Flashback: The youngest Test cricketer from outside of the subcontinent

Making a debut in any format of the game is a dream come true moment for any cricketer. But the Test format is something very prestigious and every player wants to play the longest of the game in their respective career. Debuting early on in their lives in Tests is quite a remarkable feat and one such cricketer from outside the subcontinent was Derek Sealy.

Sealy was the youngest player from outside the subcontinent to make a debut in the history of Test cricket. Sealy made his first appearance against England in 1930 in Bridgetown, Barbados. England toured West Indies for a four-match Test series and Sealy marked his entry into Test cricket in the first match of the series. He had a memorable debut as he scored 58 in the first innings. He turned out to be the youngest-ever Test cricketer at the time.

The right-handed batter played 11 Test games for West Indies and scored 478 runs at an average of 28.11. In 19 innings, he struck three half-centuries centuries with the highest score of 92 against England at Port-of-Spain in 1934/35.

Derek also appeared in 80 First-Class matches in which he amassed 3831 runs at an average of 30.40. In 134 innings, he smashed eight centuries and 16 fifties with the best score of 181 which came against Middlesex at the home of cricket, Lord’s.

Born on September 11, 1912, in Barbados, Sealy also took 63 wickets at an average of 28.60 with best bowling figures of 8/8 in 80 FC encounters. His international career spanned nine years as he played his last match against the same opposition England at The Oval in August 1939. On January 03, 1982, Derek passed away in Trinidad aged 69y 114d.