia Kelly of Ebony Horsewomen and the Rev. Hugh Hamilton were presented with Presidential Awards for their contributions to the community.

Director Michael Chambers opened the program declaring that tonight we will be honoring visionaries. And although most of them including those who were receiving presidential awards may have fit the description, without a doubt the star of the night was Engineer, who came in from England where he now resides to accept the honor.

The former flamboyant batsman and agile wicketkeeper, Engineer who has become a popular, sought-after dinner speaker, kept the audience in stitches as he mixed his acceptance speech with a variety of jokes, some colorful, using cricket terms some which could befuddle the mind if you were not one who is familiar with the sport.

On a more serious note, Engineer whose chiseled features and rugged looks during his playing days allowed him to become the first Indian cricketer to be offered advertising and modeling contracts, most notable for the Brylcream hair product, had high praises for the “visionaries” who started the Hall of Fame. “I was very impressed with what they are doing,” he said. “I am yet to come across any collection like this. I do not think that there is anything like this in any part of the world. The nearest I can recall is at Lord’s, the premier cricket ground in England.”

Responding to a comment made by Chambers, who said that famous Jamaica and West Indies batsman, George Headley, was one of the first persons to break down the color barrier in sports, he said that Chambers had forgotten to mention the name of Leary Constantine of Trinidad, who also played a part. Engineer also added that famous South African player Graeme Pollock, who tried to play down apartheid by telling the players that they should consider themselves all green, could also fit into that mold.

Headley, who began playing Test cricket at the age of 18 in 1929, was the first West Indian sporting hero and the first black man acknowledged as a world class performer.

Describing Engineer’s robust approach to the game, Master of Ceremonies former West Indies player Rudolph Cohen, said that he (Engineer) could easily fit into any West Indian team. He had our kind of flair for the game,” Cohen said.

Acknowledging that we are all gathered here to honor players, organizers and supporters, which he saw as a unique perspective, Cohen, said that we must certainly recognize talent, but at the same time we must also realize that it is the supporters and contributors who keep the game alive.

Inductee Lowe, founder of the largest cricket organization in North America, said that in comparison to when he began back in the early 70s, there are many more teams now in the country. It is now played in almost every state. “The game has grown in leaps and bounds, but if we want the game to continue to progress, we need to support each other,” he said and paid tribute to the late James Gabriel, the father of cricket in the U.S., who he said was one of the best supporters of the game that could be found anywhere.

“I am proud of the role that I have played in the development of the game in America, and my vision is to one day having Australia playing against the West Indies in the U.S.”

Dixon, who seemed somewhat overwhelmed by the honor, spent some time relating some of his experience while playing the game dating back to his childhood days interjecting a bit of humor as he did so. Although being a successful bowler during his playing days, he was mainly recognized for the hard work that he did behind the scenes.

Hutcheson, who was recognized for his role in establishing the Red Stripe cricket competition and the Masters League in New York, said that the award is one that he will always cherish.

New York Assemblyman Nick Perry spoke briefly before presenting some of the New York honorees with citations from the assembly.

Entertainment for the evening which was well received was provided by two members of the Renaissance Steel Orchestra out of New York. The program concluded with dancing to Afrique Disco.

Champion sprinter Usain Bolt visits Cricket Hall of Fame

From Left (1) Bolt shows off his lightning pose to delight of the crowd. (2) Bolt meets 1952 Olympic 100 meters champion Lindy Remigino. (3) Bolt views exhibits at Cricket Hall of Fame

By STAN WALKER
The Cricket Hall of Fame was abuzz with excitement on Monday, September 28, as the world’s fastest man Jamaica’s Usain Bolt stopped by for a brief tour of the facility and to give hundreds of his admiring Jamaican fans in Hartford, Connecticut, a chance to see him.

Olympic and World champion in the 100- and 200-meters sprint race, Bolt who was in the U.S. on a promotional media tour, spent the earlier part of the day at the ESPN complex in Bristol, Connecticut, where he shot a commercial, appeared on ESPN’s news and even ran a race with some of the station’s sports anchors.

