Richie Richardson

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Richie Richardson West Indies (WI)

Batting style	Right-handed batsman (LHB)
Bowling type	Right-arm medium (RM)
	Tests	ODIs
Matches	86	224
Runs scored	5949	6248
Batting average	44.39	33.41
100s/50s	16/27	5/44
Top score	194	122
Overs bowled	11.0	9.4
Wickets	0	1
Bowling average	-	46.00
5 wickets in innings	-	0
10 wickets in match	-	N/A
Best bowling	-	1/4
Catches/stumpings	90/0	75/0
As of 4 January 2006 Source: Cricinfo.com

Richard Benjamin Richardson was born January 12, 1962 in Five Islands Village, Antigua and was a former captain of the West Indies cricket team.

Richie began his career with the Leeward Islands in 1982 as an opener and after his second season he was called up by the West Indies to tour India in the 1983-4 season. Richardson joined a successful West Indies Test team captained by Clive Lloyd batting in the middle order. Richie was a flamboyant batsman and superb player of fast bowling. He was famous for his widebrimmed maroon hat.

After Viv Richards's Test match retirement, Richie took on the mantle as the captain of the West Indies. He captained the team 24 times winning 11 matches. In the 4 years of his captaincy, the West Indies only lost one series, versus Australia in 1995. West Indies's first series defeat since 1980. Under his captaincy, Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh led the bowling attack and Brian Lara emerged as an World class batsman.

Richie played 86 Test matches until 1995 scoring 5,949 runs and 16 centuries. He was very successful against Australia, hitting 9 centuries against them, and scored his highest score of 194 against India in Guyana in 1989. He also played 224 One Day Internationals including 3 World Cups. Richardson's last international was the 1996 World Cup Semi Final defeat against Australia, where he resigned the position of captain.

Richardson also played for Yorkshire in the English County Championship in 1993 and 1994.

Richie currently (in 2005) captains the Lashings all-star cricket team in England (for whom on June 16th 2006 he hit 200 Not Out). He also plays bass guitar in reggae band "Dread and The Baldhead" alongside Curtly Ambrose.