It was a year of ups and downs for West Indies cricket, on and off the field. The year 2002 began with a depressing drubbing at the hands of Pakistan (in Sharjah) and ended with euphoria when the team came back from the brink to beat India in a dramatic seven-game ODI series and then, as expected, walked all over the hapless Bangladeshis.
It was undoubtedly the year of Shiv Chanderpaul, the gritty Guyanese left-hander who enjoyed a run of form only a few have seen. Among others, Chris Gayle, Carl Hooper, Wavell Hinds, Ramnaresh Sarwan also found themselves in the thick of things in 2002. CaribbeanCricket.com statistician takes a look at the numerical highlights of 2002...
* West Indies' win percent of 40% for all Test matches in 2002 is an improvement on a win percent of 20% in 2001. West Indies win percent of 57.14% for all ODIs in 2002 is also an improvement on a win percent of 43.33% in 2001.
* The 2-0 series win against Bangladesh marked only the second time that a visiting West Indies side had achieved a series whitewash, for a series of two or more Tests, the first being the 5-0 win over England in the 1984 rubber. It was also the only 4th win in 32 away matches since the 1997-98 three-nil whitewash at the hands of Pakistan.
* West Indies recorded 13 Test centuries in this calendar year from 13 matches. The last occasion that the West Indies team recorded at least 10 centuries in a calendar year was in 1984 when Clive Lloyd's side scored 21 centuries in 15 matches. This was only the 8th instance of West Indian batsmen scoring at least 10 centuries in a calendar year, the other being 1984 (21 in 15 matches), 1983 (12 in 11 matches), 1980 (11 in 13 matches), 1976 (14 in 12 matches), 1974 (10 in 8 matches), 1958 (13 in 8 matches) and 1948 (15 in 7 matches).
* West Indies failed to win a Test match in a home series for the first time in 27 series after New Zealand completed a 1-0 victory in the two-Test rubber. West Indies had only failed to win a Test in a series on seven occasions in their Test history. They have lost twice to New Zealand, Australia and England and once to India.
* Chris Gayle and Wavell Hinds shared in three century partnerships in 2002: 111 v India, Kingston, 2001-02 (Record for WI v India at Sabina Park, previous best was 105 between RC Fredericks and L Rowe in 1976) 172 v India at Kolkata, 2002-03 (Record for WI v India at Kolkota, previous best was114 by CG Greenidge and DL Haynes in 1987); 131 v Bangladesh, Dhaka, 2002-03. Overall, the Jamaican pair aggregated 1,031 runs (avg. 46.86) with three century and five fifties partnerships.
* During the West Indies v India series in the Caribbean, Carl Hooper and Shivnarine Chanderpaul became the first pair from the same Caribbean territory to score three or more centuries in the same series since Garry Sobers and Conrad Hunte (Barbados) made 3 centuries each in the West Indies v Pakistan rubber of 1957-58.
* The Hooper-Chanderpaul pair shared in three century partnerships in 2002: 293 v Ind, Bourda, 2001-02 (Record v India for the 5th wicket, previous best was 254 by KWR Fletcher and AW Greig at Mumbai in 1973). 215 v Ind, Kensington, 2001-02 (Record for WI at Kensington, previous best was 185 by 'Collie' Smith and Everton Weekes v Pak in 1958); 186 v Ind, St John, 2001-02. They are the third pair in Test cricket history to be involved in a 200-plus partnership for the fifth wicket on two separate occasions and their feat is unique since they did so in the same series. The Guyanese teammates scored the most centuries (7) in this calendar year.
* Early in 2002, Carl Hooper reached 5,000 career runs in Test cricket. He became the 9th West Indian and the 50th overall to reach 5000 Test runs. Hooper's aggregate in 2002 was 896 runs, at an average of 49.77 (He now has 5762 at an average of 36.47).