Bolt who was influenced by his cricket coach to consider a career in track after he observed how fast he was moving on the field, reportedly learnt about the Hall of Fame and of the strong Jamaican population in Hartford and had expressed a desire to visit the area whenever he was in Connecticut.

However, to the disappointment of the more than 500 fans, which showed how to greet him, like his Olympic and World Championship feats, his visit to Hartford was very brief. He arrived earlier than expected and before many even got to the Sportmen’s Athletic Club, where he was welcomed at a brief reception, he was whisked away by his handlers to a waiting limousine for the journey back to New York where he was staying.

On his arrival at the Sportmen’s complex, Bolt and his entourage which included manager Norman Peart, was treated to a sumptuous Jamaican-style meal in the back lounge of the club, then taken next door to the Cricket Hall of Fame for a brief tour. While at the Hall of Fame, he was presented with an appreciation certificate by the institution’s president, Shirley Matthews, a miniature cricket bat signed by members of the Hall of Fame’s committee and a Bible. He was also given an appreciation certificate to take back to his coach Glen Mills.

Highlights of his visit was the presentation of the key to the state by Lt. Governor Michael Fedele, who read a proclamation declaring the day “Usain Bolt’s Day in the State of Connecticut” from Governor Jodi Rell and a meeting with 1952 Olympic 100 meters champion, Lindy Remigino, a resident of Newington, Connecticut. Remigino was declared winner at the Helsinki games, after he crossed the tape in a dead heat with another Jamaican, Herb McKenley.

Bolt, who was loudly applauded during the reading of the proclamation, responded that he was honored and appreciated the recognition by the governor. “I’ll try to come back and show my love and I’ll actually use the key. Thank you for supporting me and I’ll try to do my best to make you proud. Thank you very much.”

He was also scheduled to receive the key to the city and a similar proclamation from Hartford’s mayor Eddie Perez, but he left before the mayor arrived.

While at the Hall of Fame, Remigino who was meeting Bolt for the first time, quipped: “You’re the only guy who can hit a golf ball and catch it before it hits the ground.” The 5 feet 6 inches Remigino, who looked like a midget as he posed for pictures with the 6 feet 5 inches Bolt, said that “Usain is an unbelievable sprinter.” The 76-year-old Remigino also gave Bolt copies of pages of stories from his scrapbook.

Despite Bolt’s quick departure and complaints by the local media who felt slighted because they did not get a chance to interview him, most of the admiring fans which represented a cross section of ages, from small children to seniors, were happy that he had come after all. Some lucky persons got the opportunity to pose for pictures with him, while a limited number were able to get him to sign a few autographs.

Michael Chambers, director of the Hall of Fame, who was one of the persons who worked very hard to help make the visit a success, said that Jamaicans have a special love for their new sports hero. Bolt is worshipped even more so by those who live abroad, he said. “We were hoping that he would have been here until 8 o’clock. Because he left early, many of the things that we planned in the program did not materialize. I am disappointed that the news media and many of the youngsters in attendance did not get a chance to see and interact with him, however, everyone enjoyed the few minutes that he spent with us,” he added.

Please Note:  “Sportmen’s” is spelt without the ‘s’ after ‘sport.’

Jamaican ambassador Anthony Johnson presents Cricket Hall of Fame’s president Shirley Matthews with statuette of former West Indian great George Headley.

George Headley first black world class performer.

By STAN WALKER
The Cricket Hall of Fame was the proud recipient of a prized piece of art work, a statuette of the late great West Indian batsman George Alphanso Headley on Thursday, October 1. Making the presentation was Jamaican Ambassador Anthony Johnson, who explained that the statuette which is being sold to raise funds for Headley’s club, Lucas CC, which is in need of dire repairs, was commissioned to mark the 100th birthday of Headley, the first West Indian sporting hero.

