Easton McMorris, a former Jamaican cricket captain and West Indies batsman, passed away on Tuesday. He died at the age of 86 after a recent illness.
His death has sent shock waves through the cricket community, with praise and sadness coming from many of his friends, teammates, and colleagues. His West Indies teammate and friend Jackie Hendricks, who knew him from high school, told the Jamaica Observer: “The cricket fraternity has lost a person who had the interest of Jamaica and West Indies cricket deep in his heart.”
Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Wednesday paid tribute to McMorris. CWI President Ricky Skerritt said McMorris was “a true stalwart of the game and contributed significantly at all levels, on and off the field.”
“I had the privilege to engage with Mr. McMorris on a few occasions over the years. I found him to be an encouraging and selfless gentleman. On behalf of CWI, I want to send condolences to his family and the entire cricket fraternity in Jamaica,” Skerritt said.
“He was a leader at the Lucas Cricket Club, carrying on the legacy established by the great George Headley. After retirement from playing, he gave yeoman service as a board member of the Jamaica Cricket Association and as manager of the Jamaica cricket team.”
McMorris’ cricket career
McMorris made his Test debut for West Indies against Pakistan at Queen’s Park Oval in 1958 in a team alongside Sir Everton Weekes, Sir Garfield Sobers, and Sir Conrad Hunte. He played 13 Test matches and scored one century at an average of 26.85. His highest score was 125 against India at Sabina Park in 1962.
The right-hand opening batsman was an outstanding captain for Jamaica, with his feats including winning the coveted Shell Shield. He started playing for Jamaica in 1956 and was captain between 1968 and 1972. He dedicated most of his batting skills to Jamaica. In regional cricket, he scored 5,906 runs at an average of 42.18 and was five short of his 100th appearance.
Before playing for Jamaica, McMorris played for Kingston College and Lucas Cricket Club, where he became a trustee. After his playing days in cricket, he contributed at the management level.
McMorris takes the lead.
He was chairman of the selection panel for the Jamaica Cricket Board, was a selector for the West Indies Cricket Board, and served on the Development Committee of the Jamaica Cricket Association. In 2009 he was made Chairman of the Planning Committee for the George Headley Centenary. He also worked as a cricket analyst and resource person for radio and television in Jamaica.
In 1972 the Jamaican government bestowed on him the national honor of the Order of Distinction for outstanding and vital service. The Jamaica Cricket Association also made him an Honorary Life Member. McMorris was also an author. His only book was Jamaica Cricket As I See It: A Selection from the Archives, 1850 – 1970.
CWI said that McMorris “led from the front” as a captain. “He was an astute thinker of the game, a shrewd tactician, and was respected by his teammates and opponents. He was a very determined batsman who valued his wicket. The region has lost a true and life-long servant of the game,” it said.
Maurice Foster, who also played for Jamaica and the West Indies, said McMorris was a “proactive type of captain, not reactive. He was a thinker, and he would plan for the incoming batsman to get them out. He was highly rated by many of us as one of the better captains Jamaica has ever produced.”
Former Jamaica and West Indies batsman Lawrence Rowe once said of McMorris: “He was a disciplinarian who led by example and knew how to manage men. He got the best out of temperamental players. And as for me, I owe a lot to Easton because, after a string of low scores in away Shell Shield matches, people were clamoring for me to be dropped.”
