George Headley

Cricketer, born in Colon, N Panama, Central America. The greatest pre-war West Indian batsman, he was sometimes called ‘The Black Bradman’ as the nearest batting rival to the Australian. He made his debut for Jamaica in 1928 and for the West Indies in 1930, playing in 22 Test matches (1930–54), and scoring 2190 runs (average 60·83), including 10 centuries. He scored 270 not out v. England at Kingston in 1934–5, and a century in each innings v. England at Lord's in 1939. The first black captain of the West Indies (v. England, Bridgetown in 1947–8), he shared a world record 6th-wicket stand of 487 not out with C C Passailague for Jamaica v. Lord Tennyson's XI in 1930–1. Headley founded a three-generation Test cricket dynasty: his son Ron opened the batting for the West Indies in 1973, and grandson Dean began to bowl for England in 1997.

George Alphonso Headley (born May 30, 1909 in Panama;