Before making the presentation Johnson, an ardent fan of the game, gave the gathering a brief history of the development of the game in the Caribbean and the formation of Lucas CC. He particularly expressed the significance of Headley’s accomplishments, which he said played a major role in breaking down the color barrier that existed in sports during the 30s and the 40s.

“We had Marcus Garvey,” he said, “but they had put him in jail. The world heavyweight boxing champion Jack Johnson had been discredited and exiled, during that time. Headley thus became the first black man to be acknowledged as a world-class performer,” he said.

“For the first decade of West Indies participation in Test Cricket, Headley’s performances were always at a high point. He was called Atlas since he bore the reputation and pride of the region on his shoulders. He was not only carrying the cricket team on his shoulders, but the esteem and potential of African-Jamaica,” he said.

.”The fact that Headley was mastering the English and Australian bowlers was a new experience for West Indians,” Johnson continued. “He was the superstar of the age. He created a feeling of pride in every West Indian especially among the black masses, which prompted former Jamaican Prime Minister Michael Manley, to say in his book that ‘Headley became excellence personified in a white world and a white sport’. He showed the world that a black man could perform just as good as any white man,” Johnson said.

“Lucas CC was formed out of necessity,” Johnson said. “Opportunities for the working class were few and for the minority who were successful, there was no social acceptance in the ‘gentlemen’s clubs’ of the day.”

David Ellington, a guard at the Customs Department in Kingston, was determined to bring the finer points of the game to the underprivileged of the city and in 1889 started a team from among the better players at Kingston Race Course, a sort of breeding ground for players.

“In 1895, the skipper of a visiting English team, Slade Lucas ‘took great interest in Ellington’s efforts and, overnight, Ellington’s experiment was hailed across Jamaica,” Johnson said. About 1896, Ellington changed the name of his team to Lucas CC in honor of the visitor. The club became known as the working man’s club, but in private it was known as the black man’s club.”

“It gained significance when the legendary owner of a well-known drug store in the city, R. E. Nelson, a leading black businessman of the day, made lands available to the club to play their games at no cost. The club later bought the land and named it Nelson Oval in honor of their benefactor. It has since become a top cricket club on the island which has produced a number of cricketers who has played for Jamaica and the West Indies

Mr. Cricket’s memorabilia finds a home

By STAN WALKER
An earnest desire by Mrs. Ena Gabriel to find a home for her late husband James “Mr. Cricket” Gabriel’s memorabilia was realized on Tuesday, August 4, when a team from the Cricket Hall of Fame headed by director Michael Chambers turned up at her home in Manhattan to collect the items.

Ena, who will turn 102 in November (2009), was concerned that the items which she collected and secured over the years could end up in the garbage. “I was worried that they would be destroyed after my passing,” she said. The collection included newspaper and magazine clippings with articles on her husband, photographs, trophies and a signed bat.

Born in St. Lucia in May, 1895, Jimmy as her husband was affectionately called, arrived in the United States in 1921, and passed away in 1997 at the age of 102. He dedicated almost his entire life to the game that he so dearly loved. Jimmy, one of the first inductees into the Cricket Hall of Fame, served the New York Cricket League for 66 years in various positions, 45 as a player for the St. Lucia Athletic Club. He played his last match at the age of 70.

During the visit, which lasted for approximately four hours, Ena, who belies her age, with all her faculties very much intact, engaged in a lively conversation in which she reminisced on the memorable times that she had with her beloved husband and some of his cricket colleagues.

Speaking glowingly of Jimmy, whom she described as a gentleman outside and inside the house, she quipped, that “Cricket was Jimmy’s first love, I came second. Each year at the start of the season I generally divorce him but at the end of the season we got married again. Jimmy lived for cricket. Everything has a price! Otherwise we got along well. I enjoyed all the moments that I spent with him.” The couple met at a cricket game

The centenarian, whom one could easily see was very attractive in her youth, said that she loved to be admired by men. “When I visited the games with Jimmy, I knew that the men were looking at me, but that didn’t matter because I had eyes only for Jimmy. I was lucky to have a man like him. When you have a nice man like him in your life, it is good to be alive. I was fortunate to have a good companion in my life.”

