By Charwayne Walker
Guyanese Joe Solomon played test cricket for the West Indies. Sudesh Dhaniram didn’t. However, the two batsmen, both Berbicians, also have another thing in common, a unique record so to speak.
They are the only two players to score successive centuries in their first two matches at the regional first class level.
Since regional first class cricket inaugurated in 1865 several batsmen have scored a century on their regional first class debuts but only two men have the honor of registering three figures in their very next game. Both of these distinguished gentlemen originate from the county of Berbice in the land of the Majestic Kaieteur Falls. Joseph Solomon, might more be known for his role in the tied test against Australia, but he announced his arrival on the regional first class scene with an authoritative 114 not out against Jamaica at GCC Bourda October 1956. In his very next game he scored 108 against Barbados at the same venue GCC Bourda October 1956. His compatriot, Dhaniram, 31-one years later made a fantastic debut scoring 102 against the Joel ‘Big Bird’ Garner-led Barbados at GCC Bourda April 1987. In his very next match the flambuoyant opener silenced the Leeward Islands with an unforgettable 131.
However the distinction of being the first man to score a century on his regional first class debut was Edward Fortescue Wright. Playing for British Guiana against Trinidad at Parade Ground in Georgetown September 1882, Wright scored 123 in a British Guiana total of 168 all out. Later, Harry Wakefield Ince and C.F. Browne celebrated their regional first class debuts with 102 and 113 respectively against Trinidad at Kensington Oval February 1920. Jamaican Frank Martin had a sensational regional first-class debut vs Barbados at Kensington Oval scoring 195 January 1925 while Trinidadian Ralph Grant scored 152 on his regional first-class debut in February of 1934. Guyanese Chatterpaul Persaud arrived at the regional first-class scene with a magnificent 174 vs Barbados at GCC Bourda October 1937 while Barbadian Michael Ian Coleridge Clarke scored 153 on his regional first-class debut against Trinidad at Queen’s Park Oval in February, 1941. Trinidadian Chiki Sampath scored 123 on his regional first-class debut against Barbados at the Kensington Oval in January 1949 while Leeward Islands Oscar Williams scored an even 100 versus Jamaica at Melbourne Park July 1958 on his regional first-class debut. In this same historical match in which the Leeward Islands gained first-class status, Jamaican Clinton Haedlam scored 127 on his regional first-class debut. Trinidadians, Michael Joey Carew and Karl Hammond scored 105 and 114 on their regional first-class debuts against Jamaica at GCC Bourda in October 1959. At 17-years-old, Trinidadian Charlie Davis scored 127 against British Guiana at Rose Hall, Canje, Berbice in 1961 while Guyanese Stephen Camacho scored 106 on his regional first-class debut against Trinidad & Tobago at Queen’s Park Oval in February 1966. Barbadian Franklyn ‘Cookie Monster’ Stephenson hammered the Leeward Island on his regional first-class debut with a murderous 165 at Warner Park Bassetterre St. Kitts in March 1982. Eighteen year old Guyanese Carl `Mr Cool’ Hooper was the talk of Bridgetown when he destroyed Barbados with a flamboyant 126 on his regional first-class debut February 1985 at the ‘Mecca’ Kensington Oval in February 1985. Dhaniram was next, his 102 was on debut against Barbados at GCC Bourda in April of 1987.
Jamaican Donovan Pagan, playing for the West Indies ‘B’ Team scored 110 against Guyana at Albion Sports Club on his regional first-class debut in February 2001. The last to achieve the feat was Trinidadian and current West Indies white ball captain, Keiron Pollard who scored 126 against Barbados at North Star Club Crab Hill in 2007 on his regional first-class debut.
Will Solomon and Dhaniram have company when the 2022 Regional First Class Championship commences?
Your guess is as good as mine.