“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” – Philippians 4:13

In my last column, I shared how my love affair with cricket began in Barbados. That passion traveled with me when I won a scholarship in September 1960 to attend the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, Jamaica. While my performance in secondary school guided me toward a degree in Mathematics, I had no idea what my passion would eventually be.

Upon arriving in Mona, I played a few cricket practice sessions with students from all over the Caribbean, including “Teddy” Griffith from Barbados, the captain of the UWI team. I was selected to join the team to play in the Senior Cup Division, Jamaica’s premier division.

Frank Worrell (later Sir Frank), who served as Warden of Irvine Hall at Mona, was a member of our team. What an experience fielding in slips to his left-arm swing bowling or batting with him in the middle. His mastery as a right-handed batsman was so commanding it felt like it extended to the batsman at the other end.

I played for UWI in the Senior Cup competition for three years, complemented by inter-hall and inter-faculty matches. One of my earliest memories from this period was my first ball in senior cup cricket to J.K. Holt (junior). He edged the ball, but the wicket-keeper did not oblige – a moment both nerve-wracking and unforgettable.

During this time, we played against WI cricket stalwarts like Gerry Alexander and Jackie Hendricks. I was proud of many slip catches and a five-wicket haul. At the inter-faculty level, I struck a stream of form with three consecutive scores of over 75 runs.

At the end of my first year at UWI in 1961, we went on a week-long cricket tour to Belize. At the time, British West Indies Airways operated only one weekly flight to Belize. We concluded a successful cricket tour when Hurricane Hattie struck, the strongest and deadliest cyclone of the 1961 Atlantic hurricane season. It reached peak intensity as a Category 5 hurricane and descended upon us. The runway was flooded, leaving us stranded for a week.

During my second year, my love for cricket led to more adventures. Between studies, I played friendly “curry goat” matches, traveling around Jamaica whenever my schedule permitted. In these matches, we encountered Lester King, a Jamaican and West Indian cricketer known as Jamaica’s fastest bowler at the time.

We went on a tour to Guyana in 1962 as a combined Mona and St. Augustine team. Cave Hill had not yet been established. During this tour, I reconnected with my Harrison College classmate David Holford, who was on the St. Augustine team. While bowling to him in the nets, I generated natural away movement off the pitch, which had him checking his stroke. David stared down the wicket and asked, “Basil, what is this I am seeing here?” That moment still brings a smile to my face.

After completing my BSc Maths degree with a first-class average, I went to the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, to pursue a Master’s in Statistical Science. Cricket remained a constant companion. I made the University of Wales team, whose players are selected from Cardiff, Swansea, Aberystwyth and Bangor campuses.

That summer in 1964, we reached the finals of the inter-university cricket league, where we faced Loughborough University – renowned for its sporting excellence. Though we lost, I picked up a five-wicket haul. That summer in England, I crossed paths with Sir Frank Worrel again, four years prior to his untimely death at 42. He noticed a five-wicket haul by a B. Springer recorded in the press and enquired, “Was that you?” The pride and encouragement resonated deeply with me.

I then moved to London to pursue a PhD in Statistics and Operations Research at the Imperial College of Science and Technology. After completing my doctorate, I interned as a Biometrician at Rothamsted Experimental Station before taking up my first job as a Biometrician in the Faculty of Agriculture at UWI, St Augustine.

Cricket remained a part of my life, as I spent four fulfilling years playing club cricket in London, where I was team captain. My academic and cricketing journeys have taken me to incredible places, allowing me to balance intellectual pursuits with my love for the field.

(Dr. Basil Springer GCM is a corporate governance adviser. You may reach him via email at basilgf@marketplaceexcellence.com. His columns may be found at https://www.nothingbeatsbusiness.com.)