A former dressmaker, Ena said that sewing was her greatest passion. She deplored the manner in which youngsters of today approach life. “In many cases they are living above their means. They are spoiled rotten.”

During the lively and spirited conversation, Ena who was obviously happy that the memorabilia would be going to a good place, got very excited when she found out that one of the members of the Hall of Fame team, Ovid John, was from the county (Demerara) in Guyana, where she was born. She quickly got up walked over and embraced him briefly, checking to find out if they were related.

Living a long time is good as long as you are not crippled up in bed, she reiterated, attributing her longevity to having a good companion, and the way that you eat, which she says is what keeps you healthy.

Ena said that she stopped eating canned food since she was very young and except for a bit of chicken and fish, she does not eat any other meat. She was critical of beef saying that today they feed the cows with too much chemicals. “I do not keep anything sweet in my house and the only juice she drinks or freshly squeezed orange juice. Occasionally she uses honey as a sweetener for tea.

According to her social worker Esther Henderson, who is from Antigua and who comes from a family with a cricket background, it has been Ena’s long desire to donate her beloved memorabilia to some place where it can be preserved. In fact, the Hall of Fame was contacted more than two years ago to collect the items. “This means a lot to her. She is totally relieved that it is done. If she never gets to do anything else in this life, I know that she will die in peace,” Henderson said as she thanked the Hall of Fame for making the visit to Ena’s home.

Before the Hall of Fame team left her apartment, Ena had one request: a visit to Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, New York, where she spent many memorable days with her husband and his cricket fraternity, to compare it to what it looked like back in the days.

West Indians started cricket in Hartford

By STAN WALKER
At one time having two of the best fields in the northeast region, if not throughout the U.S., the city of Hartford has remained one of the mainstays of the game of cricket which began in this country more than 200 years ago. During the early days, however, the game was not played in these parts. However, with the arrival of a group of enterprising West Indians, it did not take long for the game to rear its head.
Standing, from left: Vincent Elliott, Luther Wright, Leslie Murray, Sidney Elliott, Freddie Elliott, Vincent Crockett and Ashley Bean. Kneeling: Ivan Redwood, Reginald Leslie (Captain), Desmond Blake, Noel Elliott (Vice Captain) and Ashley Williams

The first West Indians to make it to the Greater Hartford area did not come as sports ambassadors. They came to work on the various farms and fields that were flourishing in those times. Although very ambitious and hard-working, the men brought not only their sweat and toil in the fields but also their love of a game which was very popular in their homeland.

It was in the 1940s when the first group of men arrived. Boredom set in when they found themselves with nothing to do with their spare time. Not familiar with the local sports, some of the men began playing the game of cricket on make-shift plots in the camps where they resided. At first, gears were hard to come by but they improvised by making their own bats and balls and engaged in a popular version of the game known in the islands as “catchy shooby.”

Shortly after word got out that they had started to play the game on the farms, with the help of one of the managers they were able to secure some gears and as a result began to play matches between the various farms. Most of the matches were played at the Bradley Field camp.

In1947, two pioneers of the game in Hartford, Jamaicans Reginald Leslie and Noel Elliott deciding that it was time to get the game started in Hartford, began recruiting players from the camps in the Greater Hartford area. They donated many hours and funds to get the game off on the right track, but because they had very little gears, no real playing fields and very few spectators, they found this somewhat difficult.

With the help of Lloyd Walford, a Jamaican living in Massachusetts, they were invited to play in Boston, which at the time had three active teams. In Boston, the men were hosted “in fine style,” given gears to play in and some to take back to Hartford to help with their game.

Shortly afterwards, a league started in Massachusetts and through Leslie’s drive the Hartford team was able to take part in the competition. With regular recruiting and increased interest, the team became so good that they beat all the teams in Massachusetts. They then went in search of new foes, their next opponent being the Canadians. This followed with them taking on a strong New York team led by another cricket stalwart of the region, James Gabriel.. This match was played at Colts Park.

