Winston Reid is fondly remembered by Somerset Cricket Club
Bermuda cricket is mourning the death of local legend Winston Reid, who recently passed away at age 75 following a bout with illness.
After moving to Bermuda from his native Barbados at the age of 21, the batter made a name for himself playing for Somerset in Cup Match and starred for Bermuda at the ICC Trophy, the forerunner to the Cricket World Cup Qualifier.
He made his introduction in local cricket with Somerset Bridge before heading farther west to join Somerset, where he later served as a coach and groundsman after packing away his cricket gear.
Reid also represented Willow Cuts and Warwick in the Western Counties and made three appearances for Bermuda at the ICC Trophy in 1979, 1982 and 1986.
He was a member of Randy Horton’s famous 1979 Cup Match team that ended St George’s near-two-decade stranglehold on the coveted trophy at Somerset Cricket Club.
Winston Reid, front row, third left, with Somerset’s victorious 1979 Cup Match team (File photograph)
Reid made his Cup Match debut in 1977, which he fondly recalled in a 2012 interview with The Royal Gazette.
“I hit four fours and was one of the seven lbw decisions given that year by Mr Luther Wilkin. I played up to 1988 and only missed one year,” he said.
Reid made 11 appearances in Cup Match, scoring 345 runs in 19 innings with a high score of 82.
Among the highlights of his international career for Bermuda was stroking the highest individual score (128) by a local batter against Malaysia at the 1982 ICC Trophy at the Wednesbury Ground in England.
He also shared in what was believed to be a record 211-run opening partnership with Somerset Cup Match team-mate Gladstone “Sad” Brown, who predeceased him, in the same match.
“We heard that this was a world record for a 60-overs game,” Reid said.
“Interestingly enough, the record stood for one day. Zimbabwe surpassed this record the very next day in their tournament game.
“Sad [Brown] was an opening batsman that everybody said was too slow, but he actually reached his century before me. We were great partners and great friends.
“I also enjoyed a match against Holland in 1986. I opened the batting and scored 50 runs. It was a see-saw battle all the way but we eventually won by a close margin.”
Reid held the record for the highest individual tally by a local batter at the ICC Trophy for 23 years before Janeiro Tucker cracked 132 against the United States in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 2005 to clinch Bermuda’s spot in the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies.
He was also Bermuda’s leading scorer at the ICC Trophy, stroking 697 runs at an average of 36.68 until being eclipsed by Clay Smith (725).
“Records are meant to be broken and are something that has always been the least of my worries,” said Reid, who also served as national team selector.
“If I ever worried about breaking records, then I would’ve been the most selfish person in the world.”
Reid’s career began at the age of 14, playing as a wicketkeeper-batter for Sun Stars in his native Barbados, where he initially groomed his skills on the streets.
Late Bermuda captain Gladstone “Sad” Brown shared in a 211-run opening partnership with Winston Reid at the 1982 ICC Trophy competition in England (File photograph)
“We used to play on the streets of Barbados. When the cars came along, we just moved the wicket to the side until the car passed,” Reid recalled.
“We didn’t have any shoes on our feet but no one worried about the tarmac. We used the wide part of a coconut tree branch for the wicket and the thinner part for the bat.
“There were two types of balls. One was made of cloth that was wrapped real tight. We used to get the rubber from a bike inner tube and wrap this around the cloth. Sometimes we would use two or three bits of the tube. This made the ball very bouncy. That’s why we learned how to hook at an early age. Some of the bowlers used to chuck the ball, so as a result a few guys tore off old pieces of cardboard and put them under their shirts for protective gear.
“The other type of ball was made with the wrapped cloth as well. However, we used knitted string around the outside with this type of ball. Those were my best days.”
Richard Scott, the Somerset Cricket Club president, said Reid’s passing has “touched” the Somerset community.
“This truly is a sad time for the Somerset community in the passing of Mr Winston Reid, who represented Somerset Cricket Club in the domestic cricket league as a player and senior coach,” he said.
“Additionally, Mr Reid was an opening batsman for Somerset in the Cup Match Classic for several years.
“Mr Reid’s passing certainly has touched the Somerset community at large as he was a well-known upholsterer who provided that service to many of us in the Sandys community. His smile was affectionate and unforgettable and that complemented his favourite saying, ‘Hey, listen’, in that thick Bajan accent.
“Mr Reid’s invaluable contributions on the field of play as a coach and groundsman will never be forgotten and forever cherished. We will certainly miss him in his favourite spot in the northwest corner of the Somerset Cricket Club ground.
“On behalf of the Somerset Cricket Club officers and members, we extend our sincere condolences to Mr Reid’s wife, Glenda, and the entire family and friends.
“May God’s love, grace and peace be with everyone during this time of mourning. May the legacy of such a gentleman live on in our hearts.”
