Bruce Pairaudeau: Frenchman and first Guyanese to score a hundred on Test debut

 
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by Abhishek Mukherjee

Not too many Frenchmen have played Test cricket. Richie Benaud, of course, was one, as was his brother. Andy Ganteaume, a third, is known to every self-respecting cricket quizzer.

And then there was Sachin Dev Burman-lookalike Bruce Pairaudeau, the first Guyanese (and third West Indian) to score a hundred on Test debut.

That was against India in 1952-53. He played 13 Tests, eventually touring England in 1957 – his last international series.

The England tour was significant, for it was the third of the three three ambitions of his life: to play for West Indies, to score a Test hundred for them, and to tour England.

Now that all three had been achieved, he started making other plans – though the growing political turmoil in Guyana had to do with that.

He had toured New Zealand in 1956-57 and had instantly fallen in love with the country. Now he decided to settle there. The "escape" was not easy. The tickets had to be procured without anyone knew.

Sammy Guillen of Trinidad had taken a similar decision. After playing 5 Tests for West Indies, Guillen played 3 more for New Zealand. Guillen's decision might have influenced Pairaudeau's.

Pairaudeau did not play for New Zealand, but he did play domestic cricket there with some distinction, rising through the ranks quickly to become Northern Districts captain.

In 1962-63 he led them to their maiden Plunket Shield title – not bad for a West Indian Test cricketer of French origin.

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However, Pairaudeau's most ridiculous on-field act came in the famous Edgbaston Test of 1957, where May and Cowdrey famously added added 411 for the fourth wicket to turn the series on its head.

Before all that, England were bowled out for 186 in the first innings. Trueman then yorked Pairaudeau for 1. West Indies were 83/1 at stumps on Day 1, with Kanhai and Walcott at the crease.

Then Walcott pulled a leg muscle next morning, and Pairaudeau, the only dismissed batsman at that point, had to come out as runner. He ran for almost 200 minutes for Walcott.

Kanhai and Weekes had meanwhile fallen at the other end. Collie Smith walked out after Walcott departed, but there was little respite for Pairaudeau. Sobers fell soon, and with Worrell, the new batsman, also requiring a runner, Pairaudeau was summoned again.

And Worrell batted for five hours.

If one adds the 14 minutes of Pairaudeau's own innings, he was out there for over 500 minutes – about eight sessions of cricket today – for a grand total of one run against his name.

Bruce Pairaudeau was born on April 14, 1931.