This article describes the history of West Indies cricket from 1981 to 1990.
During this decade, the West Indies cricket team dominated Test cricket. Outstanding players of the time were the captain Viv Richards, opening batsmen Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes, wicketkeeper-batsman Jeff Dujon and a battery of fast bowlers headed by Malcolm Marshall and including Joel Garner, Michael Holding, Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh. The only "achilles heel" in this outstanding team was the lack of a quality spin bowler.
Domestic cricket 1980–81 to 1990
Shell Shield winners 1980–81 Combined Islands 1981–82 Barbados 1982–83 Guyana 1983–84 Barbados 1984–85 Trinidad and Tobago 1985–86 Barbados 1986–87 Guyana 1987–88 Jamaica 1988–89 Jamaica 1989–90 Leeward Islands
International tours 1980–81 to 1990
England 1980–81 [ 1st Test] at Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad – West Indies won by an innings and 79 runs [ 2nd Test] at Bourda, Georgetown – game abandoned [ 3rd Test] at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados – West Indies won by 298 runs [ 4th Test] at Antigua Recreation Ground, St John's – match drawn [ 5th Test] at Sabina Park, Kingston – match drawn
India 1982–83 [ 1st Test] at Sabina Park, Kingston – West Indies won by 4 wickets [ 2nd Test] at Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad – match drawn [ 3rd Test] at Bourda, Georgetown – match drawn [ 4th Test] at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados – West Indies won by 10 wickets [ 5th Test] at Antigua Recreation Ground, St John's – match drawn
International XI 1982–83
Australia 1983–84 [ 1st Test] at Bourda, Georgetown – match drawn [ 2nd Test] at Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad – match drawn [ 3rd Test] at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados – West Indies won by 10 wickets [ 4th Test] at Antigua Recreation Ground, St John's – West Indies won by an innings and 36 runs [ 5th Test] at Sabina Park, Kingston – West Indies won by 10 wickets
New Zealand 1984–85 [ 1st Test] at Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad – match drawn [ 2nd Test] at Bourda, Georgetown – match drawn [ 3rd Test] at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados – West Indies won by 10 wickets [ 4th Test] at Sabina Park, Kingston – West Indies won by 10 wickets
England 1985–86 [ 1st Test] at Sabina Park, Kingston – West Indies won by 10 wickets [ 2nd Test] at Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad – West Indies won by 7 wickets [ 3rd Test] at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados – West Indies won by an innings and 30 runs [ 4th Test] at Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad – West Indies won by 10 wickets [ 5th Test] at Antigua Recreation Ground, St John's – West Indies won by 240 runs
Pakistan 1987–88 [ 1st Test] at Bourda, Georgetown – Pakistan won by 9 wickets [ 2nd Test] at Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad – match drawn [ 3rd Test] at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados – West Indies won by 2 wickets
Canada in Barbados 1987–88
India 1988–89 [ 1st Test] at Bourda, Georgetown – match drawn [ 2nd Test] at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados – West Indies won by 8 wickets [ 3rd Test] at Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad – West Indies won by 217 runs [ 4th Test] at Sabina Park, Kingston – West Indies won by 7 wickets
England 1989–90 [ 1st Test] at Sabina Park, Kingston – England won by 9 wickets [ 2nd Test] at Bourda, Georgetown – game abandoned [ 3rd Test] at Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad – match drawn [ 4th Test] at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados – West Indies won by 164 runs [ 5th Test] at Antigua Recreation Ground, St John's – West Indies won by an innings and 32 runs
References
External sources CricketArchive – itinerary of events List of calypso songs about cricket - 1980 to 1990
Further reading Wisden Cricketers' Almanack