The game and the team continued to progress in the area with the highlight was during the 1951 season when the team hosted a team from the British warship HMS Sniper, that had arrived at the New London base.

Around this same time, the West Indian Social Club started its own team, at the time the only one in the Hartford. Subsequently as the game developed and more West Indians started to arrive in the area, it became inevitable that more teams would be formed. This did not only materialize, but with the securing of the Keney Park field (Ridgefield Street), the local teams began to compete in a New York league. A Connecticut Cricket League was eventually started and today it has as many as 10 teams participating.

Leslie, who throughout the years held various posts including captain, manager and promoter of the original team is regarded by many as the person mainly responsible for getting the game started in Hartford. Elliott, revered as one of the best cricketers to come to Hartford, also held similar positions with the team before retiring from the game.

As it stands today, Hartford has six active teams and three very good fields. Although many may be of the opinion that the game is dying, cricket can be said to be still alive and well in the Hartford area.

****** THANKS TO EVERYONE ******

To everyone who attended this year’s (2008) Induction Ceremony, the Cricket Hall of Fame’ sincerely thanks you for your support. Your presence made the event a success.

We look forward to seeing you again next year and hope that you will continue to support us in our efforts to honor our cricket heroes and with our desire to help with the growth and development of this great sport in the U.S.

Feel free to send us your suggestions and advice on how you believe that we can improve the program and raise the necessary funds that we need to carry on and to make the event successful.

Once again thanks for your support,

Michael Chambers
Director

2008 INDUCTEES, from left, Mohamed Baksh, Jefferson Miller, Mascelles Bailey, Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes.

Greenidge, Haynes cricket’s greatest ever opening pair

     Former West Indies’ batting stars Gordon Greenidge MBE and Desmond Haynes were hailed as the greatest ever opening pair in the history of the sport of cricket at this year’s Cricket Hall of Fame’s annual Induction Ceremony, held at the Marriott Hotel, downtown Hartford, Connecticut, Saturday, September 20.

     The duo was among the latest group of individuals which included Jefferson Miller of Florida, Mascelles Bailey and Mohamed Baksh of New York, to be inducted into the prestigious institution. Miller, Bailey and Baksh were honored for their contributions to the sport in the U.S.

     Two others, the Rev. Canon Wilborne Austin, rector of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Bloomfield and Harland Henry, Manager of the Small and Minority Business Services Unit in the Office of the Secretary of State, received Presidential awards for their contributions to the Hall of Fame and the community. Henry was also presented with a proclamation by Leslie Mara, Deputy Secretary of state.

     “When I look at Haynes and Greenidge, I recognize genius, talent and greatness,” Master of Ceremonies Rudolph Cohen, another former West Indies player, said as he addressed the gathering. “Their careers were intertwined, they developed together, grew up together so the Cricket Hall of Fame made a wise decision to induct them together.”

     Haynes and Greenidge, both native Barbadians, who formed a formidable opening partnership in Test cricket, were acclaimed as integral to the success of the West Indies team in the 1980s which became world champions, a position which the team held for a number of years.

     The very exciting and impressive ceremony which attracted about 300 patrons, featured dance performances by a young Barbadian group and video presentations which highlighted the historic Olympic 100 meters finals won by the flamboyant Usain Bolt of Jamaica and Greenidge, Haynes and other former cricket stars in action during their illustrious careers.

     Mayor Eddie Perez presented all the inductees with proclamations which acknowledged their accomplishments in the sport and which declared Saturday, September 20 as “Cricket Hall of Fame Day” in the city of Hartford. He congratulated the Hall of Fame and wished them success in their future programs.

     On Friday, September 20, the inductees were officially welcomed to the city at a luncheon reception held at City Hall. Councilwoman Veronica Airey-Wilson, who hosted the reception, wished them well and encouraged them to take in as many sights of the city before their departure. She then presented each of them with a pictorial book on Hartford.

