With Sulieman Benn's international debut against Sri Lanka in the first Test in Guyana on March 22, 32 years had passed since a Barbadian spinner had last played a Test match for the West Indies.
Carlos "Bertie" Clarke, a tall, leg break and googly bowler with a high action, was the first Barbadian spinner to play Test cricket for the West Indies. A surprise selection for the West Indies tour to England in 1939, Clarke played in the three-Test series. He bowled 57 overs and took six wickets.
World War II interrupted Test cricket for seven years and Clarke's Test career had ended. He represented Spartan. Clarke becamea doctor in England and played first class cricket for Northamptonshire and Essex.
One Test
Sixteen years later, Norman Marshall, an off-spinner from Wanderers, became the second Barbadian spinner to be selected for the West Indies. His sole Test match was the third Test against Australia at Bourda in Georgetown in 1955.
He bowled 33.3 overs in the first innings, of which 16 were maidens and he claimed one wicket for 40 runs. He followed this with another tight spellof 13 overs, six maidens, 22 runs, and one wicket in the second innings.
David Holford, the all-rounder from Spartan was the next Barbadian spinner to play Test cricket. A leg break, googly bowler, his first Test was at Old Trafford against England, in 1966. Holford's final Test match was against Pakistan at Sabina Park in Jamaica.
Altogether he played 24 Tests and took 51 wickets at an average of 39.39. His best figures were achieved in the first Test against India at Kensington Oval in 1976, when he took five wickets for 23 runs in India's first innings.
Anthony "Tony" Howard, a teammate of Holford's at Spartan, was the next Barbadian spinner to play Test cricket for the West Indies. A right-arm off break bowler, Howard played a solitary Test against New Zealand at Georgetown, Guyana, in 1972. On a slow pitch Howard bowled 62 overs, 16 maidens, 140 runs, and took two wickets.
Albert Padmore, a member of Empire, joined the ranks of West Indian spinners in 1976. An off-spinner, Padmore made his debut in the historic third Test against India at Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad.
Famous victory
In this match India became the second team to reach a victory target of over 400. Padmore bowled 29 overs, 11 maidens, 36 runs, and took one wicket in the first innings, and in the second innings he bowled 47 overs, ten maidens, 98 runs without taking a wicket, as India reached a famous victory.
Padmore's final Test was against England at Old Trafford in 1976, a match in which he bowled just three overs for ten runs.
It must be noted that cricket legend Sir Garfield Sobers made his Test debut as a slow left-arm bowler, but developed into a high quality back-of-the-arm spinner and a marvellous fast-medium bowler.
Benn's appearance in the first One-Day International against Sri Lanka was a first for a Barbadian spinner in this form of the game.
Of the six Barbadian spinners who have played for the West Indies, four were members of Spartan. Only Holford has played over 20 Tests. Perhaps Benn's selection might be the start of a new trend.