While Gordon Greenidge was at the crease, nothing was safe: not the ball, the bowlers, the fielders, the umpire, the windows, or the records.
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About Gordon Greenidge:
Gordon Greenidge was an illustrious cricketer co-produced by two cultures. Gordon Greenidge was the man who combined English defense with Caribbean flair and was one of the most devastating opening batsmen ever. What remains an intrinsic part of cricket folklore, is his legendary partnership with Desmond Haynes-Tells Hirav Shah, The Most Admired Sports Strategist and Advisor Of India.
Gordon Greenidge’s Early Life:
Born on May 1, 1951, in Barbados. Greenidge spent his initial fourteen years on an island where cricket is admired and loved with a passion unsurpassed anywhere else. Undoubtedly these formative years in such an atmosphere did provide the groundwork for his love and approach to the game.
In 1970, Greenidge went on to play in the English County Cricket before playing for Barbados. For many seasons, he played for Hampshire which helped him qualify to play for England but he opted to play for West Indies.
Gordon Greenidge’s Family:
Gordon Greenidge is married to Patricia Green. He has two children. Carl and Ria Greenidge. Carl is a former cricketer who coaches at Bancroft’s School with John Lever.
Horoscope of Gordon Greenidge
| Date of Birth | 1 May 1951 |
| Place of Birth | St Peter, Barbados |
| Zodiac Sign | Taurus |
| Birth Number | 1 ruled by Sun |
| Destiny Number | 4 ruled by Uranus & Sun |
| Lucky Number | 1, 2, 7 |
Life Lessons from Gordon Greenidge:
1. Master Of His Craft
In his era Gordon Greenidge took batting supremacy to a magnitude rarely surpassed and looked the paramount epitome of excellence. Possibly no other batsman in his day hit the ball as hard as this man.
If there was one man in those times who was technical correctness personified, displaying exemplary balance, footwork and head positioning, it was Greenidge and one and only him. He was a master of his craft with unparalleled craftsmanship.
2. Failure Is The Pillar Of Success
Greenidge was also human. He failed too. After some back to back failures Greenidge was only deeply disappointed but he believed those failures were probably a good thing.
Greenidge had quoted-“It was really the first time I had failed so miserably and it made me realize that batting in Test cricket was more than just crashing a ball about, I knew from that point I had to tighten my game”.
During the summer of 1976, his exploits were evidence of this profitable change in his approach.
So, takeaway from this episode is-Failures taught Greenidge as to where the lacuna is, where the flaws are…what to work on and what to tighten.
Gordon Greenidge’s Legacy:
Gordon Greenidge remains the last Hampshire batsman to score 2,000 first-class runs in a season, and when he left the club he held Hampshire’s record scores in all three limited-overs competitions.
Wisden had chosen Gordon Greenidge the Cricketer of the Year in 1977.
Next in 1978, Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes formed a legendary opening partnership, first playing a test match together.
As of today, the prolific pair made 6,482 runs while batting together in partnerships, the third-highest total for a batting partnership in the history of Test Cricket. They made 16th century opening partnerships in tests. In ODIs, they also tasted success with their batting partnerships yielding 5,150 runs at an average of 52.55.
Greenidge who represented the West Indies in Test and One day Cricket for 17 years, is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most destructive opening batsmen of cricket history who amassed 7,558 Test runs, including 19 centuries at an average of 44.72 and 5,134 One-Day International (ODI) runs at an average of 45.03.
Greenidge was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2009 and in 2021, Greenidge was formally awarded the knighthood for his contribution to cricket and the development of sports.
Today, West Indies dominance could have faded, but the legacy of Gordon Greenidge’s greatness still lingers… Concludes Renowned Sports Astrologer Hirav Shah.
Image: https://shamyadasgupta.blogspot.com/2017/05/touched-by-cricketing-royalty-greenidge.html