* During the West Indies v Ind Test series in the Caribbean, Hooper crossed the 400-run mark in a series for the first time. It was also the first time he had two or more three-figure scores in the same series (579 runs at average of 82.71, 3x100s). The West Indies captain became the 8th West Indian to aggregate 1,000 Test runs against India.
* During the year, Hooper also posted the highest score of his career (233). He became the only second Test captain to score a double hundred while batting at number five. His 233 was also the highest by a West Indian at number five, the previous best was 208* by JC Adams v NZ at St John's in 1996 and 208 by IVA Richards v Aus at Melbourne in 1984. It was also the highest by a West Indian captain at home, the previous best was 219 by DStE Atkinson v Aus at Bridgetown in 1955. In the first Test at Mumbai in India, Hooper became the sixth West Indian and the 27th player overall to appear in 100 Test matches.
* Ridley Jacobs recorded 37 dismissals (34 catches and 3 stumpings) in this calendar year from 12 matches. He is second 'keeper behind Adam Gilchrist (44 dismissals) with the most dismissals in 2002. Jacobs recorded 5 dismissals (4 catches & 1 stumping) in an innings in the first Test between Ind and WI at Mumbai.
* Jacobs topped the average and aggregate in the two-Test series against Bangladesh with 150 runs at an average of 150.00. Jacobs, as a debutant captain, registered his first series win when WI beat Bangladesh two-nil.
* During the West Indies v India series at home, Shivnarine Chanderpaul reached 1000 runs against India. He became the 9th West Indian to reach this landmark against India. He also became the 20th West Indian to reach 3000 Test runs (He now has 3898 at an average of 44.30). Chanderpaul scored 562 runs in the same series, the first time he ever aggregated over 500 runs in a series since his debut in 1994.
* Chanderpaul recorded the highest score of his career (140), incidentally he also equalled the same score in the third Test v India in India. In 2002, he totalled 1065 Test runs, at an average of 66.56, second only to Marlon Samuels (80.33) in this calendar year. Chanderpaul became the fifth West Indian to aggregate over 1000 runs in a calendar year, joining Garry Sobers (1193 runs in 1958), IVA Richards (1710 in 1976), CG Greenidge (1149 in 1984) and BC Lara (1222 in 1995 & 1151 in 2001).
* Chanderpaul scored four Test hundreds in 2002. His fourth was his first outside of the Caribbean. He now has six career centuries, from 63 Test matches.
* During the second Test v India at Port-of-Spain, Lara became the first West Indian and the 10th batsman in Test cricket history to aggregate 4000 runs while batting at number four. Lara passed 7500 career runs in Tests, becoming only the 5th West Indian to do so. He now has 7572 at an average of 49.49, only 460 behind Garry Sobers and 968 behind Viv Richards.
* When Lara played in the 4th ODI between WI and NZ at Port-of-Spain, it was his 200th ODI appearance. Lara's last ODI innings was 111 v Kenya in Colombo, his 15th ODI century.
* After 29 matches and 14 fifties, Ramnaresh Sarwan scored his maiden Test century against Bangladesh in the first Test at Dhaka. He also scored his maiden ODI century against the same opponent at Dhaka. In the Ind-WI ODI series, Sarwan topped the batting average (109.00) for both sides with the second highest run aggregate of 436 from 7 innings.
* Sarwan aggregated 878 runs in ODIs for an average of 58.53 in 2002. Among players with more than 10 inns, Sarwan is second behind Andy Flower (59.72) in batting average for 2002. He now has 1072 runs in ODIs for an average of 51.05.
* Chris ended the year as the second most prolific West Indian run scorer with 916 Test runs at an average of 41.63 (1x100s, 7x50s). He recorded the highest score of his career when he made 204 v NZ at St George, Grenada. Gayle scored a record-equalling 3 ODI centuries in the seven-game series v India.
