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Sir Vivian Richards

(Photo by Tom Rooney ©)

Subject(s): Sir Vivian Richards
Sport: Cricket

Location: Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, St John's, Antigua
Unveiled: 27/2/2014
Sculptor: Andres Gonzalez
Material: Bronze
Status: In Situ

Inscription(s):
Plaque: SIR ISAAC VIVIAN ALEXANDER RICHARDS (KNH), (KCN). "THE MASTER BLASTER". BORN: 7 MARCH 1952, IN ST. JOHN'S, ANTIGUA. TEAMS: WEST INDIES, LEEWARD ISLANDS, COMBINED LEEWARD AND WINDWARD ISLANDS, ANTIGUA & BARBUDA, SOMERSET, QUEENLANDS AND GLAMORGAN. VIVIAN RICHARDS WILL BE REMEMBERED AS THE MOST COMPELLING , EXCITING, DOMINANT AND DESTRUCTIVE BATSMAN OF THE MODERN GAME, AND WHILE THERE ARE MANY WITH GREATER RECORDS, FEW COULD TAKE ON, INTIMIDATE AND RIP TO SHREDS BOWLING ATTACKS LIKE HE DID. WITHOUT DOUBT, HE WAS ALWAYS THE BATSMAN THAT OPPOSING TEAMS FEARED MOST, AND HIS INTIMIDATING AND DOMINANT BATTING STYLE WAS INDEED LEGENDARY. HE FIRST REPRESENTED THE WEST INDIES AGAINST INDIA IN THE 1974/75 SERIES AND WENT ON TO PLAY 121 TESTS, SCORING 8540 RUNS WITH 24 CENTURIES AND A HIGHEST TEST SCORE OF 291 AT THE OVAL ON THE 1976 TOUR, TO EARN A CHAMPION'S CAREER AVERAGE OF 50.24. IN THAT SAME YEAR, HE ESTABLISHED A RECORD FOR THE MOST TEST RUNS IN A CALENDAR YEAR (1710 RUNS): WHICH STOOD FOR THIRTY (30) YEARS BEFORE BEING BROKEN IN 2006. RICHARDS IS REGARDED AS THE GREATEST ONE-DAY INTERNATIONAL (ODI) BATSMAN OF ALL TIME AND IS ONE OF THE FINEST CRICKETERS TO HAVE EVER PLAYED THE GAME. IN 167 ONE-DAY INTERNATIONAL MATCHES, HE SCORED 6721 RUNS AT A PHENOMENAL STRIKE RATE OF 90.2, WITH 21 CENTURIES, AND A HIGHEST SCORE OF 189 NOT OUT, AT AN IMPRESSIVE AVERAGE OF 47.00, AND HELD 100 CATCHES AS WELL AS TAKING 118 WICKETS. UPON HIS RETIREMENT FROM FIRST CLASS CRICKET IN 1993, THE GREAT MAN HAD BECOME THE FIRST WEST INDIAN TO HAVE SCORED OVER 100 FIRST CLASS CENTURIES (114) AND HE REMAINS THE HOLDER OF THE RECORD FOR THE FASTEST TEST CENTURY (OFF 56 BALLS) AGAINST ENGLAND: SCORED IN FRONT OF HIS HOME CROWD IN A WINNING CAUSE AT THE ANTIGUA RECREATION GROUND (ARG) IN 1986. UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP THE WEST INDIES WON 27 OF THE 50 MATCHES IN WHICH RICHARDS APPEARED AS CAPTAIN, AND HE REMAINS THE ONLY WEST INDIES CAPTAIN NEVER TO HAVE LOST A TEST SERIES. SIR VIVIAN HAS BEEN GIVEN THE HIGHEST ACCOLADES BY HIS CRICKETING PEERS AS WELL AS HIS BELOVED COUNTRY. IN 1977, HE WAS VOTED AS WISDEN'S CRICKETER OF THE YEAR, AND IN 2000 HE WAS NAMED ONE OF THE FIVE CRICKETERS OF THE CENTURY BY A 100 MEMBER PANEL OF EXPERTS, A MOST FITTING TRIBUTE AFTER SUCH AN OUTSTANDING AND DISTINGUISHED CRICKET CAREER. ON MAY 29, 2000 HE WAS BESTOWED THE HONOUR OF KNIGHT COMMANDER OF THE MOST DISTINGUISHED ORDER OF THE NATION (KCN) AND ON NOVEMBER 1, 2006 THE ULTIMATE TRIBUTE WAS PAID TO THIS GREAT SON OF THE SOIL WHEN THE COUNTRY'S HIGHEST HONOUR OF KNIGHT COMPANION OF THE MOST EXALTED ORDER OF NATIONAL HERO (KCH) WAS BESTOWED UPON HIM DURING ANTIGUA & BARBUDA'S 25TH INDEPENDENCE CELEBRATIONS.

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