Walsh takes 500

Clive Lloyd was West Indies captain, Forbes Burnham, president of Guyana; Tom Adams, Prime Minister of Barbados, and Nelson Mandela still had more than six years in Robben Island Prison when a gangling 21-year-old fast bowler from Jamaica made his Test debut for the West Indies.

The date was November 9, 1984. The venue was the WACA in Perth, the opposition was Australia and Courtney Walsh was just joining a West Indies team in the middle of a winning streak of 11 successive Tests.

More than 15 years and 129 Tests on, at an age when most bowlers whose stock in trade is pace have usually long since retired, Walsh claimed his 500th Test wicket at the Queen's Park Oval yesterday. His victim was South African Jacques Kallis on the third day of the second Test.

"It's been a big drain just thinking about it from the beginning of the series," said Walsh. "I'm happy to get this out of the way.

"I'm just hoping to get through the series here. I don't think 600 is on the cards."

He said before this match that he was hoping to get his 500th wicket here "to get it out of the way".

Walsh considered retiring after the West Indies tour of England last summer but decided to continue when his long-time fast bowling partner Curtly Ambrose quit then.

"It wasn't very easy to continue playing but when Curtly left, I didn't think it was right to leave at the same time," he said. "It wouldn't have been a good time to move away and leave a wide gap (in the team) so I made the decision to stay."

It was a landmark that was beyond comprehension when he bowled his first ball in Test cricket in Australia's second innings all those years ago. After all, Dennis Lillee, the great Australian fast bowler, was then Test cricket's leading wicket-taker with what seemed an insurmountable 355.

Darrell Hair's lbw decision to sent Kallis for a second-ball duck was shown by television replays to be another error by the uncertain Australian umpire. But it mattered not to West Indians on and off the field.

An elated Walsh was immediately engulfed by his teammates on the field while the 5 000 fans scattered around the Queen's Park Oval celebrated as only they can.

On Kallis' dismissal, the electronic scoreboard flashed: Congratulations, Courtney! 500 Wickets! As Walsh walked back to his fielding position on the boundary, fans rushed to the fence to acclaim his achievement and seek his autograph. The West Indies players formed a guard of honour as the teams left the field at tea. The first man to greet him at the steps to the pavilion in congratulations was a fellow fast bowler, Alan Donald, South Africa's leading wicket-taker with 318.

Jamaican Prime Minister P.J. Patterson was hooked up by telephone from Kingston to pass on his acclaim and Walsh was presented with a trophy to mark the feat. Walsh has played more Tests than any West Indian since and sent down more overs than anyone in Test cricket.

Walsh also took his 400th Test wicket at the Queen's Park Oval two years ago when he dismissed Australian batsman Ian Healy. His latest milestone came nearly a year after he surpassed Kapil Dev, the Indian all-rounder, as Test cricket's leading wicket-taker. He dismissed Zimbabwean last man Henry Olonga in the second Test at Sabina Park in his native Kingston, Jamaica, for his 435th wicket to eclipse Kapil's mark. Kapil remains second with 434.

Walsh has declared that this will be his last series. He intends to make it a Jamaica farewell after the fifth Test at Sabina Park, April 19 to 23.