The West Indies team that toured England in 1984 was the best I have ever seen in my life.
The Australian team under Steve Waugh was outstanding, and in 1948, before I was born, Bradman’s ‘Invincibles’ swept post-war England. These were all excellent cricketing squads with the depth to handle every eventuality.
But it would be very difficult to say that they were the best over the 1984 West Indians.
They had the greatest quartet of all time… Greenidge, Haynes, Gomes, Richards. It didn’t happen often, but if you managed to get through that line-up, you were followed by Clive Lloyd and Geoffrey Dujon. But that stellar lineup wasn’t the main reason for the team’s success.
It was in the pace attack. There had been nothing like it before and certainly nothing since to compare. Holding, Garner, Marshall and Walsh all bowled with serious pace, Eldin Baptiste provided good support and Roger Harper gave them a break whenever England caught them. The attack was so good that bowlers like Winston Davis, Patrick Paterson and Wayne Daniels just didn’t make the cut. It’s quite remarkable considering the impact those players had on the county game at the time.
Richard Sydenham’s excellent book revives the brilliance of that side for a modern generation who never saw it in its prime. It must have been a nightmare for England batsmen who had to prepare physically and mentally for the fierce pace and exhausting short bowling. West Indies won the Test series 5-0, while England were lucky to win 0-0.
The author spoke to many of the participants in the series and their insight and participation were even better. England changed players and tried several options, but the opponents had an answer for everything.
The book ends by looking at all three aspects mentioned at the beginning and deciding which of them is the greatest.
There were other excellent West Indian teams at this time with equally fast and nasty bowlers, but to me this team would have suffered some defeats. The stories of their journey around the country are very interesting and from the perspective of a young man at the time, it was incredible.
Eight of the sides have a strong claim to being among the greatest West Indies 11 teams of all time and this book is a worthy account of their brilliance.
It’s a great read.
Almost Invincible: British West Indies 1984 Written by Richard Sydenham and published by Pitch Publishing.
