The year 1947 will always be revered in the annals of regional first-class cricket especially the months of March and April when history was created.
The venue was the famous Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica. The battle, Jamaica versus the mighty Barbados.
The Barbados team was a star-studded one with upcoming stars like Sir Clyde Walcott, Sir Frank Worrell, Everton Weekes, Dennis Atkinson and not forgetting the veteran John Goddard.
The Jamaica lineup was boosted by the presence of the iconic George Headley and included others such as J.K Holt Jr., and Karl Richards but the hero of this drawn encounter was opening batsman Allan Rae.
In the Jamaica first innings of 436 all out, Rae scored 111.
In their second innings of 298 for 8 declared he scored 128 becoming the first batsman to register a century in each innings in regional first-class cricket. This feat was emulated six years later 1953 by Trinidadian Gerry Gomez. Playing against British Guiana at the Georgetown Cricket Club ground, Bourda, Gomez scored 148 and 108 not out in a drawn encounter.
Guyanese Joseph Solomon joined the coveted list with centuries in each innings against Trinidad & Tobago in March 1964 at GCC Bourda.
Solomon scored 107 and 100 not out.
The pugnacious Roy Fredericks brutalised Barbados with centuries in each innings at GCC Bourda in March 1967.
Fredericks scored 127 and 115.
Trinidadian Michael (Joey) Carew scored 164 and 101 against Jamaica at the Queen’s Park Oval in March 1970 and Stuart Williams scored 160 and 114 for the Leeward Islands against Trinidad and Tobago at Guaracara Park 2001. Christopher Gayle scored 131 and 150 Jamaica against the Leeward Islands at Alpart Sports Club in 2005 and Ryan Hinds scored 168 and 150 for Barbados against the Leeward Islands in St Thomas in 2006.
Brentol Parchment scored 111 and 168 not out for Jamaica against Trinidad & Tobago at Alpart Sports Club in 2007 and Devon Smith scored 139 and 106 not out for the Windward Islands against the Combined/Campuses and Colleges team in 2013 at the Beausejour Stadium Gros-islet, St. Lucia.
Smith scored 107 not out and 154 Windward Islands against Jamaica at Windsor Park Roseau Dominica 2017.
Let’s see if anyone will add their name to this distinguished list when the 2022 Regional first-class championships come around.
