Tony Becca

WHENEVER ONE talks about the champions of West Indies cricket, the names which roll off the tongue are those of men like Learie Constantine, George Headley, Frank Worrell, Everton Weekes, Clyde Walcott, Gary Sobers, Rohan Kanhai, Wes Hall, Michael Holding, Lance Gibbs and, of course, those of more recent vintage, such as Vivian Richards and Brian Lara.

There were others, however, who, on and off the field, contributed immensely to the greatness of West Indies cricket, and one such man was Robert Karl Nunes, who died 50 years ago yesterday at the age of 64.

Highest pedigree

A left-hander of good technique and a wonderful array of strokes, an opening batsman of the highest pedigree, Nunes represented Kensington CC and then Kingston CC, before moving on to represent Jamaica, to captain Jamaica, and to score 2,965 first-class runs in 61 matches at an average of 31.34 with six centuries. He was the first Jamaican to score a century against a touring team - 140 not out versus the MCC in 1926 - and had a top score of 200 not out versus Sir Lionel Ten-nyson's XI in 1927.

It was, however, as a West Indies cricketer that Nunes' contribution to the game was greatest.

NUNES

In 1923, al-though he was the vice-captain of the West Indies team for the unofficial series in England, with Harold Austin ill and absent most times, he led the team regularly. In 1928, he led the first West Indies team to play Test cricket, and after two wonderful innings in the last Test against England in 1930, he was offered but, because of work commitments, declined the captaincy of the team to Australia in 1930-31.

In that Test match of 1930, Nunes, who studied at Dulwich College in England and captained the West India Regiment in France during World War I, scored 66 and 92 batting at number one in a match lasting nine days, the longest at the time. In the process, after England had set the West Indies 836 to win, he shared a second-wicket partnership of 228 with George Headley, who scored 223 in the drawn contest.

In four Test matches, Nunes scored 245 runs with a top score of 92 and an average of 30.62, and although he was not really a wicketkeeper, in the absence of a good one, he was forced to wear the gloves during the West Indies first Test series.

That probably, despite the presence of the legendary George Challenor and Clifford Roach, was the reason why the captain batted at number four and number six during that series, instead of opening the innings.

As good, as reasonable as he was on the field, Nunes was even bet-ter off it. His administrative skills are still being praised today.

Nunes served as a member of the Jamaica Cricket Asso-ciation from its formation in 1925 until his death in 1958; he served as president of the JCA from 1946 to 1958, and as chairman of the national selecting committee during the 1940s; he was a member of the West Indies Cricket Board from its formation until 1951, and was president from 1945 until 1951.

He was also a member of the then Imperial Cricket Conference - now the International Cricket Council - from 1947 to 1951; and in 1951, for services rendered, he was awarded the CBE.

As member of the ICC, he championed the elevation of India and then Pakistan to Test cricket. Also, had Karl Nunes had his way in 1928, Headley, who made his debut in 1930 at age 20 going 21, would have done so at age 19 going 20.