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Roland Butcher

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Roland Butcher
Personal information
Full name
Roland Orlando Butcher
Born(1953-10-14)14 October 1953(age 71)
Saint Philip, Barbados
BattingRight-handed
BowlingLegbreak
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1974–1990Middlesex
1974/75Barbados
1982/83Tasmania
1991Suffolk
Head coaching information
YearsTeam
2000–2001Bermuda
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA
Matches 3 3 277 273
Runs scored 71 58 12,021 4,899
Batting average 14.20 19.33 31.22 22.26
100s/50s 0/0 0/1 17/65 1/27
Top score 32 52 197 100
Ballsbowled – – 307 26
Wickets – – 4 1
Bowling average – – 45.50 39.00
5 wickets in innings – – 0 0
10 wickets in match – – 0 0
Best bowling – – 2/37 1/18
Catches/stumpings 3/– 0/– 290/1 84/–
Source:CricketArchive,29 July 2020

Roland Orlando Butcher(born 14 October 1953)[1]is a formercricketplayer and coach, who played forEnglandin threeTest matchesand threeOne Day Internationalsfrom 1980 to 1981. He is recognised as being the first black cricketer to represent England.[2]His brief international career was somewhat overshadowed by the death ofKen Barrington,and the 'Jackman affair'.[1]

Life and career

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AcousinofBasil,Roland Butcher had come to theUnited Kingdomat the age of thirteen from his nativeBarbados.[1]He was an aggressivemiddle-orderbatsman, who representedMiddlesexbetween 1974 and 1990. He "secured his place in history when he became the first black player to represent England, making his Test debut at Bridgetown in 1980-81".[3]

Butcher came to prominence during Middlesex's successes in 1980 when they won theCounty Championshipand theGillette Cup,impressing with a rapid half-century in the final of the latter.[4]He had actually made his England debut two weeks earlier, impressing with another half-century on hisone-day internationaldebut against Australia.[5]He struggled more however on the 1980–81 tour against theWest Indieswho had the most powerful bowling line-up in the world at the time and did not play for England again.

In 1983, "he suffered a sickening injury which threatened his eyesight when struck byGeorge Ferris",but managed to recuperate and return to the sport.[3]He continued to enjoy success with Middlesex, winning the County Championship again in 1982 and 1985, and featuring in victories in the finals of theNatWest Trophyin 1984 and 1988, and theBenson and Hedges Cupin 1983. In 1987, he won theWalter Lawrence Trophyfor recording the fastest century of the season (in terms of balls faced) againstSussex.[6]

Butcher initially agreed to join arebel tour of South Africain 1989, led by his county captainMike Gatting.However, "he withdrew when media reaction threatened the success of hisbenefit".[3]As one of only two black players initially named on the tour (alongsidePhilip DeFreitas,who also withdrew), in the light of the South African system ofapartheid,Butcher bore the brunt of much adverse comment. He later stated: "I was surprised. I thought there might be opposition but the depth of feeling was amazing.…I had to do a lot of negotiating to get out of the contract and it cost me a lot of money in legal fees. I know I did the right thing though."[7]

Butcher retired from playing professional cricket in 1990, also a season in which Middlesex won the County Championship, although Butcher featured in the side little that year. In 1994, he was involved an end-of-season venture called Cricket Legends which was not a financial success.[8]More successfully, Butcher also took up coaching. He was interviewed for head coach of theWest Indiesin 2000, but was unsuccessful, with the job going toRoger Harper.[9]Later in the year, he was appointed head coach ofBermuda,replacing previous part-time coachAllan Douglas.His first major engagement as coach was the2000–01 Red Stripe Bowl.[10]Butcher either left or was removed from his position only months before the2001 ICC Trophy,and replaced byMark Harper.[11]In November 2004, he was appointed director of sports at theCave Hill, Barbados,campus of theUniversity of West Indies.[12]

On 31 October 2022, Butcher was bestowed with theFreedom of the City of London.[13]He was later appointed, in late December 2022, as a selector on the West Indies' Men's senior and youth team selection panels.[14]

References

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  1. ^abcBateman, Colin (1993).If The Cap Fits.Tony Williams Publications. p.36.ISBN1-869833-21-X.
  2. ^"The man of 2009".ESPN Cricinfo.Retrieved16 October2017.
  3. ^abcContent-aus.cricinfo
  4. ^"Full scorecard of Surrey v Middlesex Final 1980"– ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  5. ^"Full Scorecard of England v Australia 2nd ODI"
  6. ^"Sussex v Middlesex at Brighton, 23-6 May 1987".ESPNCricinfo.Retrieved24 June2022.
  7. ^Hoult, Nick (28 June 2004)."Rebels take a step too far".ESPNcricinfo.Retrieved7 April2024.
  8. ^Williamson, Martin (25 April 2009)."An unsavoury farce".ESPNcricinfo.Retrieved7 April2024.
  9. ^Cheese, Caroline (5 November 2004)."Windies 'face long wait for success'".BBC Sport.Retrieved7 April2024.
  10. ^Scotland, Cleon (18 August 2000)."Roland Butcher Bermuda-bound".ESPNcricinfo.Retrieved7 April2024.
  11. ^Liverman, Dave (22 June 2001)."ICC Trophy - Group B Division 1 preview and prospects".ESPNcricinfo.Retrieved7 April2024.
  12. ^"Roland Butcher takes Caribbean coaching role".ESPNcricinfo.5 November 2004.Retrieved1 April2016.
  13. ^Lovell, Akeel (31 October 2022)."Roland Butcher receives Freedom of the City of London award".Nation News.Retrieved7 April2024.
  14. ^"Roland Butcher appointed as new selector to the West Indies Men's Teams".SportsMax.23 December 2022.Retrieved7 April2024.
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