By Charwayne Walker
The first time an international Under 19 cricket team visited the Caribbean was December 1969.
The 11-match Caribbean tour by the Australian schoolboys team was organised by the Australian Schoolboys Cricket Club.
The Australian team, 16-strong, was a powerful all-round combination with several of the players having experience at first grade level back home. The tour captain Graeme Joslin was the youngest ever player to captain a Melbourne first grade team.
The Australians went through the series of matches without once being defeated, winning seven of the 11 games played.
Only in Trinidad against both the Island’s U20 and U19 teams was their superiority challenged.
Everywhere they went the cricketers provided excellent entertainment and there were heartening crowds, particularly in Trinidad.
There 22,888 fans paid EC$3000 to watch seven days of cricket. For differing reasons, the itinerary of the tour had to be changed twice. In the first instance, plans to play in many of the Leeward and Windward Islands, were thwarted as the local associations found it impossible to fit the visitors in at a difficult time of the year.
Heavy rains in Guyana forced the cancellation of that leg of the tour and St. Kitts eventually got the two matches they had at first been obliged to refuse.
The outstanding Australian player statistically was Gary Gilmour, a 19-year-old, left-handed all-rounder, who had earlier shown his prowess to the West Indies test side when he played against the tourist for northern New South Wales and scored 58 in 1969.
He finished the tour with 403 runs, the third highest aggregate and 34 wickets the most by 10.
Other outstanding players were Robert Thomas from Orange New South Wales, Trevor Chappell, the youngest of the famed Chappell brothers (Ian and Greg being the other two), Gary Cosier, who was third in the batting averages, fast bowlers Paul Stephenson and Andrew Sincock.
Following are the results of the tour matches.
Match #1 –vs- Jamaica at Emmett Park, December 18, 1969. Australia won by 8 wickets. Jamaica U19 – 160 for 6, Livern Wellington 67 not out, D. Spencer 41. Fast bowler Paul Stephenson took 3 for 12. Australia U19, in reply, 210 for 4 batting on. Skipper Graeme Joslin 79, R. Thomas 80. Livern Wellington took two wickets.
Match #2 Australia U19 –vs- Jamaica at Emmett Park, drawn.
Australia U19 – 324 for 9 declared, Gary Gilmour 67, Gary Cosier 62, Robert Thomas 55. E. Thomas, 3 for 48, D. Lewis 2 for 4.
Jamaica U19 252 all out; Anthony Campbell 59, A. Alsol 55, C. Gordon 34, Livern Wellington 32. Gary Gilmour 4 for 62, Robert Thomas 2 for 12. Australia under 19 second innings 22 for 4, Livern Wellington took 3 for 11.
Match #3 –vs- Banks Breweries Barbados, December 24, 1969, Australia U19 won by seven wickets.
Played at Banks Ground Wildey, Banks 109 for 7 in 35 overs. L. King 32, J. Braithwaite 28. Robert Thomas 3 for 11.
Australia U19 in reply 149 for 3 batting on. Gary Gilmour 66, Robert Thomas 46 not out.
Match #4-vs- Barbados U19 at Kensington Oval, match drawn. Barbados U19 169 for 5 wickets declared. Andy Weekes, son of Everton Weekes top scored with 69, O. Greene 21. Andrew Sincock 3 for 39, D. Leong 3 for 46. Australia U19 169 for 5, Gary Cosier 96, Graeme Joslin 33, Trevor Chappell 29. Edward Griffith took 2 for 55, Collis King 2 for 22.
Match #5 –vs- Barbados at Kensington Oval Australia U19 won by 30 runs. Australia under 19 326 for 7 declared; Gary Cosier 96, Graeme Joslin 62, Robert Thomas 41, P. Clements 41.
Bowling for Barbados O. Greene took 3 for 63. Barbados under 19 first innings 223 all out. Winslow Ashby 69, Tony Campbell 48, William Bourne 25.
Neil Buszard took 5 for 65, Andrew Sincock 2 for 44. Australia U19 second innings 97 for 1 declared. Gary Cosier 47 not out, Gary Gilmour 23, Graeme Joslin 21 not out.
Barbados U19 second innings 170 all out. Collis King 51, David Murray 42.
Neil Buszard took 2 for 11, Gary Gilmour 2 for 31, Andrew Sincock 2 for 44.
