| One of the two "spin twins" who made their | | | | West Indies between 1950 and 1962. He showed no |
| auspicious debut against England at Manchester in | | | | love in dismissing batsmen 139 times for a Test |
| 1950; Alfred Louis Valentine was A slow left-arm | | | | bowling average of 30.32. Like Ramadhin he had an |
| orthodox spinner. "Alf" and Sonny tricked English | | | | excellent economy rate (1.95), but a poor strike rate |
| batsmen and led the West Indies to their first Test | | | | (93.1). That was no fault of Alf's, since batsmen, |
| and series victory on English soil. The late Lord | | | | particularly English batsmen, chose to confront him |
| Kitchener, whose calypso had the following line, | | | | with their pads instead of their bats. It was a credit |
| "These little pals of mine; Ramadhin and Valentine", | | | | to Valentine that they were too afraid to play his |
| immortalized them in song. Alf Valentine and Sonny | | | | deliveries-let alone try to score runs off his bowling. |
| Ramadhin had a long, productive partnership in the | | | | Valentine played for the West Indies and Jamaica |
| 1950s that cemented their place as the spin legends | | | | only-a surprise since his figures at international level |
| of the West Indies-a region where spin is almost a | | | | were quite superb. However, he was also susceptible |
| sin now. | | | | to injuries and illness. Valentine bowled close to |
| Valentine was born in Jamaica on April 28 1930. The | | | | 34,000 deliveries over 125 First Class matches (and |
| lean, bespectacled youth made his debut for Jamaica | | | | countless more in unofficial games)-making it no |
| in the 1949/50 season. His impact was immediate, as | | | | wonder that he was often injury-plagued. |
| Alf earned a call-up to the West Indies' 1950 tour of | | | | Although his effectiveness was stymied by injuries, |
| England, where he made his debut in the same match | | | | over-bowling and the pad approach, Valentine remains |
| as Sonny Ramadhin. He took 8/104 in England's first | | | | one of three outstanding spinners in the West Indies, |
| innings and 3/100 in the second. Alf's effort did not | | | | along with Sonny Ramadhin and Lance Gibbs. Alf died |
| help the West Indies stave off defeat in that match, | | | | in Florida, USA in 2004-just 13 days after his 74th |
| but it proved to be their only loss as Ramadhin and | | | | birthday. After being immortalized in song, it is unlikely |
| Valentine conspired to wreck England's batting in the | | | | that true cricket fans would forget his contribution to |
| rest of the series. | | | | West Indies cricket. |
| The unassuming Valentine played 36 Tests for the | | | | |