Cricket: Walsh a winner in 'final' act of Windies career

KINGSTON - West Indies fast bowler Courtney Walsh offered just the faintest glimmer of hope to his captain Carl Hooper that his 132nd cricket test that ended yesterday would not be his last.

After taking his test wicket haul to 519 on what he said was to be his final appearance for the West Indies in the fifth test against South Africa, Walsh said he would consider a personal appeal from Hooper to be available for the tour of Zimbabwe in June.

"He [Hooper] has asked me to think about it," the 38-year-old Walsh said.

"He says I shouldn't rule it out and it's only fair to think about it. I will think about it.

"But as far as I'm concerned I had intended for this test to be my last and there's no reason to change my mind."

Walsh ended his magnificent career by helping the West Indies to an emotional 130-run victory over South Africa.

He captured three for 62 as the tourists were bowled out for 255 in pursuit of a victory target of 386.

It was the first West Indian test victory in 14 attempts since they beat England at Edgbaston in June last year.

But South Africa won the series - their first in the Caribbean - 2-1 after victories in the second and fourth tests.

Despite leaving the door ever so slightly ajar to those who would wish to persuade him to soldier on, an emotional Walsh was eager to pay tribute to the legion of West Indian fast bowlers who helped him at various stages in his career.

"Playing alongside people such as Michael Holding and Colin Croft, Curtly Ambrose and Sylvester Clarke are memories I will always cherish. One special guy who stands out is Malcolm Marshall, sadly no longer with us.

"I want to thank all the guys I played cricket with - the fast bowlers - from Joel Garner right down to Kenny Benjamin, for all the assistance they gave me."

In the immediate future, Walsh said he wanted to take time off from cricket and spend more time with his children.

"I reflected at the weekend that I want to have a break away from the game - six months or something like that - and spend some time with the family.

"I want to do some of the things that I haven't had the chance to do before, recharge my batteries and then focus on the next phase of my life and whatever I do, try and do it as successfully as I've done on the cricket field."

Walsh's final moments on the field at Kingston yesterday will stay with him for the rest of his life.

A Jamaican through and through, a winner and a gentleman, he was able to experience and indulge in all three pleasures as he helped the West Indies to victory.

When South African No 11 Paul Adams sliced a delivery from Mervyn Dillon to Marlon Samuels at backward point, the catcher was suddenly all alone. Everyone else was running towards Walsh at fine leg.

Dillon, who many in the Caribbean hope will go furthest to filling the gaping void created by Walsh's departure, leapt into his mentor's embrace and was immediately followed by the third fast bowler in the side, Cameron Cuffy.

Brian Lara, meanwhile, had persuaded umpire Steve Bucknor to part with the match ball and sprinted towards Walsh and his ecstatic gathering to present him with the memento as well as a stump he had grabbed when victory was complete.

Walsh was hugged by every one of his team-mates and then, left briefly alone, saluted his adoring fans and accepted the embraces of ground staff, security guards and anyone else who had managed to climb over the perimeter fences in time.

As Walsh finally reached the pavilion he was greeted by a guard of honour, team-mates and South Africans alike lining up to applaud him as he made his way into the dressing room where he sipped champagne straight from the bottle.

"When I broke the record [for the most wickets] last year it was a tremendous occasion. I broke a record, we won the test and it was a series win [against Zimbabwe] as well.

"It was fantastic to finish it all here, on home turf, but that was probably a bit more special," Walsh said when asked about his favourite memory from a career spanning 132 tests in 17 years.

- AGENCIES

Glimpses of a legendary spell


Fact file on Courtney Walsh, who retired from test cricket yesterday with a world record of 519 wickets:

1962: Born October 30 in Kingston, Jamaica.

1979: Takes a record 10 for 43 in Jamaican school cricket.

1982: Makes debut for Jamaica.

1984: English county debut with Gloucestershire.

1984: Makes test debut against Australia in first test at Perth.

1987: One of Wisden's five Cricketers of the Year for 1986.

1988: Takes hat-trick in first test of 1988-89 series against Australia in Brisbane with the last ball of the first innings and the first two balls of his first spell in the second innings.

1994: Appointed West Indies captain for tours of India and New Zealand after Richie Richardson ordered to rest because of "acute fatigue syndrome."

1995: Captures his test career best 7-37 in second test against New Zealand in Wellington.

1995: Reaches landmark of 300 test wickets during the sixth and final test against England at the Oval.

1996: Named West Indies captain after Richie Richardson resigns at end of the World Cup on the sub-continent.

1998: Sacked as West Indies captain after they lose all three tests on tour of Pakistan in late 1997.

1998: Becomes West Indies' leading wicket-taker in tests when he passes Malcolm Marshall's mark of 376 wickets in first test against South Africa in Johannesburg.

1999: Becomes only the third bowler in test history after Kapil Dev (434) and Sir Richard Hadlee (431) to take 400 wickets, in first test against Australia at Port of Spain.

2000: Breaks Kapil Dev's record during the second test against Zimbabwe.

2001: March 19. Becomes first bowler to take 500 test wickets when he traps Jacques Kallis leg-before in second test against South Africa at Port of Spain.

2001: April 24. Retires from test cricket after bowling 5004.1 overs, more than anyone else. He took 519 wickets in 132 tests at an average of 24.45.