| Lawrence Rowe was the unfortunate cricketer who found out that he was
allergic to grass. On the burnt pitches of his native Jamaica it
mattered little, but on the lush outfields of rainy Derbyshire he met
his nemesis. His fight against a streaming nose and other niggling
injuries saw his Test career peter out after an amazing start. Rowe made
214 and 100 not out on his debut against New Zealand on his home ground
at Sabina Park, the double century lasting over seven hours. He made 76
on the same ground against Australia in 1972-73 and 120 against England
the next season. By then people had begun to say he could not score
runs outside Jamaica, so he proved them wrong with 302 against England
at Barbados, batting for over ten hours. He made another 123 at Trinidad
in the final Test. In Australia in 1975-76, though, his top Test score
was 67 and when India came to the Caribbean he managed a best score of
47. Viv Richards had usurped his crown as king of the West Indies
batting. As Richards ran riot against England in 1976 Rowe managed just
two Tests, scoring 50 at Headingley and 70 at the Oval. In Australia in
1979-80 he made 50 in Brisbane and 40 and 43 at Adelaide, at last
reaching another Test century in Christchurch. The finest innings of his
later career was played under the World Series flag. He made 175
against WSC Australia in the Supertest played at VFL Park, Melbourne in
January 1979. He also made 64 in Georgetown on the WSC tour to West
Indies, followed by 135 in Antigua. He captained the rebel West Indies
tour to South Africa, scoring 157 in the unofficial Test in Durban
against an attack that included Garth Le Roux, Steve Jefferies and Clive
Rice. (Bob Harragan) |