BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Hundreds of mourners flocked to Kensington Oval on Friday as legendary West Indies batsman Seymour Nurse played his final innings.
People from all walks of life including Governor General Dame Sandra Mason; Prime Minister Mia Mottley and almost her entire Cabinet, as well as National Hero Sir Garry Sobers was among several former and current West Indies players in attendance.
Nurse, who played 29 Tests between 1960 and 1969, passed away on May 6 at age 85 after battling illness.
He scored 2523 runs at an average of 47.60, along with six hundreds and 10 half-centuries.
Former Chief Justice Sir David Simmons spoke highly of Nurse in a glowing eulogy.
He said there were few men who could bat as good as Nurse.
“Seymour McDonald Nurse belonged to the pantheon of Barbadian and West Indian batting aristocrats. It means those who were not vocally boisterous, but who batted with a boisterous and exuberant mastery that was granted to few men in Test cricket, men who entered into the highest class of Test batsmanship.
“Seymour was a classical player…his strokes were so cultured, so elegant and so refined,” Sir David said.
In a moving tribute, Sir Wes Hall said Nurse was well loved and respected by his colleagues.
“Off the field he was quiet, friendly and unflappable. On the field he was disciplined with a brilliant works ethic, good manners, compassionate with dignity, that few of us can even conceive the manner in which his gifted spirit move,” Sir Wes said.
Tributes were also paid by former Barbados and West Indies opening batsman Desmond Haynes, president of the Barbados Cricket Association Conde Riley and president of the Empire Club Adrian King.