Jamaica was in political turmoil in 1976, 50 years ago. The socialist government of prime minister Michael Manley — popular with the Afro-conscious but scorned by the middle and upper-class — called a State of Emergency in June to quell gang violence. Several of his opponents, including the Jamaica Labour Party’s Olivia Grange and Pearnel Charles were jailed. An election was held in December, days after reggae star Bob Marley was shot at his St Andrew home, and just three days before the Smile Jamaica peace concert took place at National Heroes Park in Central Kingston.
1976 was not just about politics. Sprinter Donald Quarrie won a gold medal at the Montreal Olympics, while fast-bowler Michael Holding bowled the West Indies to a comprehensive victory over England at The Oval in London.
Musically, Marley and his Wailers released the impressive Rastaman Vibration album. There were also landmark albums from Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer.
Today, the Observer Online continues its look at events that made 1976 such a tumultuous, but fruitful period in post-Independence Jamaica.

It was the word that helped decide a cricket series, and sparked the West Indies’ rise as arguably the greatest team to play the Test game. Led by Clive Lloyd, the Caribbean side defeated England 3-0 in the five-match series.

Monday, August 17 marks 50 years since Jamaican fastbowler Michael Holding took eight second innings wickets for 92 runs in 33 overs, to give West Indies a 231-run win at The Oval. He finished with a match haul of 14 wickets for 149 runs.

The first two matches at Trent Bridge and Lord’s were drawn, but the West Indies were dominant at Old Trafford and Headingley, winning by 425 runs and 55 runs, respectively. The Oval rout sealed the deal.

The West Indies headed to the United Kingdom after a 2-1 home win over India. The last match in that series ended with the famous ‘surrender’ at Sabina Park by Indian captain Bishen Singh Bedi, who refused to submit his batsmen to the fiery pace of the West Indies.

In a pre-series interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation, England’s South Africa-born captain Tony Greig was not overly impressed by the West Indians. He used a word many black people in the UK viewed as racist.

“You must remember that the West Indies, these guys, if they get on top, they are magnificent cricketers. But if they are down, they grovel, and I intend, with the help of Closey [Brian Close] and a few others, to make them grovel,” he said.

Given the racist policies of his birth country, Greig’s choice of the word grovel was controversial. It fueled the visitors’ passion, especially the fastbowlers.

“England’s batsmen said they did not like to bat with Greig because we bowled faster… (when he came to the wicket) because we needed to prove a point,” Holding recalled in a 2000 interview with the BBC.

He bowled Greig in both innings at The Oval, for 12 and one. His hostile bowling to Close in the third Test was one of the series’ highlights.

Holding, who made his Test debut against Australia in that country the previous year, took 28 wickets against England in four Tests. Andy Roberts of Antigua also captured 28 wickets in five matches.

Vanburn Holder of Barbados, bowling medium-pace, snared 15 wickets in four matches. Fastbowler Wayne Daniels, another Bajan, took 13 wickets in four matches.

Vivian Richards of Antigua was the dominant batsman. He carried his prolific form against India to the UK, scoring 829 runs in four matches including three centuries.

Another rising star, opening batsman Gordon Greenidge of Barbados, also scored three centuries in his tally of 592 runs in the five matches.

In 1977, Greig would play a major role in establishing World Series Cricket, a transformative competition that properly compensated underpaid cricketers. He recruited several of the West Indies players who had conquered his England team for the Super Tests and one-day matches.

Tony Grieg died in December 2012 at age 66 in Sydney, Australia.