Easton Dudley Ashley St John McMorris (4 April 1935 – 1 February 2022), a former Jamaica captain and West Indies cricketer, has passed away at the age of 86.
He participated in 13 Tests between 1958 and 1966. He is a past student of Kingston College.
McMorris was part of a team that included Sir Everton Weekes, Sir Garry Sobers, and Sir Conrad Hunte when he made his Test debut against Pakistan in the West Indies’ 1958 match at Queen’s Park Oval.
McMorris was an opening batsman. He scored a Test century against India in Sabina Park in the 1961-62 series. He also added 255 for the second wicket alongside Rohan Kanhai. He toured England in 1963 and 1966 with the West Indies team. It was said that the pitches in England were greener and slower. He scored 190 not out against Middlesex in 1963, but it took 400 minutes.
Between 1958 and 1966, the right-hand opening batsman scored 564 runs on an average of 26.85. He was able to score a century against Pakistan in 1962 as well.
“I had the opportunity to have a few conversations with Mr McMorris over the years.” Ricky Skerritt, CWI president, said that he was an inspiring and selfless man. “Easton was an unwavering stalwart in the game, and he contributed greatly at all levels of the game, both on and off the pitch.”
“He was a leader of the Lucas Cricket Club, continuing the legacy of George Headley.” He retired from playing cricket and served as a manager for the Jamaica Cricket team.
McMorris was a great captain for Jamaica and won the coveted Shell Shield.
As a captain, Morris was a skilled thinker and a smart tactician, and he was well-respected by both his teammates and his opponents. He was a determined batsman who valued his wicket.
West Indies Cricket: 1950s – 1960s Era
The West Indies began playing Test cricket in 1928, they were a formidable team when they beat England in England in 1950.
However, Test cricket became slow-paced and monotonous in the 1950s and people started to move away from it. There were too many accounts of slow scoring games with cautious batting and efficient bowling.
West Indies team made a significant difference in this sad state with their refreshing approach to the game.
Although West Indies might not have been the most successful cricket team in history, they provided unsurpassed enjoyment to cricket fans. Their fans are still able to remember their refreshing style of playing cricket. They brought entertainment and sportsmanship back to cricket, as well as the passion of the fans by the late 1950s in the Easton McMorris era.
The Caribbean islands were still under colonial control until the 1960s. Their cricket administration was done by the West Indies Cricket Control Board (WICB), which was established in 1920. It also adhered to colonial norms regarding class and differentiation. Even though there were many skilled and worthy native players, the captainship would always go to an amateur from Britain. However, things were changing quickly.
The 1960-61 West Indies tour to Australia was a memorable one in many ways. The Australian captain Frank Worrell and Richie Benaud had made a vow to play entertaining and attacking cricket before the series began. The first Test at Brisbane ended as a tie. Gary Sobers scored 132 runs in scintillating fashion on the first day. Wes Hall played his heart out on day four. Australia needed six runs to win, but had three wickets remaining.
The remaining four Tests were played in the same competitive spirit and the spectators returned to watch exciting cricket. The fifth Test was played in Melbourne. A record breaking 90,800 spectators watched it. Although the West Indians lost the rubber by 2-1, their play gained them immense popularity. A large crowd of Melbourne residents gathered to wish them goodbye as they left Australia.
This started a new era of cricket with an exciting play that Easton McMorris was able to contribute as a Jamaica captain and West Indies batsman. As we approach Jamaica’s 60th anniversary of Independence we salute Easton McMorris.
