Former West Indies batsman Roy Fredericks dies aged 57

Roy Fredericks Photo © Glamorgan CCC

The former Guyana and West Indies cricketer Roy Fredericks has died after a long illness. Fredericks, who was 57, died in hospital in New York almost two years after he had surgery for throat cancer.

Fredericks will be remembered as one of the best opening batsmen produced by Guyana; he once formed a formidable West Indies opening pair with Gordon Greenidge.

Roy Fredericks played in 59 Test Matches, scoring 4334 runs at an average of 42.49, with eight centuries and 27 fifties. He began his career in 1968/69 in Australia. In the first-ever World Cup Final between West Indies and Australia in 1975, he had the misfortune to hook a bouncer from Dennis Lillee for six, only dislodge a bail in the process.

Former teammate Colin Croft once said of Fredericks: ''You got the impression that he felt every shot he played he could put you away to the boundary. Even when you thought you had him out, he would play shots, in the air, and get away with it because he hit the ball so hard.''

After he retired from Test cricket, Fredericks served for several years as an administrator with the Guyana Cricket Board.