Friday 19 February 2016

Cricket:Andy Ganteaume, West Indies batsman who averaged 112 in Tests, dies

 
Former West Indies batsman Andy Ganteaume - the only Test cricketer with a better average than Sir Donald Bradman - has died at the age of 95.

Ganteaume scored 112 in his one and only Test, against England in 1948.

He also played football for Trinidad, and was the second-oldest former Test cricketer - behind South African Lindsay Tuckett, 97 - when he died.

West Indies Cricket Board chairman Dave Cameron described him as "one of the patriots of our great game".

Highest Test batting averages
Andy Ganteaume (WI, 1948) 112.0 (one innings)
Sir Donald Bradman (Aus, 1928-48) 99.94 (80 innings)
Adam Voges (Aus, 2015-present) 97.46 (19 innings)
Ganteaume's only Test innings came in a drawn match in Port of Spain, his home town.

Despite scoring a century, he was not selected again because of the strength of the West Indies batting and suggestions the slow pace of his innings had cost his team the chance of victory.

He continued to play first-class cricket until 1963, averaging a more modest 34.81.

Australian Bradman averaged 99.94 from 52 Tests.

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