Since the inaugural Regional Under-21 Youth Cricket in Barbados in 1968, only three batsmen have had the distinct honor of scoring three centuries in a tournament featuring the three-day format.
The players that cricket fans in the region would likely associate with this achievement are Brian Lara, Carl Hooper, Robert Samuels, Desmond Haynes, Carlisle Best, Henderson Roach, and Winslow Ashby. Undoubtedly, all of the abovementioned were regional Under-19 standouts just like Leslie Reiter and Dave Joseph, who scored the first and second double centuries in regional cricket in this age group.
However, the batsmen who have actually distinguished themselves in one regional under-19 tournament with three centuries in the three-day format are Nigel Johnson, Sherwin Campbell, and present West Indies star, Shai Hope.
Fifty years ago playing at home, Johnson was the talk of the 1972 Benson and Hedges Regional Under-19 championship.
Johnson started the 1972 tournament with an unbeaten 102 against Combined Islands at Carlton Ground. In his second match he hammered Guyana with 140 at the Kensington Oval in Jamaica.
After failing in his third match against Trinidad and Tobago, Johnson made Jamaica pay with a pugnacious unbeaten 154 at the Wanderers Ground.
17 years later, Johnson’s compatriot Campbell, emulated his feet with three consecutive centuries during the 1989 Northern Telecom’s Regional Under-19 Championship in Guyana.
The diminutive opener started the tournament on a disappointing note with two first-ball ducks at the Guyana National Service Ground, but overcame the aforesaid failures by reeling off three consecutive centuries starting with an unbeaten 111 against Trinidad and Tobago at Eve Leary Cricket Ground.
He then put Leeward Island to the sword with an unforgettable 154 at the world famous Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) ground, Bourda. Playing at the same venue, Campbell’s 117 led Barbados to 385 all out against hosts Guyana.
Fast forward to 23 years later, Hope, who was not born when Johnson and Campbell achieved their respective feats, joined the illustrious duo in 2012. Captaining Barbados at home, Hope showed no reticence with commanding centuries. He started with 101 against the Windward Islands at the Queen’s Park Ground.
Hope then hammered the Leeward Islands with an unbeaten 141 at Bayfield Cricket Ground, before finishing the tournament with an unbeaten 104 against Trinidad & Tobago at Kensington Oval.
He also scored 159 in the one-day format. The 2022 Regional Under-19 three-day tournament is starting in St. Vincent and the Grenadines later this month. Let’s see who will try to emulate this trio from Bimshire.
