George Headley delighted crowds with his outstanding batting on West Indies’ 1933 Test tour. He was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year the following spring.
As Wisden predicted, George Headley became recognised as West Indies’ first great batsman. In 22 Tests, he scored 2,190 runs at 60.83 with 10 hundreds.
George Alphonso Headley, born at Panama on May 30, 1909, is beyond all question the best batsman the West Indies have ever produced. Paying his first visit to England with the West Indies team last summer, he landed on these shores with a name already established. That the reputation which preceded him was in every way justified he quickly proceeded to demonstrate, and returned home with his fame considerably increased.
Learning his cricket at school in Jamaica, Headley, in common with the other boys, had largely to fend for himself. There was nobody who could give the lads any coaching or mould their style, so that of Headley it can truly be said he is a self-made batsman. An important year for him was 1927 when for the St Catherine Cricket Club, Jamaica, he first played in big cricket. In 1928 further distinction came his way, when at Melbourne Park, Kingston, against the Hon. L.H. Tennyson’s team, and at the age of 19, he scored 211 with only one chance, he and M. Morales adding 215 for the second wicket.
Later on, in another game against the Englishmen, he hit up 71. He did not, however, succeed in being chosen for the West Indies team which visited England in that year, but it was quite obvious that a new batting star had arisen, for in March 1929 he obtained 143 against a strong combination taken to the West Indies by Mr (now Sir) Julien Cahn.
He drove, cut and hit to leg with equal certainty and power, but the outstanding feature of his batting – the one by which he will be longest remembered – was his facility for going back to his right foot to drive to the on, and the manner in which he placed the ball almost exactly where he wanted. Altogether, with his smart fielding and at times, useful slow bowling, a very remarkable cricketer.
