On entering the Museum, you will step into a gallery in which the portraits of the Cricket Legends of Barbados are displayed, complete with their statistics and brief bios. You will learn how many Tests they played, who played in One-Day Internationals, the runs they scored and wickets taken.

Here the patrons can get re-acquainted with their cricket heroes. For those who are not so familiar, it is a great opportunity to see some of Barbados’ finest cricketers.

Moving from the Portrait gallery you will enter the Heritage Room where exhibits dating back to 1895 (a photo of the Barbados and English cricket teams that played at Kensington in that year) can be found.

You will learn about the early masters of Barbados cricket including Horace Deighton and George Burton who introduced the game into the school curriculum. As well, they will read about the early stalwarts such as George Challenor who played on the first West indies Test team in 1928.

Around the room there are several cabinets filled with valuable memorabilia, including autographed bats, scorecards, souvenir magazines, photos and press clippings, which were generously loaned or donated by various collectors.

The Legends selected nine of their members as Icons – players who had made an indelible mark on the game, not only in Barbados but worldwide. These players are: Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Everton Weekes, Sir Clyde Walcott (deceased), Rev. Wes Hall, Seymour Nurse, Charlie Griffith, Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes and Joel Garner.

This section of the museum is dedicated to those Icons who have donated the majority of the memorabilia that are on display in this section.

See collections from Desmond Haynes and Gordon Greenidge, the game’s most notable opening batsmen worldwide; a display dedicated to Sir Garfield Sobers, the game’s greatest all-rounder, and personal effects of the Legends including bats, gloves, sweaters, caps and shirts.

Along with the Icons, three well-known characters of cricket in the West Indies are featured. These are:

• The late King Dyall, known for his dapper three-piece suits, hats and colourfully-decorated bicycles. He was a staunch supporter of England, even though he was a Barbadian.
• Gravy, the comedic figure from Antigua, was a fixture at the Antigua Recreational Ground where dressed in hilarious costumes and adorned with make-up, he entertained the crowds with outrageous dances. He “retired” in 2000.
• Well-known entertainer and emcee, Mac Fingall, brings excitement and livens up Kensington Oval at cricket matches with his band of merry revellers. With his bugle in hand, Mac wanders through the stands playing short bursts of music to which the crowd eagerly responds.

A unique attraction in the Cricket Museum is the transformation of three “cellars’ into miniature “fields”, depicting the New Kensington Oval, Old Kensington and Sabina Park.

Two of these virtual exhibits – New Kensington and Sabina Park – are located in the Heritage Room. The new Kensington exhibit is a snapshot of an ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 match, depicting a jubilant West Indies team celebrating an important wicket.

The Sabina Park exhibits captures the first Test match against Australia in 1984 when wicketkeeper Jeff Dujon took a catch to dismiss Steve Smith off the bowling of Joel “Big Bird” Garner.

In the Icons Room you will find a replica of Old Kensington before its demolition in 2005. With this exhibit you can almost feel the history associated with the “old ground”, aided by the old metal seats, the “water hog” and Coca Cola clock. Even the groundsmen seem real!

Newspapers clips dating back to 1900 adorn the walls of this room which commemorates the contribution of the media to the development and promotion of cricket throughout the world. Four Barbadian journalists and commentators – Tony Cozier, Donna Symmonds, Captain Peter Short and Mitchie Hewitt – are featured for the outstanding role they played in bringing the game alive to the numerous fans who couldn’t attend the matches.

By its nature, the Cricket Legends of Barbados Museum offers a variety of donor opportunities for heritage minded individuals, foundations and businesses.

Interested parties may donate:

Cricket memorabilia to the museum.
A number of our exhibits contain artifacts given to our museum by fans, conscientious individuals and players. We display these proudly and credit our benefactors publicly by acknowledging their contributions to the museum.

Services for the upkeep and maintenance of our museum.
From painting to cleaning, electrical services to graphic design, it takes a lot to keep our museum open to the general public. We appreciate all of our partners who donate services or products in support of our cause.

Financial support for funding exhibits, general museum operating expenses and for purchase of new cricket memorabilia
The Cricket Legends of Barbados Museum is a registered charity under the laws of Barbados and all contributions made can be claimed by citizens and resident entities toward credit for income tax purposes.

To make your donation to the Cricket Legends of Barbados Museum, please contact the General Manager at (246) 227 2653 or via email at info@clobibarbados.com.