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HONOURED: Davis during his playing days

ONE OF the most popular days on the cricket calendar takes place on July 17.

The annual Winston Davis benefit match takes place at the Bristol West Indians ground to honour the former West Indies players who is now disabled and wheelchair-bound after an unfortunate accident in 1997.

St. Vincent-born Davis, now 52, was never quite able to fulfil his obvious potential. In any other era for any other country Davis would have been a regular Test player, but he had the ill fortune to be at his best at the very same time West Indies possessed a battery of outstanding quick bowlers.

Lean, and able to produce genuine pace off a relatively short run, he made his Test debut against India in 1982-83 on the back of a good domestic season in which he had taken 33 wickets.

He was part of West Indies' 1983 World Cup squad, hitting the headlines when he took a record 7-51 against Australia at Headingley

A Winston Davis XI, led by former Windies captain Courtney Walsh, will take on three other teams in a T20 competition for the Tony Leslie Memorial Cup.

Special guests on the day will include His Excellency Anthony Johnson, High Commissioner of Jamaica and actor Rudolph Walker from Eastenders.

Several former Test players have also confirmed their attendance, amongst them Alvin Kallicharan, Corey Collymore, Hartley Alleyne and Collis King

The world of football will be represented by CyrilleRegis and Mark Walters while Liverpool legend John Barnes has been invited.

Bristol West Indians CC, Gordon Road, Whitehall, Bristol BS5 7RD. For more information call Steve Stephenson 07901 996 175.