Asks Charwayne Walker
The West Indies first-class cricket championship is set to resume in February 2022 according to Cricket West Indies’ Johnny Grave.
Since the inaugural clash between Barbados and British Guiana at the Garrison Savannah, Bridgetown, Barbados in February 1865, probably only two brothers have the distinct honor of scoring a century in the same regional first-class match.
Since that inaugural match in 1865 several brothers have played together in the same regional first-class matches. For Guyana/British Guiana, there were Cyril Christiani and Ernest Christiani, Ernest and Robert Christiani, Norman and H.A. Wight, Roger and Mark Harper, Alvin and Deryck Kallicharran, Barrington and Robin Browne, Vishal and Mahendra Nagamootoo, Azeemul and Zaheer Haniff and Sudesh and Sunil Dhaniram.
For Barbados there were Roy and Norman Marshall, Leslie and George Reifer, Leslie and the late Elvis Reifer and Dennis and Eric Atkinson.
For the Windward Islands, there were John and Kester Sylvester while for the Leeward Islands, the siblings were Enoch and Edward Lewis, Dave and Jensen Joseph, Vivian and Mervin Richards, Vaughn and Hayden Walsh Senior, Jim and George Allen and Shirlon and H. Williams. For Jamaica the brothers were Neville and Arthur Bonitto, Marlon and Robert Samuels and Laurie and Frans Cunningham. Trinidad and Tobago boasted Charlie and Bryan Davis, Hammond and Carl Furlong, K. Furlong and C.D Furlong, Dwayne and Darren Bravo and Sheldon and Larry Gomes. All of the above mentioned had outstanding performances playing together for their respective countries but the only brothers with centuries in the same regional first-class matches are Victor and Jeffrey Stollmeyer. Opening the batting against Barbados at Queen’s Park Oval in January of 1942, Skipper Victor Stollmeyer scored 121 while his younger brother Jeffrey scored 106. This opening partnership propelled Trinidad to a first innings total of 367 all out. Barbados made 229 all out in their first innings. Barbados batting a second time in this historic clash were all out for 241 leaving Trinidad to score 105 for Victory. The Stollmeyers knocked off the runs with skipper Victor not out on 52 and Jeffrey not out 43. There were 10 extras to hasten Barbados’ demise. Another set of Trinidad siblings came close of emulating the Stollmeyers’ feat. Charlie and Bryan Davis against British Guiana at Rose Hall Berbice from October 13-16 in 1961.
Charlie Davis, on debut at age 17, scored 127 in Trinidad’s first innings of 257 all out. In their second innings he scored 97. His elder brother Bryan was also dismissed for 97. Guess who was the British Guiana bowler that dismissed the Davis siblings just three short from joining their compatriots. The Legendary and iconic Lance Gibbs. Bryan was leg before wicket while Charlie still talks about that heart breaking catch that Glendon Gibbs took off the bowling of his unrelated namesake.
