Who got there first? Ivanhoe by George!

posted by John Winn

'Barrow did have his better days for in 1933 he had become the first West Indian to score a test century in England (105 at Old Trafford).' John Winn last week.

'Headley only just beating him(Barrow)  to the honour of being the first West Indian to score a test hundred in England'. Tony Cozier in The West Indies: Fifty Years of Test Cricket published 1978

but 'A wicket-keeper and opening batsman, he (Barrow) became the first West Indian to score a century in a test match in England which he did at Old Trafford', Wikipedia (this morning) but of course Wiki is riddled with mistakes and the odds must still favour George Headley being the first to reach three figures. HOWEVER

(Barrow)…...has a place in cricket history as the first West Indian to score a hundred in a test in England, and when he achieved the feat George Headley was on 99  (Wisden in Barrow's obituary 1980) So whilst in their match report Wisden says Barron was 'overshadowed by his more famous partner' they appear to have evidence that the relative unknown got there first.

The research I have done for this post has served to show that my collection of cricket literature rather underserves West Indian cricket but perhaps this is true of cricket literature in general. Barrow was dismissed by 'a cleverly flighted ball' from Bob Wyatt but in 'RES Wyatt-fighting cricketer' Gerald Pawle's biography of Wyatt, the 1933 West Indies tour is condensed to three lines. The book was never likely to have been called 'The Hand that Bowled Barrow.'

I should not conclude however without a little more praise for Ivan Mordecai Barrow born Jamaica 1911, died same island 1979. As his second forename suggests he was of the Jewish faith and Wiki says that as of 2010 he was the only Jewish cricketer to have scored a test century. That day at Manchester was by a long distance his shining hour, for his next highest score in 11 tests was 27 v Australia at Adelaide in 1930. How he must have enjoyed that day in Manchester.

IMB