Cricket West Indies pays tribute to Late Vivalyn Latty-Scott

Cricketers past and present have paid tribute to Vivalyn Latty-Scott, pioneer of women’s cricket in West Indies, who took the heavenly abode on Saturday (January 9). She was a part of the first West Indies team to play a Test match against Australia in 1976 and also served as a coach and umpire.



To many, she served as an inspirational leader of the sport in Jamaica. In her career that consisted of 10 Tests and six ODIs, she became the first West Indies player to take a five-wicket haul in Tests -- 5/48 on debut against Australia in Montego Bay, Jamaica.



“When I started as captain, ‘Latty’ was one of the senior members of that first West Indies women’s team and she excelled with bat and ball,” CWI chair of selectors Anne Browne-John said in a statement. “Whenever I put the ball in her hand I had the confidence she would produce good figures and she never disappointed.



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“She was passionate about the game and was always aware of the statistics and what the team required. When the history of women’s cricket is updated, Vivalyn must be mentioned among the outstanding players,” Browne-John said.



Skipper Stafanie Taylor also paid tribute. “I have known this amazing lady from when I went on my first tour with the Jamaica team and she was very helpful to me. She set a trail in women’s cricket and she played a very important role in my development and inspired many young cricketers in Jamaica to play the game and to excel. We all admired and respected her,” said Taylor.



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Latty-Scott's one-time teammate Dorothy Hobson both at domestic and international levels described her as a 'dedicated and committed cricketer and lifelong fan of the game'. “She was a great captain for Jamaica and a great player for the West Indies. Cricket was ‘her game’, she was a dedicated and committed cricketer and she always had a dream of doing great things for the West Indies. Her legacy is that she contributed to the game at all levels — boys, girls, men and women — she made a great impact at all levels," Hobson said.



West Indies' first Test captain Louise Browne hailed Latty-Scott as a 'passionate player with amazing knowledge of the game'. “When I started as captain, ‘Latty’ was one of the senior members of that first West Indies women’s team and she excelled with bat and ball. Whenever I put the ball in her hand I had the confidence she would produce good figures and she never disappointed. She was passionate about the game and was always aware of the statistics and what the team required. When the history of women’s cricket is updated, Vivalyn must be mentioned among the outstanding players,” Browne said.