Leonard Baichan (born 12 May 1946) is a Guyanese former international cricketer who played as a batsman. Baichan featured in three Test matches from 1975 to 1976 for West Indies, scoring a century on his debut. He also scored over 4,000 runs at an average of 51.18 with 13 centuries and 23 half centuries in his first class career.
Career Leonard Baichan was born Ganesh Baichan DhanrajMortimer, George, 80 years of Berbice Cricket, p.114 in Rose Hall Village in Berbice, Guyana (then British Guiana) around the same area where Rohan Kanhai, Alvin Kallicharran, Basil Butcher and Joe Solomon were brought up.Cozier, Tony, Sportsweek World of Cricket Quarterly, October–December 1975 He grew up in No.2 Village, East Canje.
Local cricket
Baichan had a bad start in grade cricket making no runs against Port Mourant and Blairmont in his first two matches. Thereafter he scored consistently and in 1967 won the man of the match in the first inter-club limited overs tournament. He was called for the trials against the M.C.C. in 1967-68. It was only after this that he made his first class cricket debut for Guyana in 1968 and Berbice in 1969.
Guyana had a batting line up of Roy Fredericks, Steve Camacho, Kanhai, Clive Lloyd and Kallicharran, and Baichan found it difficult to break into it. After Lloyd and Kanhai went away to play for Rest of the World in Australia in 1971-72, he began to get more chances. He developed a defensive batting style and attitude that complemented the aggressive batting of the others. Typical was his innings of 96 in 444 minutes for the West Indies Board President's XI against the New Zealanders in 1971–72.President's XI v New Zealanders, Montego Bay, Jamaica, 11–14 February 1972 Facing a score of 486, Baichan started the third day of 6*. At lunch, he was 28* in 152 minutes, his batting "becoming tedious" and had "not a stroke to remember" according to D. J. Cameron. He progressed to 80* in 330 minutes at close of play. On the fourth day he was, according to Cameron, "an utter bore," and "he ground on" until yorked by Bev Congdon.Cameron, D. J., Caribbean Crusade : the New Zealand Cricketers in the West Indies 1972 (1972), pp 82-83
Baichan scored 216* and 102 v Demerara in 1973-74Demerara v Berbice, Bourda, Georgetown, 26-29 October, 1973 and played an even more significant innings against the touring M.C.C. in the following January.President's XI v MCC, Bridgetown, 13-26 January, 1974 MCC made 511 for 4 on the back of a career best 261* by Geoff Boycott. President's XI made 164, Baichan top score of 49, and were set an impossible target in the second innings. Baichan batted eight hours to score 139* and avoided a defeat, including 84 runs in the last wicket partnership with Andy Roberts. Henry Blofeld thought that Baichan was, for a West Indies batsman, "unusually reluctant to hit the ball".Blofeld, Henry, Guardian, 22 January 1974 Baichan was one of the four new caps selected for the following trip to India and Pakistan along with Gordon Greenidge, Vivian Richards and Albert Padmore.
Test career Baichan started the tour of India scoring 158 against the UniversitiesCombined Universities v West Indians, Indore, 11–13 November 1974 and 114* against South Zone.South Zone v West Indians, Hyderabad, 16–18 November 1974 Three days before the first Test in Bangalore, he suffered a minor injury in a car accident.Greenidge's chance to make mark in Test, Times, 22 November 1974 Gordon Greenidge who made his debut scored 93 and 107 and opened the batting with Roy Fredericks in all Tests of the series. Baichan's injury was slight enough that he opened with Greenidge against Board President's XI three days after the end of the Test.Board President's XI v West Indians, Jaipur, November 30 - December 2, 1974 But his form tailed off in the side matches and he was not selected in any of the five Tests in India.
The tour moved to Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Baichan scored a match-winning 72* in a 55 over one-day match in Colombo.Sri Lanka v West Indians, Colombo, 1974-75 Greenidge being out with a back injury,Guardian, 21 February, 1975 (via newspapers.com) he made his Test debut against Pakistan at Lahore.Pakistan v West Indies, First Test, Lahore, 1974-75 Baichan scored 20 runs in an opening partnership of 66 with Fredericks. West Indies was set 359 to win in a day and 15 minutes in the second innings. Baichan scored 105* in 373 minutes becoming the eighth West Indian batsman to score a century on debut. He had a partnership of 164 with Clive Lloyd during which he frequently faced three or four bouncers an over from Sarfraz Nawaz. When Baichan reached his hundred with a two to midwicket, the field was invaded by around 50 spectators. The police chased them off with their long batons, "providing the best entertainment of the day".Guardian, 21 February, 1975 (via newspapers.com) He scored 36 in the second Test at Karachi, this time adding 95 with Fredericks.Pakistan v West Indies, 1–6 March 1975, Karachi
Picked for the tour of Australia next winter, some critics considered him a poor player of true fast bowling.Henry Blofeld. Guardian, 21 November 1975 (via newspapers.com) But Baichan scored consistently in matches against the domestic sides. Greenidge who opened in the first Test scored 0 & 0 and was dropped. Baichan could well have replaced him after scoring 72 in the first innings against South Australia on the eve of the third Test at Melbourne but in the second innings, he was hit on the elbow by Geoff Attenborough.South Australia v West Indians, 21–23 December 1975, Adelaide It put him out of cricket for a few days.Percy Beames, The Age, 24 December 1975 (via newspapers.com) Greenidge did not play again after scoring 3 and 8 in the Test.Australia v West Indies, Third Test, 26–30 December 1976, Melbourne West Indies tried Bernard Julien, Alvin Kallicharran and Vivian Richards to open with Fredericks.West Indies openers in Australia, 1975-76, Cricinfo Statsguru When Baichan was finally brought back for the sixth Test, it was to bat at the No.3 position. He scored 23 runs as West Indies lost the Test and the series 1–5.Australia v West Indies, Sixth Test, 31 January - 5 February, 1976Melbourne
Later life This was the end of Baichan's Test career. Greenidge had a very successful tour of England in 1976, and when Fredericks exited cricket, Desmond Haynes became the second opener. Baichan played for Berbice till 1982–83. In his last first class match, he scored 132 & 101* against Demerara.Berbice v Demerara, 22–25 October 1982 He played for Cumberland in Minor Counties Championship in England till 1983. He settled down in United States and made yearly visits to Berbice for coaching young cricketers. In 2012, he was inducted into the Berbice Cricket Hall of Fame.
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