By Charwayne Walker
Long before the advent of the franchise system in the West Indies, cricketers represented mainly the country of their birth unless there were other exceptional circumstances.
This resulted in the majority of regional cricketers playing for one country only before going on to play for the West Indies.
However, probably only two men in Regional first-class cricket played for three countries before the current franchise system implemented by Cricket West Indies.
Lionel Sydney Birkett, who died in St. James Barbados, January 1998, aged 92, was one. Birkett was born in Barbados April 14, 1905 and was the oldest surviving test cricketer at the time of his death.
He took up jobs in the Sugar Industries in Barbados, Trinidad and British Guiana all of whom he represented at the annual Triangular Inter-Colonial Tournament.
A product of Harrison College, he played his first match for Barbados against Jamaica aged 19, and his last for British Guiana, aged 39.
In all he had only 26 first-class matches, 11 of them with the West Indies in Australia in 1930-1931.
Birkett scored three first-class centuries, his career best, a magnificent 253 for Trinidad against British Guiana at the Georgetown Cricket Club, Bourda in 1929.
His second first-class century was for the West Indies vs Tasmania in 1930-31.
He scored his last century for Trinidad against British Guiana at GCC Bourda in 1937.
He did not bat on debut for Barbados vs Jamaica at the (Mecca) Kensington Oval in January 1925 but in 1929, Birkett played for both his native Barbados and Trinidad.
His last first-class match was his first for British Guiana against Barbados at Bourda, in September and October of 1944 where he scored 34 and 10.
Shane William Julian was a Grenada cricketer that played between 1981 to 1987. Julian was born January 5th 1956 in Point Salines, St. George’s. He was the son of a prominent businessman and as such, was sent overseas to school attending the Lodge School in Barbados and England’s Trent College.
While in England, Julian played for Middlesex Second XI. He moved to Barbados and played for Wanderers. Barbados was the first country Julian played for at the regional level in April of 1981 against Trinidad & Tobago in the Geddes Grant Harrison Line Final.
He returned to his native Grenada in 1982 and played an integral role when the Windward Islands finished second in the 1982 Shell Shield tournament.
The following year, 1983, he scored 425 runs at an average of 42.50 for the Windward Islands. Only teammate Lockhart Sebastian scored more with 470 at an average of 52.22. His most memorable match was against Trinidad & Tobago at the Queen’s Park Oval where his maiden regional first-class century 123 and Sebastian’s 122, propelled the Windward Islands to a historic victory, scoring 371 for 8 to defeat Trinidad & Tobago by two wickets. Later in 1983, Julian went to Zimbabwe with the Timur Mohamed-led West Indies (B) team where he scored his list (A) best 142 against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club ground.
The following year, 1984, Julian moved to St. Kitts and appeared in five regional first-class matches for the Leeward Islands.
His highest score for his third country at the regional level was 93 versus Trinidad & Tobago at Warner Park, St. Kitts.
His proudest moment in Leeward Islands colours was when he scored a pugnacious century against Kim Hughes’ touring Australians at Warner Park in 1984. Julian, because of business transactions, missed the 1985 and 1986 Shell Shield tournaments. He returned to the Windward Islands team for the shortened and final Shell Shield tournament in 1987. In his farewell regional first-class tournament, Julian top scored in a losing cause with 85 in the Windward Islands second innings at Sabina Park in 1987. In his final regional first-class match Julian went out on a high note, top scoring in the Windward Islands first innings with a flamboyant 114 at the Antigua Recreation Ground in St. John’s, Antigua.
A glorious send off for a great trail blazer like his predecessor Lionel Sydney Birkett who, like Julian played for three countries before the WICB launched its professional franchise system. Strangely enough both Julian and Birkett finished their careers with three first-class centuries. Although both of these two late stalwarts came from privileged families, cricket was their first love.
Sleep on champs.