17 Fascinating facts about Wes Hall that you should know

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Wes Hall
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Former West Indian pacer Wes Hall turns 78 today. (© Getty Images)

17 Fascinating facts about Wes Hall that you should know: There are very few fast bowlers in the world who can give the batsmen a run for their life on the 22 yards. One such bowler was the 6 feet 2 inch former West Indian speedster Wesley Hall who could give goose bumps to any batter and in any part of the world. Such was the level of ruthlessness with which people associate this lanky and lethal fast bowler. Despite being a genuine pacer Hall had the possession of mountainous level of energy and he could bowl long spells efficiently much to the demise of the already shivering batters.

Hall had a very rhythmic action and his physique and run up complemented his game very well. Wes Hall featured in 48 matches and took 192 wickets with 9 fifers. While with the bat he scored 818 runs with highest score of 50 runs.

Today, on the occasion of his 78th Birthday, we present 17 Fascinating facts about Wes Hall that you should know:

1. Family:

He was born on 12 September 1937 in lebe Land, Station Hill, St Michael, Barbados to a teenaged mother. His father was a light-heavyweight boxer.

2. Schooling:

Though he began his schooling at St Giles’ Boys’ School, later shifted to Combermere School where he got to play against grown up men in the elite Division 1 of the Barbados Cricket Association. His teammate and the school’s groundskeeper was the West Indian Test cricketer Frank King.

3. Early employment:

He was employed in the Cable Office in Bridgetown where he got to play cricket for the Cable Office team.

4. From a wicket-keeper batsman to fast bowler:

Hall was a wicket-keeper batsman in his schooldays but due to absence of the opening bowler in a club match he donned the role of pace spearhead of his side, scalped six wickets and then there was no looking back.

5. Struggles in early career:

In 1956, Wes Hall was included in the Barbados team to play against E. W. Swanton’s XI but the relatively inexperienced bowler couldn’t take even a single wicket on his First-Class debut. But yet he was selected in the West Indian squad to tour England in 1957 in which he struggled so badly that he couldn’t even pitch the ball anywhere near the wicket.

6. Run-up:

Those who have witnessed this fast bowler claims that he had the longest run-up in the history of game and the very sight of his run-up could send chills down the batters spine.

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 7. Hat-trick:

Wes Hall is the first ever West Indian bowler to take a Test Hat-trick, a feat he achieved against Pakistan in their den in 1959. He had dismissed Mushtaq Mohammad, Nasim-ul-Ghani and Fazal Mahmood on consecutive deliveries.

8. The famous tied Test match:

Wesley was an integral part of the tied Test match against Australia in 1960 in which he bowled the last over in which Australia needed 6 runs while West Indies were 3 wickets away from the win. He took crucial wicket of Benaud who was playing on 52 runs and then there were two-run-outs in the over. Somehow due to Hall’s heroics Australia couldn’t cross the victory line.

9. Unbreakable stamina:

In the epic Lord’s Test match between England and West Indies in 1963, Wes Hall bowled unchanged for three-and-a-half hours and claimed 4 wickets in the 2nd innings.

10. Wisden remarks on Hall:

Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack had remarked Hall as the bowler “Possessing a long hostile run-up to the wicket, with an equally long follow-through, Hall bowled as though he meant to take a wicket with every delivery. Nobody will ever forget his famous last day in the Test at Lord’s when he bowled on and on, hour after hour”.

11. 1964/65 series against Australia:

In 1964-65 home Test series against Australia he took 16 wickets in 5 Tests and helped West Indies to triumph to their first series win over the Australian side.

12. First-Class career:

Hall played 170 First Class matches and grabbed as many as 546 scalps with 19 fifers.

13. Political connection:

Hall was very active in Barbadian politics after his playing days. He served in both the Barbados Senate and the House of Assembly. In 1987, Wes Hall was appointed as the Minister of Tourism.

14. Administration:

The lanky pacer has also served West Indies cricket as a selector and team manager. From 2001 to 2003, he was the President of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).

15. Knight Bachelor:

In 2012, the West Indian fast bowler was knighted in the Queen’s Birthday honours list and was made a Knight Bachelor for his services to sport and the community.

16. Hall of fame:

In 2015, he was inducted into ICC Cricket Hall of Fame during the Sabina Park Test between West Indies and Australia.

17. Love affair with Horse racing:

Wes Hall was an avid follower of Horse racing, a sport which involves two or more jockeys riding horses over a set distance for competition.

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