Kingston, 1 July 2020 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, said this evening that, “the West Indies and in fact the entire cricketing world is regretting the passing today of one of the greatest exponents of the game, Sir Everton DeCourcy Weekes.”

Minister Grange, who also paid tribute to Sir Everton on Barbados radio, said: “This cricketing hero has left us at age 95, almost scoring the century of life to add to the several that he scored in his illustrious cricket career."

The Minister said that Sir Everton, who was born into humble circumstances in his native Barbados, rose to take his place among the finest batsmen ever to play the game.

Minister Grange said:

“Starting his test cricket career at the same time as Frank Worrell and Clyde Walcott, two other West Indies greats, it was not surprising that they were dubbed “Three W’s”, and that there would be a Three W’s Oval named in their honour.

It would have been hard to conceive that a batsman could score five test centuries in consecutive innings. But Everton Weekes did so in his first series against India, setting a record that still stands. Seven half-centuries in consecutive test matches was also another record of his.

Throughout his career, Sir Everton notched up fifteen test centuries but was no slouch in the field either as he was regarded as one of the best slip fielders in the world.

As we all know, Sir Everton received plethora of awards including the Order of the British Empire, the Barbados Gold Crown of Merit, culminating with his being knighted by the Queen.

Without any doubt, he played a magnificent innings, not only for his native Barbados but for the entire Caribbean and indeed the game of cricket.

Jamaica joins with Barbados and the rest of the Caribbean in celebrating the life of this giant of a sportsman, Sir Everton DeCourcy Weekes.

May his soul rest in peace.”

END