Desmond Haynes stood apart from the rest of established international talents for Middlesex with his style and composure. Joe MacDougall revisits the tale of the West Indies dasher’s impact for the county.

Desmond Leo Haynes was one such player. The Bajan’s stats throughout the summers he spent at Lord’s during the late Eighties and early Nineties were always impressive, but it was the style with which he accumulated his runs that will be forever etched into the memories of the Middlesex faithful who had the pleasure of watching him. When Dessie drove the ball through the covers, it was as though time stood still.

Haynes’ sheer weight of runs alone would be enough for him to be considered among county cricket’s best overseas players but his commitment to the cause and class at the crease elevate him to hero status among Middlesex fans.

The appreciation is mutual. “I was very happy Middlesex took the Championship,” Haynes said recently. “The last time they won I was playing! I’m still a big supporter.”

First published in August 2017