West Indian cricket team in England in 1906
The first-class teams fielded somewhat weakened sides to make the matches more competitive but the early defeats had again limited public interest.
Sydney Smith was the star all-rounder of the team in the early matches but he later lost form, especially his batting.
Percy Goodman, Bertie Harragin, Lebrun Constantine, George Challenor and Harold Austin all batted well on occasions.
No reason for this is given in contemporary publications but it is reported that his tour "ended in acrimony when he was sent home after refusing to carry out menial duties for white members of the side.
13 of the team departed from Barbados aboard RMS "Trent" on 22 May arriving in Southampton on 4 June via Cherbourg.
The team practised at Lord's and played a number of preliminary matches, some arranged by WG Grace.
A useful partnership of 149 in 80 minutes for the seventh wicket between Harold Austin and Bertie Harragin enabled them to set Lord Brackley's XI a target of 244.
The Minor Counties got within 12 runs of the West Indian score with 62 in 88 minutes from William Coleman from Hertfordshire the top scorer.
After the match Harragin attempted to beat his West Indian record for throwing the cricket ball.
The tourists were headed for an innings defeat but a ninth wicket stand of 48 in 30 minutes between Lebrun Constantine and Tommie Burton enabled them to set a target of 47.
In reply the West Indians were dismissed for 149 with Smith top scorer with 52 and William Overton taking 5/58.
Smith had been top scorer and leading wicket taker for the West Indians in each of the last three matches.
The tourists were 73/3 at lunch on the second day but afterwards they collapsed before Bert Vogler, the South African googly bowler, who ended up with 9/44, the other batsman being run out.
Derbyshire's team included Charles Ollivierre, Richard's brother, who had toured with the West Indies in 1900.
Batted again the West Indians were 62/4 but Oliver Layne scored 63 in 115 minutes added useful runs with Richard Ollivierre and Harold Austin.
Maynard Ashcroft who had retired earlier with a fly in his eye returned and saw Derbyshire to a 6 wickets victory with Ollivierre.
Play was delayed until after lunch and when they batted Scotland only managed 147 and by the end of the first day the West Indies were 109/4, Lebrun Constantine scoring a rapid 68 in 50 minutes and adding 87 with Oliver Layne.
On the second day the West Indians scored 158 with Constantine again top scorer with 51, Sam Hargreave taking 7/49.
West Indies won the toss, batted first and scored 270, Lebrun Constantine 79 and Oliver Layne 63 adding 117 for the second wicket in 70 minutes.
When they batted Yorkshire were sensationally dismissed for 50 in 80 minutes with Richard Ollivierre 7/23 and Sydney Smith 3/27 bowling unchanged.
Leicestershire won the toss batted and were soon 41/4 but Harry Whitehead and Samuel Coe added 83 in an hour and the home side eventually reached 274.
In reply George Challenor and Lebrun Constantine scored 86 in 50 minutes and the tourists reached 124/2 at the close of play.
Smith, Percy Goodman and Harold Austin all added useful runs and at 241/4 a surprise win looked possible.
George Challenor made 37, Lebrun Constantine 41, Oliver Layne 62, Percy Goodman 88, Harold Austin 32 and Richard Ollivierre 42.
Left with nearly four hours to get 328 the West Indians started well with George Challenor and Oliver Layne scoring 129 for the first wicket.
Wickets then fell and it was left to Percy Goodman with 107 and Richard Ollivierre with 50 to enable the total to reach 297 made in 220 minutes.
The team sailed from England on the RMS "Trent" encountering a storm on the voyage and reached Barbados on 17 September.
The tour was clearly regarded as disappointing: "There is no getting away from the fact that the programme arranged for them was too ambitious, and they failed to make any strong appeal to the public.
and "The plain truth is that the players were not good enough to make the English counties feel in the smallest degree apprehensive.
Sometimes they have an extra-cover who, while cover stands close in, fields almost behind him at a distance of forty yards or so; but once or twice at Lord's on Monday in the M.C.C.
