Denis St Eval Atkinson: My First Test (23 October 1998)

23 October 1998

Denis St Eval Atkinson: My First Test

by Philip Spooner

These were the words of the 72-year-old Denis St. Eval Atkinson as he recalled memories of the first Test of the 1948-49 series at the Feroz Shah Kotla in New Delhi, India.

"Everything was good. I was elated, after all I was a youngster so I just took things as they came," the former medium-pace all-rounder said with pride. "We did not get much money but it was plenty fun. It was that feeling of knowing you fulfilled a dream."

Atkinson, a Barbadian, was selected for the tour as a "Trinidadian". He had left Barbados to work with Demarara Mutual Life and after representing Trinidad gained his pick.

"The trip provided me with an eye-opener and I was happy to be selected," the former Wanderers player said. "I was honoured to be in a great team, with the likes of (Gerry) Gomez, (John) Goddard, (John) Trim and the three Ws, (Frank Worrell, Everton Weekes and Clyde Walcott) and this made you feel really good about your achievement."

Atkinson, whose younger brother Eric also played Test cricket, recalled his first innings of 45 batting at No. 10. He added 106 for the ninth-wicket with Guyanese Robert Christiani who made 107, to be one of four century-makers in the West Indies innings of a mammoth 631.

"In those days you were lucky to get a knock with the likes of Allan Rae, Jeffrey Stollmeyer at the top, and the other great batsmen in the middle," he said, "luckily for me I got a hit and made a few."

He recalled walking out to the middle for the first time feeling confident but a bit nervous. When the West Indies fielded he bowled his accurate medium-pace well but could not take a wicket off 18 overs in both innings.

"I came on after the Trinidadian pair of Prior Jones and Gomez," he added. "We also had John Trim (of Guyana) on that trip and these three were all powerful cricketers."

In the first innings Atkinson had none for 27 off 27 overs as India made 454, and none for 11 off five in the second, in a score of 220 for six. The match was drawn, as was the match at Calcutta and the two at Bombay.

Atkinson missed the Madras game due to illness, and the West Indies won by an innings and 193 runs, thanks to good bowling by Trim, Gomez and Jones, to take the series 1-0. In this rubber Everton Weekes, who had scores of 128, 194, 162, 101, before being controversially run out for 90.

Atkinson recalled being impressed by the batting of Indian batsmen Polly Umrigar, Vijay Hazare and Vinoo Mankad, but had less admiration for some of the umpires.

The series was not the most fruitful for Atkinson, taking just five wickets and scoring just 79 runs he left India with some lasting memories.

"Things were rough, real rough in those days. I think we were there close to when (Mahatma) Gandhi was killed but it was still a good experience," he said "the Maharaja of Patiala arranged a plane ride over the Himalayas and we visited the Taj Mahal."

He also recalled fond memories of his room-mate, wicket-keeper Clifford McWatt, who died earlier this year, as well as of a few other players "who lost some weight" during the five-month trip.

Atkinson later went on to captain the West Indies and had his greatest moment at Kensington Oval in 1955. Facing 668, he made 219 in a world-record seventh-wicket stand of 347 with wicket-keeper Clairmonte DePeiza, who made 122. Atkinson also took seven for 164 in the drawn match.

"Anytime you make 200 against (Ray) Lindwall, (Keith) Miller and (Richie) Benaud you would have to rate it highly," he said, "we were 147 when DePeiza came in and we did really well. He was fantastic, and I was happy to be at the other end. That is how cricket is supposed to be played - fighting when the chips are down."

Source :: The Barbados Nation (https://www.nationnews.com/)