Sir Everton Weekes, Sir Frank Worrell and Sir Clyde Walcott formed a legendary middle-order trio for the West Indies in the 1940s and 50s.
On March 19, 1954, 'the three Ws' all completed centuries during the fourth Test of a series against England in Trinidad.
Here, the PA news agency looks back at the three men's achievement 66 years on.
Background
4,455 runs in 48 Tests at an average of 58.61.The only man to hit centuries in five consecutive Test innings.One of the legendary 'Three Ws' of the West Indies.
Happy 95th birthday to Sir Everton Weekes! pic.twitter.com/AjvciHEoZF
— ICC (@ICC) February 26, 2019
The West Indies had been a relatively weak Test side prior to World War Two, with George Headley their only great batsman. When cricket resumed in 1948, the Windies team included three Barbadians – Weekes, Worrell and Walcott – who would go on to write their names in cricketing history.
The Test
#OnThisDay in 1926, Windies legend Sir Clyde Walcott was born.
One of the famous 'Three Ws' alongside Weekes and Worrell, he averaged 56.68 in 44 Tests, scoring 3,798 runs including 15 centuries. pic.twitter.com/e7KCYsDuux
— ICC (@ICC) January 17, 2019
It was undoubtedly a batsman's wicket, with the two teams taking five days to complete the first two innings. The Windies' 681 for eight declared was their highest score and the middle-order trio were central to it. Weekes made 206, Worrell – the first black captain of the West Indies – 167 and Walcott 124. England made 537 in reply and the game ended in a draw on the sixth day.
What happened next
Captain Darren Sammy stops to take a pic next to photo of the great Sir Frank Worrell at Eden Gardens #WT20 #RALLY pic.twitter.com/2UtCbWp3Pt
— Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) April 2, 2016
The Windies had won the first two matches of the series, with Walcott making 220 in the second Test, but England won the third and, after the drawn fourth, came back to tie the series by winning the fifth Test in Kingston despite another century from Walcott.
The trio's legacy
A beautiful day for cricket at the Three Ws Oval 🙌☀️🏏 pic.twitter.com/oKwMErADL8
— England's Barmy Army (@TheBarmyArmy) February 17, 2019
All three players remained stalwarts of the Windies side for more than a decade and finished with Test averages either exceeding or close to 50. Weekes, who was named after the English football club, is the only survivor of the trio, celebrating his 95th birthday in February.
The 3Ws Oval at the University of the West Indies was named in their honour, and a monument to the three men stands opposite. Worrell and Walcott are both buried on ground overlooking the oval.
