‘A full and well-lived cricketing life’ is an apt description of the memoirs of Jackie Hendriks who, in a career spanning sixty years, served Kingston Cricket Club, Jamaica, and the West Indies in every sphere from player, selector, team manager, and administrator as well as allied careers as match referee and cricket broadcast analyst.

In addition to giving detailed descriptions of the Test matches in which he was a participant behind the stumps, Hendrik’s memoirs provide insights into the personalities of some of the legendary West Indian cricketers of the decades of the ‘60s and ‘70s, as well as behind the scenes views into dressing room and team meeting happenings. One notable example is the lead up to, and eventual decision to send Roy Gilchrist home during the 1958 series against India and Pakistan that effectively ended a most promising cricketing career.

Jackie made his name as a wicketkeeper, but he was also a capable lower-order batsman. As a wicketkeeper, he was reliable whether standing up or back and he has the distinction of keeping on three occasions without conceding a bye in totals exceeding 500 runs. He made his Test debut in 1962 against India where he top-scored in the match with 64 runs despite having a broken finger. Jackie went on to play against Australia, India, New Zealand, and England before retiring in 1969.

In retirement, Jackie Hendrks became a leading administrator with stints as manager of the 1984 and 1988 West Indies tours of England and 1997 and 2006 tenures as president of the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA). In addition to cricket, Jackie was also a keen golfer and a familiar face advertising several well-known brands during the 1960s.

With the publication of these memoirs on the eve of his ninety-first birthday, Jackie Hendriks will have created a record not matched by any West Indian cricketer and arguably not by any cricketer of a Test playing country, being the oldest to have written and published his memoirs.