Fredericks laid to rest

Former West Indies batsman Roy Clifton Fredericks was buried on Tuesday amid glowing tributes from politicians and Caribbean cricket greats.

"It is a sad day for West Indies cricket," David Holford, a former teammate of Fredericks and a former West Indies chief selector, said during the funeral at St. George's Anglican Cathedral in downtown Georgetown.

Fredericks, 57, died of throat cancer in New York on September 5.

"West Indies cricket today is in dire need of his ilk," said Roger Harper, the coach of the West Indies senior team.

Fredericks was born and raised in Blairmont, a sugarcane-farming community in eastern Guyana. He played in 59 Test matches for the West Indies, scoring 4,133 runs and averaging 42.49 runs per innings.

He was most remembered for the 169 runs made against the mighty Australian team during a 1975-76 tour. He rattled off his century in 71 balls before the lunch interval, including 18 fours and a six, struck off the day's second ball. His innings lasted a mere three hours before he was dismissed.

Fredericks retired from cricket in the early 1980s but served as sports minister from 1980 to 1985.

The funeral was attended by President Bharrat Jagdeo and several past and current Test players.

Mail Cricket Editor