Match #6 –vs- St. Vincent Youth Team at St. Vincent Grammar School, January 1970, Australia U19 won by 5 wickets. St. Vincent 201 all out. S. Allen 41, T. Grant 27.
Clements 2 for 23, Paul Stephenson 2 for 20, Andrew Sincock 2 for 34, S. Hatterell 2 for 46.
Australia U19 first innings 170 all out. Ian Davis 36, S. Hatterell 38, A. Jessup 25, I. McNeilly 25.
Stanley Hinds took 5 for 46. St. Vincent Youth Team Second Innings 112 all out. S. Allen 46 not out, Stanley Hinds 16. Andrew Sincock took 6 for 31, Paul Stephenson 2 for 22, Ian McNielly 2 for 22. Australia U19 second innings 148 for 5. Ian Davis 30, S. Hatterell 35. Stanley Hinds took 2 for 16.
Match #7 –vs- Trinidad U20 at Guaracara Park, drawn. Trinidad U20, 234 all out. Oscar Durity 50, Bernard Julien 40, Inshan Ali 27, S. Deverteull 29, E. Edwards 21. S. Hatterell took 3 for 43, Neil Buszard 3 for 60, Andrew Sincock 2 for 36. Australia U19 first innings 208 for 8 declared. Robert Thomas 108. Inshan Ali took 4 for 49, Bernard Julien 3 for 49. Trinidad U20 second innings 149 for 7 declared. Sheldon Gomes 54, Oscar Durity 37, Theo Cuffy 21 not out. S. Hatterell took 3 for 27. Australia U19 second innings 144 for 8 Ian Davis 40, Robert Thomas 32, Gary Gilmour 29. Bernard Julien took 5 for 52.
Match #8 -vs- Trinidad U19 at Queen’s Park Oval, January, 1970, drawn. Australia U19 first innings 344 all out. Robert Thomas 107, Ian Davis 101, S. Hatterell 58. Sheldon Gomes took 3 for 62, his brother Larry Gomes 3 for 39, Boyo Sahadeo 2 for 105. Trinidad U19 first innings 326 for 8 declared. Larry Gomes 152 not out, Richard Gabriel 63, Dudnath Ramkissoon 27. Neil Buszard took 2 for 79. Australia U19 second innings 260 for 6 declared. Gary Gilmour 120, Ian Davis 50 not out. Arnil Nanan took 3 for 82, Boyo Sahedeo 2 for 54. Trinidad U19 second innings 200 for 9, Richard Gabriel 64, R. Devertuiel 60. Gary Gilmour took 6 for 25.
Match # 9 –vs- St. Kitts Youth Team at Warner Park, Basseterre, St. Kitts, January, 1970, Australia U19 won by 5 wickets. St. Kitts Youth Team 85 all out. S. Bartlett 31, T. Caines 20, N. Weeks 18. Gary Gilmour took 6 for 15, D. Leong 2 for 12. Australia U19 96 for 3 declared. S. Hatterell 50 not out, Gary Cosier 25. St. Kitts Youth Team second innings 125 all out. T. Caines 31, E. Tuckett 18, Elequemedo Willet 13 not out.
Neil Buszard took 2 for 18, Ian McNeilly 2 for 34, S. Hatterell 2 for 20. Australia U19 second innings 117 for 5 Trevor Chappell 52, Ian McNeilly 30. R. Maynard took 2 for 17.
Match #10 –vs-St. Kitts Combined Clubs at Warner Park Basseterre, St Kitts, January, 1970, Australia U19 won by 235 runs. Australia U19 first innings 137 all out. Robert Thomas 62. M. Liburd took 3 for 31, Hesketh Benjamin 2 for 30 L. Weekes 3 for 49. St. Kitts Combined Clubs first innings 58 all out, A. Phillips 20, Hesketh Benjamin 12. Gary Gilmour took 6 for 26, Paul Stephenson 4 for 29. Young Australia second innings 200 for 8 declared Gary Gilmour 68, skipper Graeme Joslin 35, Paul Clements 23 not out. M. Liburd took 3 for 51, Hesketh Benjamin took 2 for 32. St. Kitts Combined Clubs second innings 44 all out. C. Hicks 21, Henry Benjamin 11. Paul Stephenson took 6 for 25, Gary Gilmour 4 for 12. It should be noted that Stephenson and Gilmour took all 20 St. Kitts Combined Clubs wickets in this match. A record that is unbroken by international youth cricketers touring the West Indies.