     In their response after their induction, almost all of the inductees made strong appeals to the Board of the United States of America Cricket Association (USACA) to do everything in their power to move the game, the second most popular sport in the world, to a higher level in this country.

     Haynes, who attributed his success in life to his grandmother, called on members of the USACA to get rid of petty jealousies and work together for the sake of the sport, recommending that they should seek help from the West Indies Cricket Board to get the game on the right track in this country.

     “A lot of people instructed me in my development,” he said, “but once I got into the team I wanted to make my association with Greenidge a long partnership and the only way to make it happen was compensate Greenidge, who had already been established as a competent opener. I learned a lot from him (Greenidge) during our times at the crease,” he said.

     Greenidge, who migrated to England at an early age, enlightened the audience on some of the trials and difficulties he encountered while growing up in that country, explaining how he eventually triumphed to become a top class cricketer.

     “Growing up in England changed me completely,” he said. “I encountered people who tried in every way to make life difficult for me. Cricket was not high on the agenda at the school that I attended, tennis took the forefront. You did not see much black people playing tennis. I tried playing soccer but since cricket was my first love I decided to pursue the sport by joining a nearby club. Cricket made me what I am today,” he asserted.

     Greenidge closed his remarks by making a strong appeal to the officers of USACA to work towards the establishment of a development program for youths.

     Miller, one of the visionaries who was instrumental in the establishment of a $70 million sports complex in Lauderhill, Florida, which includes a first class cricket field, also made a strong plea to the USACA, the caretakers of the sport in the U.S., to work together to bring improvements to the sport.

     “We have worked hard to get the stadium,” Miller pleaded, “so please do not let it go to waste. Bring international cricket to Florida and other sites in the country. We need to do better. We need to get the youths involved and try to develop an approach like in soccer and have cricket moms to help spread the word,” he said.

Cricket Hall of Fame praised for maintaining high standards

     Well known New York’s cricket administrator, Mascelles Bailey, praised the Cricket Hall of Fame for its dedication and for maintaining high standards. “This is what can happen when we work together,” he said, following his induction into the 27-year-old institution, Saturday, September 20 at ceremonies held at the Marriott Hotel, Hartford, Connecticut.

     Bailey, a Financial Consultant and former president of the legendary Metropolitan Cricket League in New York, said that most of his spare time was dedicated to cricket and that he had decided to give whatever service he can to the sport in New York.              

       Roy Sweeney, right, introduces Mascelles Bailey at ceremony.

     “Our hearts are in the right place. The power of cricket unites us. We are all united in our cause towards cricket in the U.S.,” he said, while paying tribute to a number of individuals which included Roy Sweeney, Clifford Hinds, Hugh Pitter, John Aaron, Lloyd Scott and Lee Ramsay, whom he said played outstanding roles in the promotion of the sport in New York “

     He singled out Sweeney, as a tireless advocate for the sport at all levels whose dedication to cricket in the U.S. is unmatched. “He is a man who thinks big, one who is dedicated and visionary,” Bailey said. As president of the United States Cricket Promoters Association, Sweeney was responsible for bringing the full West Indies’ team to New York to play on more than one occasion. He was resolute in keeping the game of cricket alive in North America, pouring 40 years of experience in all aspects of the game into an organization which he designed to make a lasting impact on the sport with the simple objective to foster and promote cricket at its highest level in the U.S.

     Bailey also praised Hinds, a former officer of the USACA, for his outstanding work with the development of youth cricket in the U.S.

     “I live by a simple maxim to serve,” he said. “Each day I seize on every chance I get to serve. He who serves best is he who serves the most,” he said, declaring that no other sport engenders such great passion and following as that of cricket.

     “Keeping the game alive in New York is not an easy task,” he said, and paid tribute to the many women who help out each weekend at the parks. However, in my mind, he said that the individuals who show up first at the park for a game, who are also the last ones to leave, who will spend their own money, time and energy so that others can enjoy themselves to my mind are the true heroes of the game in the U.S.