Birthday special: Pattrick Patterson – Top 3 performances of the menacing West Indies pacer
Patrick Patterson, a name many people won’t remember, but players who faced him in a match during the 80s and 90s, will never forget his name. The Jamaican was arguably the most lethal fast bowler of all time and had the batters at sea with his unorthodox stride. He represented the West Indies national team in 28 Tests, scalping an impressive 93 wickets before injuries hampered his accuracy and efficiency. On the eve of the electrifying pacer’s 61st birthday, here is a glance at some of his most memorable performances with the West Indies.
3. 4/30 against Australia, 1986
The first Test match between Australia and West Indies in Kingston in 1986 saw a young Patrick Patterson make his debut in red-ball cricket for the Caribbean side. The youngster made an instant impression, troubling the visiting Aussie batters with his rapid pace. He scalped four wickets in the first innings of the match as England folded for 159 runs on the board. West Indies, in their reply, amassed 307 runs and were in the ascendency in the match. Patterson returned in the second innings with another menacing bowling spell, snaring three Kangaroo batters as the visitors were restricted to just 152 runs. West Indies won the match by ten wickets, and Patterson was awarded the player of the match on his debut for scalping seven wickets in the match.
2. 6/29 against India, 1987
Nagpur hosted the first ODI between West Indies and defending World Champions India in 1987. The side led by Viv Richards batted first in the series opener and scored a competitive 203 runs in their 50 overs. The hosts in their chase were rocked early in the innings as Patrick Patterson sent the Indian top three packing without many runs on the board. India recovered from those earlier setbacks and just when it looked like the match was slipping from the visitors, Patterson returned to grab the prized scalp of Kapil Dev, who was battling like a man possessed. India fell short by ten runs as Paterson went on to scalp six Indian batters and was awarded the player of the match for his efforts.
1. 5/39 against Australia, 1988
The West Indies traveled to Adelaide for the third Test match of the five-match series on the back of two consecutive victories in the opening two fixtures against Australia. With the series on the line, Australian skipper Allan Border decided to bowl first after winning the toss. Viv Richard’s visiting side gave a decent account of themselves, posting a total of 280. Australia in their reply were restricted for 242 runs, thanks to four-wicket hauls for Curtly Ambrose and Patrick Patterson. The West Indies were intent on claiming the series victory in Melbourne as their batters posted a mammoth total of 361 runs in their second innings. Australia, chasing a massive target of 400 runs in the fourth innings, never got going and succumbed to a lowly 114 runs as Patterson grabbed a fifer to claim nine wickets in the match.
