On This Day: Gordon Greenidge became the first cricketer in the history of cricket to be “Retired Not Out”
XtraTime Web Desk: West Indies opening batsman Gordon Greenidge has a unique record against his name. The Bajan, who ‘retired not out’ during the Antigua test match against India was born on this day in 1951. Greenidge showed tremendous steely resolve to open the batting for his country in-spite of his two and half year old daughter Ria who was fighting for life back home in Barbados. He went on to score an unbeaten hundred (154*) on the third day (April 30, 1983) of the test match but did not return to bat on the fourth day. He was the first cricketer in the history of cricket to be “Retired Not Out”.
India was 0-2 down going into the fifth and final test match of the series against the hosts in Antigua. The weather was gloomy and overcast as Kapil Dev and Clive Lloyd walked in for the toss. Rain forced a delayed start to the test match as two hours was lost. India had a lackluster start in the first innings with both openers Anshuman Gaekwad and Sunl Gavaskar falling cheaply. Mohinder Amarnath (54) and Dilip Vengsarkar (94) played sensible knocks to take the score to 188/4 after Day 1. India had a couple of good sessions with the bat with both Kapil Dev (98) and Ravi Shastri (102) stitching together a big 6th wicket partnership of 156 runs. India ended their first innings on 457 runs.
Day 3 saw both the Caribbean openers Desmond Haynes and Gordon Greenidge toying with the Indian bowling. The two put together 296 runs for the first wicket before Haynes departed for 136 runs caught by Yashpal Sharma of the bowling of Ravi Shastri. Greenidge, who was still batting aggressively, remained not out on 154. West Indies reached 301/1 after Day 3.
When both teams took the field on the fourth day, onlookers were confused to see Viv Richards at the crease with previous day’s night-watchman, Winston Davis. Tragedy had stuck Greenidge overnight as he’d had to fly back to Barbados to tend to his two-year-old daughter. A couple of days after the test match ended Ria, who’d been diagnosed with a critical kidney infection expired. The prolific West Indian cricketer had to bear the sorrow of an anguished father and that of a committed cricketer at the same instant. The fact that Greenidge choosing his country over his daughter spoke volumes about his character and integrity.
Later in an interview, Greenidge shared his feelings about his darkest phase of life. He said, “Maybe, Ria was trying to tell me something. When you reach a situation like that, you either labour over it or try and pick up the pieces as soon as possible. If you don’t do the latter, the situation will get the better of you.”
Cuthbert Gordon Greenidge, who went on to score 7558 test runs surely was one of a kind!
