- Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer
Jeffrey Dujon, left, Courtney Walsh, centre, and Lawrence Rowe show off their trophies after being voted among Jamaica's five greatest cricketers over the past 75 years at the Scotiabank West Indian Cricket Jubilee gala at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel on Tuesday night. Also named to the top five were the late George Headley and Michael Holding, who was unable to attend.
Tym Glaser, Associate Editor - Sport
IT WAS a night of laughter, applause, praise and even sadness but ultimately Tuesday night's gala at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel was simply a celebration of Jamaican cricket.
The Scotiabank West Indian Cricket Jubilee function at the New Kingston establishment did not flow as a smoothly as a Lawrence Rowe cover drive - particularly due to a temperamental sound system - but the large audience of cricket fans and sports glitterati cared little as the island's greatest cricketers and top Test and one-day performances were acknowledged.
ISLAND'S FIVE GREATEST
Star pacemen Michael Holding and Courtney Walsh along with batting legend the late George Headley, master batsman Lawrence Rowe and wicketkeeper/batsman Jeffrey Dujon were chosen as the island's five greatest cricketers over the past 75 years.
They now join nominees from the other Caribbean territories on a list from which the five greatest West Indian cricketers of all-time will be announced at a special function in Birmingham, England, in July.
Rowe's 302 against England in 1974 was voted the best batting performance by a Jamaican in a Test, Holding's lethal 14-149 against England at The Oval in 1976 the best by a Jamaican bowler and tearaway paceman Patrick Patterson's 6-29 against India at Nagpur in 1988 the best one-day effort.
A pall was cast over proceedings with the announcement of the death earlier in the day of left-arm spinner Alfred Valentine, one of 15 nominees for the Jamaican all-time top five, but while saddened the three of the chosen five at the ceremony were delighted by the honour bestowed upon them.
"I came here with no great expectations," Dujon, who received perhaps the greatest ovation of the night, said.
"Wicketkeeping is not a very glamorous aspect of the game as you really only get noticed for the mistakes you make," he said.
"For me it is a great honour but we should keep in the front of our minds the people who made it possible for me ... those who came before me. (Jerry) Alexander and (Jackie) Hendriks were my club members and seeing them, listening to them and talking to them was inspiration for me to take it to another level."
PROUD
Walsh was his usual laconic self after the event but was obviously proud to be counted on the hand of Jamaican greats and tossed into the race for the top five West Indian players.
"It is a good feeling, I didn't expect to be selected in such illustrious company," the world Test wicket record holder until earlier this month said.
"These are all guys I look up to so to be on the same podium as them is something special for me. I know a lot of people said I had the record and should be picked but knowing the history of cricket, I'm just happy to be with them."
Florida-based Rowe seemed the most happy to be welcomed back among the Jamaica cricketing fraternity after leading two unpopular rebel tours to apartheid South Africa in the early '80s.
He also said, barring injuries, he could have been rated among the best five West Indians of all time.
"Headley's the only Jamaican to have made more Test centuries. I made seven, including a triple and double but my career was injury-prone," the 55-year-old said. "I personally feel if I had a little bit of luck I would be among the five.
"I had the talent to do that. (In Birmingham) I give myself an outside chance but there are a lot of guys out there who had longer careers than I did. If my career had been longer I think I would have been in the top five."
HONOUR ROLL
Top Five Jamaicans
George Headley
Courtney Walsh
Michael Holding
Lawrence Rowe
Jeffrey Dujon
Shell Special Achievement Awards
Charlie Joseph, groundsman at Sabina Park for 49 years.
Roy McLean, coach of Kingston College.
Douglas Sang-Hue, veteran umpire of 31 Tests.
Best Test batting performance
Lawrence Rowe: 302 vs England in Barbados, 1974.
Best Test bowling performance
Michael Holding: 14-149 vs England at The Oval, 1976.
Best one-day performance
Patrick Patterson: 6-29 vs India at Nagpur, 1988.
