Richard Austin (cricketer)

Richard Austin
Personal information
Full name Richard Arkwright Austin
Born (1954-09-05)5 September 1954
Kingston, Jamaica
Died 7 February 2015(2015-02-07) (aged 60)
Batting style Right-handed
Bowling style Right-arm off break
Right-arm medium pace
Role All-rounder
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 162) 3 March 1978 v Australia
Last Test 17 March 1978 v Australia
Only ODI (cap 22) 22 February 1978 v Australia
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1974–1982 Jamaica
Career statistics
Competition Tests ODIs FC LA
Matches 2 1 38 22
Runs scored 22 8 2,097 385
Batting average 11.00 8.00 33.82 18.33
100s/50s 0/0 0/0 4/14 1/0
Top score 20 8 141 124*
Balls bowled 6 6 5,053 846
Wickets 0 0 73 23
Bowling average – – 31.21 23.26
5 wickets in innings 0 – 3 1
10 wickets in match 0 – 2 0
Best bowling 0/5 0/13 8/71 5/37
Catches/stumpings 2/– 0/– 27/– 8/–
Source: Cricket Archive, 17 October 2010

Richard Arkwright Austin (5 September 1954 – 7 February 2015) was an international cricketer from Jamaica, who played two Tests and one One Day International for the West Indies.

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Austin was a multitalented sportsman, being "a footballer and table tennis player of note" on top of his cricketing skills.[1] He represented the Jamaica Under 19s before making his first-class cricket debut for Jamaica on 21 March 1975 against Trinidad and Tobago at Jarrett Park, Montego Bay,[2] making 0 and 74 and taking three wickets for 34 runs (3/34).[3] Austin made his List A cricket debut for Jamaica on 22 February 1976 against Barbados at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados, opening the batting and scoring three, and taking 0/7 from two overs.[4]

Continuing good form by Austin saw him come into contention for a place in the strong West Indies side and he was accepted an offer in 1977 to join World Series Cricket, a private cricket competition run by Kerry Packer. When an Australian side minus its WSC players toured the West Indies in March 1978, Austin was included in the first two Tests of the series, scoring two, 20 and taking 0/5. He was then originally chosen for the Third Test at Bourda Cricket Ground, but his omission from the side, along with fellow World Series Cricketers Desmond Haynes and Deryck Murray, led to the other WSC players in the West Indian side to refuse to play in the Test in protest.[5]

Following his WSC stint from 1977 to 1979, Austin, resigned to the fact he would not make the West Indian side again, joined the Rebel West Indies team that twice toured South Africa during apartheid between 1982 and 1984 under the leadership of Lawrence Rowe.[6] Rowe apologised on 20 June 2011, to the cricketing fraternity of Jamaica, the Caribbean and the rest of the world on behalf of that ill-fated team.[7]

Austin also played in the Lancashire League for Church Cricket Club in 1978 and Enfield Cricket Club in 1982.

Following his retirement from cricket, Austin took to alcohol and drugs and was homeless.[8] His death was announced on 7 February 2015.[9]

References

  1. ↑ "Former West Indies all-rounder Richard Austin dies". Stabroek News. Stabroek News. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
  2. ↑ "First-Class Matches played by Richard Austin". Cricket Archive. CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  3. ↑ "Jamaica v Trinidad and Tobago 1974/75". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  4. ↑ "Barbados v Jamaica in 1975/76". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  5. ↑ Robinson, p. 195.
  6. ↑ The unforgiven
  7. ↑ Rowe apologises for rebel tour as Jamaica honours him
  8. ↑ "He bowled for his country but now begs for himself". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  9. ↑ http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/latestnews/Multi-talented-former-WI-cricketer-Richard-Austin-is-dead

Sources

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