Former West Indies player Joe Solomon has reportedly passed away. Joe died at the age of 93 on December 8, 2023, surrounded by family and loved ones.
“More sad news. Joe Solomon, the former Guyana and West Indies batsman, passed away today. He was famous for the run out which led to the famous tied Test in 1960 at the Gabba. We extend sincere condolences to his family, friends and loved ones. May he rest in peace,” Windies Cricket wrote on X.
Solomon, the oldest living West Indian cricketer until his death, was born in Port Mourant, Berbice, then British Guiana. He is the only first-class cricketer in history to have scored hundreds in his first three innings for British Guiana in 1956–57 and 1957–58.
He was chosen to tour India with the West Indies squad in 1958–59. He had a successful Test series, reaching a century in the Fifth Test at Delhi and ending with 351 runs.
Between 1958 and 1965, he played 27 Tests for the Caribbean side, scoring 1326 runs at an average of 34. Despite the fact that he began playing first-class cricket at the age of 26, he immediately established himself in the squad.
Soloman scored a century in his first three innings for the West Indies: 114 not out against Jamaica, 108 against Barbados, and 121 against the visiting Pakistan. Following that, he was called up to the West Indies side to face India, where he struck an undefeated century in his fourth Test in Delhi.
He will be best remembered for his performance in the 1960 tied Test against Australia at Gabba. Australia appeared destined to steal an already dramatic Test with six runs to win off the final eight-ball over and three wickets remaining.
However, after losing Richie Benaud and Wally Grout in rapid succession, Australia was left requiring one run off two balls with only one wicket remaining. Lindsay Kline, the final batter, tried to steal a single by nudging the following ball to square leg, but Solomon’s dead-eye aim caught Ian Meckiff short of his crease, resulting in the first-ever drawn Test.
Soloman produced respectable runs against Australia in that Test, but his batting on that tour will be remembered for a small controversy in the second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), when he was out hit-wicket when his cap dropped on the stumps. (ANI)