RIP
For those of you who don't know him, here is his Cricinfo profile:
Alf Valentine
Full Name: Alfred Louis Valentine
Born: 28 April 1930, Kingston, Jamaica
Died: 11 May 2004, Orlando, Florida, USA
Major Teams: Jamaica, West Indies.
Batting Style: Right Hand Bat
Bowling Style: Slow Left Arm Orthodox
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Test Debut: West Indies v England at Manchester, 1st Test, 1950
Last Test: West Indies v India at Kingston, 5th Test, 1961/62
Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1951
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Career Statistics:
TESTS
(career)
M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St
Batting & Fielding 36 51 21 141 14 4.70 0 0 13 0
Balls M R W Ave BBI 5 10 SR Econ
Bowling 12953 789 4215 139 30.32 8-104 8 2 93.1 1.95
FIRST-CLASS
(career: 1949/50 - 1964/65)
M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St
Batting & Fielding 125 142 48 470 24* 5.00 0 0 45 0
Balls M R W Ave BBI 5 10 SR Econ
Bowling 33828 1755 12451 475 26.21 8-26 32 6 71.2 2.20
LIST A LIMITED OVERS
M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St
Batting & Fielding 0 - - - - - - - - -
Balls M R W Ave BBI 4w 5w SR Econ
Bowling 0 - - - - - - - - -
- Explanations of First-Class and List A status courtesy of the ACS.
Profile:
Alf Valentine was a slim, slow, sharp-turning left-armer with sloping shoulders - and spectacles, which he first acquired in England in 1950. Like his “spin twin” Sonny Ramadhin he started that tour with only two first-class matches under his belt - and finished it as a feared Test bowler, with 33 wickets in four Tests and 123 on the tour overall. In Australia in 1951-52 he spun out 24 more Test wickets, and he was well on the way to 100 in what was then a record time for a West Indian spinner. Injury and illness in England in 1957 forced him out for a while, but he returned for the historic 1960-61 tour of Australia, and played his part in the Tied Test and finished second in the bowling averages to Wes Hall. He toured England again in 1963, but by then Lance Gibbs was ahead of him in the pecking order. He stayed in England for a while, playing in the Birmingham League, before moving to America where he died after a prolonged period of ill health. He was 74.