My First Test: 'Bird' Knew He Had Landed A Place (25 Sep 1998)

25 September 1998

My First Test: 'Bird' Knew He Had Landed A Place

The Barbados Nation

With a minimum of fuss, Joel "Big Bird" Garner entered the Test match scene and took his elevation like a duck to water.

The giant fast bowler, who played his club cricket for YMPC, flew onto the international stage with a six-wicket match haul in the 1977 Kensington Oval Test against Pakistan.

"I decided from young that one day I wanted to wear West Indies colours and after a fairly successful season in Shell Shield I got my golden opportunity," said Garner, who was 24 at the time.

"I was not really excited but felt good inside that I achieved my goal, but this was only the beginning."

Garner noted that he was notified by radio and was actually liming with the boys in Carter's Gap, Christ Church, when the news was announced on air.

"We were just playing some dominoes when the news was announced. It was no real surprise because I had taken nine wickets in the President's XI game in St. Lucia the week before."

His effort in the Test match earned the West Indies a draw against Mushtaq Mohammad's men, but only just. The West Indies' last-wicket pair of Andy Roberts and Colin Croft - another debutant - had to hold on to ensure the result.

"For me it was an eye opener," the six-foot-seven-inch Garner said. He noted that in the team he had a few friends including Gordon Greenidge and former YMPC teammate Collis King and this helped to make his elevation quite easy.

The former Foundation student captured four wickets for 130 in the first innings and two for 60 in the second, and also made 43 when the West Indies reached 421 in the first innings. He failed to score in the second.

"I will never forget my first wicket - Sadiq Mohammad, the captain's brother, caught at mid-on by Croft," he said. "I think it was my third over. I bowled a bouncer and he tried to hook. He was not in the right position and Croft took a comfortable catch."

He remembered that the most experienced fast bowler Vanburn Holder pulled up with an injury early on the opening day and the bulk of the bowling was left up to himself, Roberts and Croft.

Garner still prides himself with the fact that he denied Majid Khan a century. The great Pakistani opener was on 88 and motoring on to a century in the first innings when "Big Bird" breached his defence.

From here Garner went on to hit many more stumps in a fruitful career in which he took 259 wickets.

"I enjoyed every moment." he said with a broad smile. "I fulfilled a dream and made myself and many fans happy."

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