The others who have done so are: Zaheer Abbas (Pak) 1982-83 v Ind, DI Gower (Eng) 1982-83 B&H World Series, DL Haynes (WI) 1983-84 v Aus, Saeed Anwar (Pak) 1993-94 Champion Trophy, GA Hick (Eng) 1998-99 C&U Series and ME Waugh (Aus) 2000-01 Carlton Series. He also topped the run aggregate (455 at average of 65.00) in the same ODIs series.
* Gayle is only one wicket behind Merv Dillon in the ODIs aggregate (29 wickets at an average of 20.41). He has two four-wicket hauls, including the best ODI figures of 4/19.
* In the third Test v India at Kolkota, Wavell Hinds scored his first Test hundred outside of the Caribbean. Hinds scored two Test centuries in this calendar year and the third of his career.
* Marlon Samuels topped the West Indies batting average for this calendar year with 241 runs at an average of 80.33. He became only the fifth West Indian to score a maiden first-class century in a Test match (Ind v WI, 3rd Test, Kolkota) joining CA Roach (1929-30), CC Depeiza (1954-55), FCM Alexander (1960-61) and BD Julien (1973). Samuels also scored his maiden ODIs century against the same opponents at Vijayawada.
* Devon Smith topped the first-class aggregate with 465 runs at average of 46.50 (1x100s, 2x50s) for the West Indies 'A' batsmen on the tour of England. His nearest rival is Dwayne Bravo with 350 runs.
* Daren Ganga led the West Indies 'A' team on tour of England, Ireland and Canada from Jun-Aug 2002. On the England/Ireland leg of the tour, Ganga led the side to five wins in ODI matches with just two losses, while in the first-class matches, his team won one, drawn three, lost one and tied one. On the Canada leg of tour, Ganga leads his side to one win and two losses in the ODIs while the sole two-day game was drawn.
* Ganga topped the West Indies 'A' team first-class batting average with 325 runs at 54.16 with two centuries.
* Merv Dillon topped the West Indian aggregate for the most wickets (48 at an average of 28.06) in this calendar year. He now has a career aggregate of 112 wickets at average of 30.46 in Test. He also topped the West Indies aggregate for the most wicket (30 at an average of 23.76) in the ODIs. He now has a career aggregate of 99 wickets at an average of 29.21 in the ODIs.
* Dillon (5-71) recorded his best bowling figures of his career during the fifth Test v India at Kingston. It was his only second five-wicket haul after the 5-111 against Pakistan at Karachi in 1997.
* Jermaine Lawson has the most first-class wicket (18 from 4 matches at average of 26.88) for the West Indies 'A' team on their tour of England including the best figures of 6/76.
* Lawson took a career best 6/3 in the Test v Bangladesh at Dhaka, his first five-wicket haul in his only second match. Lawson's figure in 6.5 overs was the second-most economical five-wicket haul in Test cricket history. Only ERH Toshack's 5/2 for Australia against India at Brisbane in 1947/48 was better and the only other instance prior to Lawson?s of a player taking six or more wickets at fewer than one run per wicket is GA Lohmann?s 7/6 for England against South Africa at Port Elizabeth in 1895/96.
* Lawson topped the bowling averages in the two-Test series against Bangladesh with 11 wickets at an average of 12.27.
* Pedro Collins took 5/26 in the Test v Bangladesh at Dhaka, the second time that he has taken five wickets in an innings in 2002. His first was 6/76 v NZ in the 1st Test at Bridgetown. He has now taken his career aggregate to 47 wickets at an average of 38.43. Collins topped the wicket aggregate in the two Tests against Bangladesh with 12 wickets at 14.50.
* Vasbert Drakes took 4/33 in the ODI v Bangladesh at Dhaka, it was the third time in successive matches that he has taken four wickets in an innings. He has now taken his career aggregate to 26 wickets at an average of 25.69. Drakes, along with Lawson, has the second highest wicket aggregate in two Tests against Bangladesh with 11 wickets at an average of 14.09.