Ray Wynter

Ray Ricardo Wynter (born 27 November 1955) is a West Indian cricketer who played first-class and one-day cricket for the Jamaican team from 1975 until 1982. A right-hand bat and a "promising"^[1] right-arm fast-medium opening bowler, Wynter played 30 matches in all.^[2] After seven years at Jamaica, he participated in a rebel tour of South Africa with the West Indies XI and, as a result, he, along with all the other players on the tour, subsequently received a lifetime ban from cricket.^[2]

Early career

A native of Jamaica's capital, Kingston,^[2] Ray Wynter played his first major cricket match on 25 February 1975 for Jamaica's Under-19 team against Leeward Islands, scoring nine runs in the second inning and taking 2/34 before the match was drawn.^[3] He began playing first-class cricket on 16 January 1976 against a combined Leeward and Windward Islands team.^[4] His first season saw him appearing in five first-class matches, scoring only 13 runs at 3.25,^[5] however he found success with the ball, taking 10 wickets at 25.50, with a career best of 5/48 which he would not again reach.^[6] Wynter played only one List-A match in his first season, with no runs off the bat,^[7] but with two wickets with the ball at 13.50.^[8]

1976–1981 seasons

Wynter's second season, over the winter of 1976/77, saw little improvement with the bat, scoring 16 runs from four matches at 4.00, 13 of those in one inning.^[5] He also performed poorly with the ball, four wickets at 75.00 with a best of 2/28.^[6] His single List-A match of this season also saw a poor batting return of 2 runs,^[7] and his bowling returned one wicket at 38.00.^[8] The winter of 1977/78 saw Wynter play in only two matches, registering three ducks and a score of five not out to leave him with an average of 5.00 from the bat in first-class matches.^[5] His bowling in the same format again featured poor returns, with just a single wicket at 81.00.^[5] He was not required to bat in the List-A matches of this season,^[7] however his one-day bowling figures improved with four wickets at 14/50 including a career best 3/15.^[8]

During the winter of 1978/79, Wynter did not feature in any first-class matches,^[5][6] and he did not bat in his one List-A appearance,^[7] though he did take one wicket for 18 runs.^[8] The 1979/80 season saw Wynter return for one match, scoring 12 runs and a duck to leave him with a season average of 6.00, a career best thus far.^[5] His bowling returned two wickets at 42.00 each in these first-class matches,^[6] though he did not play any one-day cricket that season.^[7][8] Wynter's appearances became more sporadic in the 1980/81 season, where he did not make a first-class appearance.^[5][6] In his two first class matches he scored seven runs at 3.50,^[7] and found success with the ball, with three wickets at 14.33, his best figures since 1976.^[8]

Tour of South Africa

The 1981/82 season was Wynter's last for Jamaica. He appeared in five first-class matches, scoring 15 runs at a career best 15.00.^[5] He also reached career best figures with the ball, taking 14 wickets at 32.85.^[6] He also scored 13 runs at 6.50 from five List-A matches,^[7] and took four wickets at 46.00.^[8] Over the winter of 1982/83, Wynter left Jamaica and controversially toured South Africa with the West Indies XI, drawing heavy criticism due to the tour's breaking a sports ban then in existence against South Africa as punishment for its racial policy of apartheid. Wynters played one first-class match on 28 February 1983,^[9] scoring nine runs and a not out duck, which left him with an average of 9.00.^[5] He also took two wickets at 29.50,^[6] those of Kevin McKenzie and Garth Le Roux, and he also caught Jimmy Cook off the bowling of Franklyn Stephenson.^[9]

For taking part in the rebel tour, Wynter received a life ban from professional cricket. He subsequently settled in the United States.^[1][2]

Notes

External links

• Player profile: Ray Wynter from ESPNcricinfo
• Player Profile: Ray Wynter from Cricket Archive