Dear Editor,
An excellent all-round cricketer, his elegance with the bat complemented his wily and awkward leg-spin with wizardry and awesomeness. I grew up listening to the older folks and teammates who spoke glowingly of Alfred Maycock’s brilliance and astounding effect he had on the cricket field. His majestic 92 in a senior inter-county match against Demerara was a gem; unfortunately, he was run out as he stood tall and unflinching against the might of Colin Croft and others on that day. It remains a defining innings in the annals of heroics and bravery.
Maycock’s contribution spanned almost three decades as a player, captain and subsequently as coach. Domestically, he was unstoppable representing GRB where he was employed and other local teams as well. His fluency, charisma and deft touches as a left hander drew comparisons to the former Indian captain Saurav Ganguly. Due to his consistency and dominance, he was selected by a national representative side which played against Pakistan Air Lines and also went on a tour to Trinidad with teammates John Floyd and the late Jeff Jones. Perhaps in another era he would have been a firm fixture in the national team.
His immense talent put Essequibo on the map and with the late Courtney Gonsalves and Elbert Stephens, Lennox Alves, Fitz Garraway among other stalwarts, paved the way for Essequibo’s cricket to emerge from a position of stagnation to recognition. It was not a seamless transition since resources were scarce and representation for cricketers from the county was insignificant. Alfred Maycock remained resolute and as a true servant, took on the mantle as a Coach after he drew time on his career.
I was privileged to have been one of his students along with Dinesh Joseph, Clain Williams, Devon Ramnauth, Lawrence Farnum, Rayon Thomas and Jermain Jones. It was under his mentorship that we won the first ever Neville Sarjoo under-16 tournament against teams from Demerara and Berbice. It was a moment that defined most of us and Alfred Maycock as well. He later became a national selector and served with pride and passion. His name still resonates across the region among his fans and will demonstrably remain the hallmark of an iconic cricketer for his selfless devotion both on and off the field. A devout husband and father, Maycock now resides in the United States and still contributes to the game. As I embark to compile the historical data of Essequibo’s cricketers, there is no doubt that Alfred Maycock will feature prominently on that list.