Legendary Jamaican fast bowler and West Indies pacer Cecil Wright, 85, has retired, completing a career that spanned 60 years. His retirement was announced by the Uppermill club, for which he played until his retirement, via its Facebook page on August 19, 2019. His final appearance was on September 7, 2019. Wright is said to have taken a total of 538 wickets in five seasons, or a strike rate of one wicket for every 27 balls. Wright himself says he has taken more than 7,000 wickets during his career.

Records show that Wright played a first-class match for Jamaica versus a Barbados team that included cricket greats Wes Hall, Collie Smith and Seymour Nurse, in 1958 in Kingston. In the match, Wright did not take a wicket and conceded 41 runs in 66 balls as Jamaica took a victory over Barbados by six runs. He moved to England in 1959 and joined the Central Lancashire League for Crompton. He says that he bowled to players such as Sir Gary Sobers. In an interview with Cricbuzz, Wright said they used to call him “Skipper Garry.” After Sobers was knighted, Wright remembered that he greeted him with “hello, Sir,” and Sobers responded by saying, “now listen boy, you know me as Skipper Garfield and not Sir Garfield.’”

In the same interview, Wright described his interaction with Sir Frank Worrell, legendary captain of the West Indies, who gave him some advice that changed his fortune bowling for England. According to Wright, Worrell told him, ‘you’re not in Jamaica anymore, you know. Up here, you’re bowling in the mud,’” Wright went on to say how Worrell told him how to bowl in the wet environment, and “I haven’t looked back since.”

After the September 7 match, the club hosted a celebration of Wright’s career and everything he has contributed to the general cricketing community, All past and present players, friends, family members, and supporters were invited to take part in this well-deserved send-off, the club stated.

Photo Source: Uppermill club Twitter