THE Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) yesterday honoured West Indies cricket legend Joe Solomon at a simple yet significant function.
Solomon received a trophy, medal and two Berbice cricket publications.
BCB president Hilbert Foster and vice-president Albert Smith both hailed Solomon for his outstanding contribution to Berbice, Guyana and West Indies cricket.
Solomon, in response, expressed gratitude to the BCB for honouring him and stated that he was humbled by the gesture.
Solomon, born on August 26 1930, played 27 Tests for the West Indies from 1958 to 1965, scoring 1 326 runs, mainly from numbers six and seven in the batting line-up.
In 46 Test innings, only one of them was converted into a century (against India at Delhi on his first Test tour), while his occasional leg-breaks yielded four Test wickets – including two batsmen with Test batting averages above 45, Ken Barrington and Bill Lawry.
He also contributed to the result in the first Tied Test in 1960, when his long-range throw hit the stumps to run-out Ian Meckiff, who was going for the winning run. In the next Test, he was out hit-wicket after his cap fell on the stumps.
He played first-class cricket for British Guiana/Guyana 1956-57, 1968-69, and toured India in 1958-59, Australia in 1960-61, and England in 1963 and 1966. He is the only player in first-class cricket history to score hundreds in his first three innings, for British Guiana in 1957-57 and 1957-58.
Solomon continued his cricket career by remaining involved in the selection process for the West Indies team and in coaching a local team in his native Guyana until retiring in 2005. Today he resides in New York City.
