League cricket stalwart Walwyn inducted to Wisden Hall of Fame

Walwyn arrived in England from his homeland of St Kitts and Nevis in 1970 at the age of 14 and went on to become a household name in Bradford League cricket circles.

He is one of only two players in the league’s history to have twice taken all 10 wickets in a match.

His first 10-for came against Farsley in 1986 when he returned figures of 10-47 and the folowing year he picked up 10-45 against Farsley.

There are a total of 30 cricketers who have managed the feat of all 10 wickets but only two players have done it twice, with Test cricketer SF Barnes the other to have managed it.

Walwyn made his name playing for East Bierley, who he helped win the National Village Cup at Lord’s in 1979, while his Bradford League career also included spells at Woodlands, Gomersal and Bankfoot.

He spent a season at Lascelles Hall in 1981, while having two seasons as a professional with Royston in the Central Lancashire League.

Walwyn managed to score 14,869 BCL runs and claimed 587 wickets and won the league’s fastest 50 award a staggering eight times — the quickest taking just 14 minutes.

He won three top flight titles during his spells with East Bierley and secured three more during his time with Woodlands, who dominated the Bradford League in the early 2000s, while also playing in a record 13 Priestley Cup finals.

In 2010, aged 55, and still keen to play top level club cricket, Walwyn went on to spend a season each at Bankfoot, Carlton, in the Central Yorkshire League, Lascelles Hall and Kirkheaton, in Huddersfield League, before returning home, via a year at Woodlands, for his 28th and 29th seasons at East Bierley.

Walwyn is steeped in Bradford League cricket and is still a popular figure when attended games and during his illustrious career he came up against Test stars VVS Laxman, Mohammad Yousuf and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan.

He also friends with ex New Zealand internationals Simon Doull and Mark Greatbatch, both former Pudsey St Lawrence pros.