CARIBBEAN CRICKET IN NOTTINGHAM TO BE PRESERVED IN PRINT

The rich history of Caribbean cricket in the city of Nottingham is to be recorded in print following an event dedicated to harvesting memories of how cricket helped the Windrush generation and their families to settle in the city.

Nottinghamshire's community engagement officer, Farah Khan, is working with the Windrush Cricket Project to gather oral histories from Caribbean cricketers.

Farah organised an event last month, which coincided with Trent Bridge hosting the Men’s Test against West Indies, when the club was welcomed into the project.

Held at the African-Caribbean National Artistic Centre, and featuring former England quick Devon Malcolm, memories of Caribbean cricket in Nottingham were shared and celebrated.

Farah has been working with the Windrush Cricket Project to gather oral histories from Caribbean cricketers. The project, seed-funded by the Cultural Lab at University College London and supported by Caribbean Cricket Archives and This Is Black Britain, will compile the histories into a book and journals.

Visitors spoke to Montaz Marche, lead researcher of the Caribbean Cricket Archives, who then joined an evening panel which discussed how cricket, and sport generally, can have a galvanising impact on communities.

The panel included Malcolm, who was born in Jamaica but came to England to study and went on to play 40 Tests for England.

“At the Caribbean Cricket Archive we have held workshops across the country to gather stories and gain knowledge of how cricket played an enormous part in communities,” Montaz said.

“It was great to bring Nottingham into the mix and we heard some wonderful stories. Now we will expand those a little bit to think about the major players, the leagues and the legends like Devon Malcolm and draw the community into that larger narrative.

“The smaller clubs are integral to the story but only part of an even bigger story to tell. Caribbean cricket clubs played such a huge role for the post-war migrant community, as a galvanising point for social and community relations but also in terms of changing the perceptions of West Indian people within various spaces across the UK.

“A lot of these histories were not recorded so we want to capture this wonderful history that might be lost.”

At the event in Nottingham, Malcolm recalled how he received his first offer to play professional cricket, from Derbyshire, after bowling out Yorkshire and England great Geoffrey Boycott as a 21-year-old playing for the Sheffield League against a Yorkshire XI in 1984.

That launched a career which brought 1,054 first-class wickets with the sort of thrilling fast-bowling for which Caribbean cricketers were famed in that era.

“Those great West Indies teams gave such pride to their people but also excitement to the whole cricket world,” he said.

“Wherever I go in the world now, people ask ‘when will the West Indies be strong again? It is so important that we remember and celebrate the impact that West Indies cricket and cricketers have had, not just at the very top level but in clubs and communities, because that will create interest and help make them strong again.”

Farah Khan was delighted that Nottingham hosted the event and that the city’s Caribbean cricket history will now be properly recorded.

“The Windrush Cricket Project’s presence in Nottingham, coinciding with the West Indies’ match, was a thrilling development,” she said.

“It not only celebrated the historical contributions of Caribbean cricketers in Nottingham but also strengthened the ties between the community and the sport. This fantastic initiative will only enrich the understanding and appreciation of the Caribbean influence on cricket in Nottingham, ensuring these stories are preserved for future generations.

“The Windrush project is a joy to be part of and is just part of our engaging with community partners to organise events and activities to spread the word of cricket in and around Nottingham. This year we have already organised Chinese New Year, Eid prayers, Ramadan and Diwali at Trent Bridge Cricket ground and we are really keen to each out to communities who have attended Trent Bridge for the first time.”