October marks Black History Month, where Worcestershire County Cricket Club will be proudly recognising some of the great names to have represented the county in its grand 160-year history.
A whole host of prestigious names have represented the Pears during that time, with some famous faces helping shape the club’s path through the years, who will be celebrated over the course of October.
Allan Esmond Warner
Before joining Worcestershire in 1982, Allan Warner had played for M&B in Birmingham and also in the Leeward Islands.
His time at New Road was relatively short lived, featuring in 28 matches across three seasons, but it was at Derbyshire that he really made his mark as a consistent, wicket taking seam bowler over 12 seasons.
Warner continued to take wickets in the Birmingham League well into his 40s and in 2000 he appeared for the Worcestershire Cricket Board in the NatWest Trophy.
Ricardo McDonald ‘Ricky’ Ellcock
Born Bridgetown, Barbados, Ricardo Ellcock came to prominence while at Malvern College, where he was the fastest schoolboy bowler in the country.
He made his Worcestershire debut aged 17 in 1982 and represented the county over the next seven years. His career was hampered by injury and in 1989 he moved to Middlesex.
He was a surprise pick for the England tour of the Caribbean that winter, but a stress fracture whilst bowling in the nets ended his tour before it had begun.
He attempted a comeback in 1991 but was never able to regain full fitness.
Ellcock trained as an airline pilot and became Virgin Atlantic’s first black captain.
Collis Llewellyn King
Collis King’s finest hour was the blistering 86 he scored off just 66 balls in the 1979 World Cup Final for the victorious West Indies against England at Lord’s.
On his Worcestershire debut in the County Championship in May 1983, he scored 123 against Somerset at New Road – the first Pears century on debut for 52 years.
He followed that up with 127 at Guildford against Surrey in the Sunday League in August.
His time at Worcester was short lived, playing just two first class and 11 one day games.
For the West Indies, King played in nine tests and 18 one day internationals with one century, scoring exactly 100 not out against New Zealand.
Kenneth Charlie Griffith ‘Kenny’ Benjamin
In his lone season at New Road, Antigua-born Kenny Benjamin picked up 37 first class wickets at 24.62 with a best of 6-70 against Somerset.
Although he had made his test debut for the West Indies in their first ever test against South Africa in 1992, it wasn’t until a spell of 6-66 against England in 1994 that he really made his mark as an international cricketer.
During the West Indies tour of England in 1995 he finished the most prolific bowler with 23 wickets.
After his playing career Benjamin coached various teams including the United States national side in the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy.
Paul Anthony Thomas
Paul Thomas burst onto the first class scene in a dramatic debut for Worcestershire against the West Indies in 1995, taking 5-70.
He was seen as a potential successor to Neal Radford and Phil Newport, but despite being quick enough to discomfort batters he proved expensive and a number of injuries hindered his cause.
In total, Thomas played 21 first class matches for Worcestershire taking 51 wickets.
He represented Shropshire and Herefordshire in the Minor Counties Championship and was part of the Herefordshire side that won a famous victory against Middlesex, a game in which he dismissed Andrew Strauss in the first over of the match.
