Late West Indies cricketer to be buried later this month

The funeral service for the late West Indies great, Sir Everton Weekes will be held at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados on 31st July.

He is to be buried alongside greats Sir Clyde Walcott and Sir Frank Worrell at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill campus.

Sir Everton, who made his debut for the West Indies in January 1948 and played 59 Tests in an illustrious career, died on 1st July this year. He was 95, and had been ailing for some time after suffering a heart attack in early 2019.

Dean at the St Michael’s Cathedral Reverend Jeffrey Gibson will do the sermon while Professor Sir Hilary Beckles will deliver the eulogy. Barbados’ Prime Minister, Mia Mottley is to read a lesson during the funeral service.

Tributes to Sir Everton will come from Cricket West Indies (CWI), the Barbados Cricket Association, The Legends of Barbados, The Empire Cricket Club, the Barbados Bridge Club, as well as family members.

It is hoped that members of the current West Indies squad will also be in attendance. The West Indies are expected to arrive back in the Caribbean on 30th July.

During the 1950s, Weekes, Walcott and Worrell formed a formidable trio that helped provide the West Indies with the most intimidating batting line up in world cricket. Weekes the shortest of the three, was the best of them averaging 58.61 during a career that lasted a decade before persistent injury forced his retirement in 1958.

He scored 4,455 Test runs that included 19 centuries and 19 fifties. In January 1949, Weekes set a record when he scored his fifth century in consecutive innings. That record still stands today.