Last Friday Seymour MacDonald Nurse made his final appearance at the famous Kensington Oval in Barbados. The sad occasion, the funeral for the former West Indies middle batsman who had passed away on the 6th May, at the age of 85, following a long illness, was attended by many of his former colleagues, including his former captain, Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Wes Hall and Sir Charlie Griffith.
Nurse’s name may not ring a bell with West Indies cricket fans of recent vintage, especially those more familiar with the dominant opening pair of the 1980s, Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes. In his time, Nurse, a dashing middle order batsman, faced a similar challenge to those West Indian opening batsmen who strove to dislodge that established pairing.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the West Indies middle order included the names of the three W’s, – Everton Weekes, Frank Worrell, Clyde Walcott – Sobers, Rohan Kanhai, Basil Butcher and Joe Solomon. Lesser men might have despaired at the daunting prospect of trying to crack that line-up, not Nurse.
Nurse’s chance finally came in the Third Test of the 1959/60 series versus England when Worrell injured an ankle. He was selected after putting the MCC (in those days England toured under the MCC banner) bowling attack of Fred Trueman and Brian Statham to the sword whilst compiling 213 in six and a quarter hours, and sharing a third wicket partnership of 306 with Sobers, as Barbados compiled their highest ever total against the eventually defeated visitors. Nurse, who duly struck 70 on Test debut but was not retained for the next Test as Worrell returned, would go on to experience a stop-start pattern to his Test career and not command a regular place in the side until the 1966 tour of England.
In that English summer it all came good for Nurse. “During the tour he had established himself in the eyes of the English followers as a stroke-maker fit to line up with credit beside the likes of George Headley, Frank Worrell and Everton Weekes. For the first time he had played throughout a Test series, and in the process hit 501 runs, second only to his illustrious captain, Garfield Sobers. What more could any cricketer ask?” the 1967 edition of the Wisden Cricketers Almanack noted in its tribute to Nurse, who was selected as one of the Five Cricketers of the Year. The highlights included 137 at Headingley and 93 in difficult circumstances at Trent Bridge.
Nurse, his own man, would depart the Test arena shortly thereafter, when many felt he still had a lot to offer. His identical twin daughters had been born three months before the 1966 trip to England and Nurse did not relish the prospect of being away from them for such long periods as tours necessitated and announced his intention to retire following the 1968/69 tour of Australia. Persuaded by Sobers to stay on for the second leg, a three Test series in New Zealand, Nurse’s exit bears no comparison.
In the first of the four day Tests, Nurse led the West Indies to the then second highest successful run chase in the history of the game. Set 345 in five and a quarter hours, Nurse, who followed his first innings knock of 95 with a swashbuckling innings of 168 in three hours and thirty-five minutes, inspired the West Indies to a five wicket victory with ten minutes to spare. In the Third Test, Nurse stood head and shoulders above everyone else, as apart from Joey Carew’s 91, no one got 30. His final test innings of 258, which was compiled in poor light and lasted almost eight hours, is still the highest score by a batsman in a final Test. In the three matches Nurse had accumulated the astounding total of 558 runs whilst averaging 115.83 in his final six innings. In the one-month tour, Nurse scored 829 runs at an astounding average of 91.8.
Nurse’s numbers of 2,528 runs, inclusive of six centuries in 29 Tests, at an average of 47.60 do not belie his contribution or impact on cricket in the region. His appearances might have been limited by the time of the Age, but Nurse, who continued to represent Barbados for the next few years in the Shell Shield competition and his local club Empire well into middle age, imparted his knowledge and love of the game to generations of school and club cricketers as coach for the National Sports Council in Barbados. Nurse, who served as national selector, also managed both the senior and junior Barbadian sides in regional tournaments.
As tributes continue to pour in from around the cricketing world, it begins to dawn how great a loss West Indies cricket has suffered. From the remaining few who were fortunate to see him bat, we can still listen to descriptions of his exquisite cover driving, as we give thanks for his contribution to West Indies cricket.
