Full name Basil Fitzherbert Butcher
Born September 3, 1933, Port Mourant, Berbice, British Guiana
Died December 16, 2019 (aged 86 years 104 days)
Major teams West Indies, British Guiana, Guyana
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Legbreak
Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | 100 | 50 | Ct | St | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tests | 44 | 78 | 6 | 3104 | 209* | 43.11 | 7 | 16 | 15 | 0 |
First-class | 169 | 262 | 29 | 11628 | 209* | 49.90 | 31 | 54 | 67 | 0 |
List A | 5 | 4 | 1 | 107 | 57 | 35.66 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Mat | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | 10 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tests | 44 | 6 | 256 | 90 | 5 | 5/34 | 5/51 | 18.00 | 2.10 | 51.2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
First-class | 169 | 2193 | 1217 | 40 | 5/34 | 30.42 | 3.32 | 54.8 | 1 | 0 | |||
List A | 5 | 12 | 10 | 1 | 1/10 | 1/10 | 10.00 | 5.00 | 12.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Test debut | India v West Indies at Mumbai (BS), Nov 28-Dec 3, 1958 scorecard |
Last Test | England v West Indies at Leeds, Jul 10-15, 1969 scorecard |
Test statistics | |
First-class span | 1954/55 - 1970/71 |
List A span | 1963 - 1972/73 |
A supple, wristy, resolute batsman, Basil Butcher became a consistently reliable performer at No. 4 or 5 in the West Indies order. In his first Test series, against India in 1958-59, he made 486 runs at 69.42, but had a chequered career thereafter, until the 1963 tour of England, when he made 383 runs in eight completed innings, including 133 out of 229 in the memorable draw at Lord's. During an interval in that match he opened a letter which advised him that (against a background of civil war) his wife had had a miscarriage back home in Guyana. Very upset, Butcher continued to play a solid and masterly innings which saved his side. Two fine series against Australia led Richie Benaud to consider him the most difficult of all West Indians to get out. An occasional legspinner himself, the only Test wickets Butcher took were all in one innings - 5 for 34 (four coming in three overs) against England at Port-of-Spain in 1967-68.
Christopher Martin-Jenkins
Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1970