Sir Gordon Greenidge

Born on May 1, 1951, Gordon Greenidge was one half of the famous batting pair named Greenidge-Haynes. For a long period of time, this pair was the most successful pair in Test cricket aggregating 6482 runs as a pair. Their record was finally eclipsed by Rahul Dravid- Sachin Tendulkar after surviving for 20 years.

A destructive opener, Greenidge made his debut for West Indies against India at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium, Bangalore in 1974. There is a bit of history here as the first match at the M Chinnaswamy stadium was also the debut matches for two of the most feared West Indian legends, Greenidge and Sir Viv Richards. In a sensational debut, Greenidge scored 93 and 107 to help West Indies thrash India by a whopping 267 run margin. The impressive debut was followed by a string of low scores and Greenidge had to wait until the tour of England in 1976 to firmly seal his place as an opener.

Greenidge scored an impressive 591 runs in a 5 match test series which also included 3 centuries in a row to help West Indies win the 5 Test series 3-0. Despite several useful scores, Greenidge struggled to convert his starts into a century as evidenced by just one century after the tour of England and before the home series against India in 1983.

A naturally attacking batsman, Greenidge's best knock was a stunning 214 against England at Lord's in 1984 to set up an easy WI victory. If that knock was known for his flair, Greenidge also showed that he could bat with plenty of discipline during his knocks of 223 in the same series and his career best knock of 226 against Australia in what was his farewell Test series. Greenidge also scored a double hundred during the 'Blackwash' tour of England in 1984 as the visitors trounced the hosts 5-0. In a glittering 108 match Test career, Greenidge ended up with 7558 runs at a fine average of 44.72.

If his Test career was outstanding, his record in the shorter form of the game was not bad either. After a slow start during the 1975 WC, Greenidge scored his 1st ODI hundred against India, a patient 106 during the 1979 WC. Perhaps, the most disheartening moment in his ODI career was his first over dismissal in the WC finals in 1983, which paved the way for a shock Indian victory and robbed West Indies of a probable hat-trick of WC titles. In a decorated ODI career, Greenidge finished with 5134 runs at an average of over 45.

In all, Greenidge scored over 37,000 runs with as many as 92 centuries. Greenidge has also served on the West Indies selection committee for Test cricket. His son Carl Greenidge has played domestic cricket in England. Greenidge has also served as the coach of the Bangladesh cricket team. During his tenure, he helped them win the ICC trophy in 1997 paving the way for their first WC appearance in the 1999 WC.

Greenidge, who believes that T20s are a part of the organic evolution of the game, coached Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel in the maiden season of the Caribbean Premier League.

Interesting fact: Greenidge scored a superb 214 to help WI chase down a target of 342 on the last day of the Test against England at Lord's in 1984. This is the biggest 4th innings chase at Lord's.

Decorated Achievements:
1977 Wisden Cricketer of the Year
1978 Walter Lawrence Trophy winner
1986 Hampshire Cricket Society Player of the Year

By Cricbuzz Staff