WE HAVE OFTEN been told that we should never assume. Often, when we ignore that upfront advice, the experienced result tends to manifest the word’s spelling.
This is true in relation to judgments about individuals, about relationships and expectations of people in diverse areas. Recently, this was reinforced in me. I gave what I assumed was an easy history quiz. Surprisingly, none of the 82 respondents got all right.
I, however, will still give a prize to the person who came closest. This individual submitted 28 correct answers. My assumption was off base. In response to the phone calls and emails that I have received, I will now offer the answers in order of the questions.
From quiz one we have Jackie Opel, Errol Barrow, Colonel Alvin Quintyne, Gary Sobers and James Husbands as the locals. Regionally, we had Eric Williams, The Mighty Sparrow, Sydney Poitier, Marcus Garvey and Brian Lara. The international answers were Jesse Owens, Rosa Parks, Jack Johnson and Jomo Kenyatta.
Part two of the quiz presented local answers in Jim Wedderburn, Kenmore Husbands, Ronald Jones, Daphne Joseph-Hackett and Iris Walker. The regional answers were Hilda Bynoe (of Grenada), Edward Carrington, Haseley Crawford, Toussaint Louveture and Derek Walcott.
From the international scene we have Nelson Mandela, Thurgood Marshall, Barack Obama, Michael Jackson, Maya Angelou and W. E. Dubois. Each of these individuals made an impact on the world stage in his or her area of influence, and we should be proud of them.
As I reflect on the lessons of my unfortunate assumptions, it dawned on me that there were many outstanding schoolboy cricketers whom we assume should be well known, but they have largely remained hidden, forgotten or, to many of today’s youth, unknown.
The Alleyne School can look back with pride on one of the quintessential schoolboy players of his or any other time, Artifus Cumberbatch. Additionally, they had a cricketing dynamo in John Vaughan and the powerhouse Curtis Campbell.
The cricketing history of my alma mater, Coleridge and Parry, would be incomplete withoutthe recognition of Gordon Boyce, a run machine. Then there was Keith Babb, who was encouraged by the headmaster to break it down when any of his hookshots landed on the roof of his house.
Additionally, there was Pedro Hinds, whose in-swingers encouraged the development of outstanding stand-up wicketkeepers as well as Everett Corbin and the classy Rodney Husbands.
Combermere was the standard bearer school for outstanding young cricketers. There was the talented Hugh Hunte and Earl Williams who was pleasing to the eye as a batsman. There was Pedro Corbin who made stroke play feel like making love. Ricky Craig and my friend Wayne Blackman had all of the traits to be world beaters.
Ellerslie, which subsequently became the school of dominance, to my mind never had anyone better than Henderson Roach with a bat. He was complemented by Ronald Graham whose pace was scary. John Corbin from Foundation was a bowler of immense quality. Where has he gone?
The Lodge School was never to be outdone with people like Cammie Eastmond (whose playing skills were augmented by his leadership quality). There was also Sammy Scott and Pluto Griffith the pace like fire twin. And who can forget the class of Orville Wickham!
There was a multi-sport guy at Harrison College who was a dominant figure in our teenage years named William Bourne. I actually suffered at his hands at Under-15 level. These individuals’ only sin was that they never played Test cricket. They, however, were good, very, very good.
Jeff Broomes is an experienced educator, principal and community organiser who also served as vice president of the BCA and director of the WICB. Email: [email protected]
