In 2014, I conducted a very unique interview with one of Nevis’ finest cricketing allrounders and Captain, Ed Arthurton.
Arthurton currently resides in New York and the interview was facilitated via cell phone, compliments of his brother, Glen Herbert.
During that interview, I learned that the great man started his cricketing career at the Charlestown Secondary School at age 13, representing the school as a medium pace bowler.
By age 16, his batting had come on so well, along with his bowling, that he represented the Nevis team, at age 16, as an opening batsman.
He remembers scoring a duck in that first game.
He recalls that afternoon at Grove Park when he totally frustrated the young and upcoming Antiguan fast bowler, Anderson Roberts.
‘I just wanted to show him that I was not afraid of him,’ he stated.
On several occasions that day, Arthurton pulled away from his crease, when Roberts was almost in his delivery stride, forcing him to start his long run all over again.
A furious Roberts vented his feelings in the form of a barrage of bouncers, but Arthurton rode him out in style, much to the amusement of the huge crowd.
The fast bowler was so riled up, that he also bowled a deadly bouncer at then debutant Derrick Parry and knocked him down, forcing him to be stretchered off the field.
He also remembers the incident in Antigua, when Livingstone Sargeant and Howell were at the crease and building a fantastic partnership in a run chase, that was totally frustrating the home team and their fans and Howell was given out LBW by an Antiguan umpire.
Arthurton stated that Vivian Richards had been obviously out in the same game, but not sent by the umpire.
Arthurton noted that Howell was not out and so he did not walk.
That caused a bit of a riot at the ARG and the Nevis team had to be flown out of Antigua by an airplane chartered by Premier Bradshaw, for their safety.
His finest innings?
Batting against Antigua in Antigua, trying to save a match for Nevis. He batted from the early morning until after 4 pm, before he was undone by a shooter.
During that innings he successfully just allowed one of the tail-enders to face just one ball each over. He made 77.
Advice to young cricketers?
‘Don’t give up your wicket easily. Go out there with the intention to bat long.’