Ridley Jacobs
A fearless wicketkeeper who redefined the role of an opener, carrying his bat in a World Cup match to make West Indian history.
Born 1967 (age 59)·West Indian cricketer·Birthday: November 26·Generation X
Biography
Ridley Jacobs emerged from Antigua not as a flashy star, but as a cricketer of immense grit and quiet reliability. His entry into the West Indies team in the late 1990s came during a period of transition, and he provided a bedrock of stability behind the stumps and at the top of the order. A left-handed batsman with a compact technique, Jacobs possessed a fighter's temperament, famously becoming the first player to carry his bat through a completed innings in a Cricket World Cup. His 49 not out against Zimbabwe in 1999 was an act of sheer determination. Over a career spanning 65 Tests and 147 ODIs, his 408 dismissals stand as a testament to his sharp, consistent glovework, second only to the great Jeff Dujon for the West Indies. Jacobs was the unshakeable craftsman in an often turbulent side, earning respect through unwavering performance.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Ridley was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ridley Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Ridley's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- First opening batsman to carry his bat in a completed innings in Cricket World Cup history (49* vs Zimbabwe, 1999).
- Accumulated 408 total dismissals (219 in Tests, 189 in ODIs) in international cricket for the West Indies.
- Scored a Test century (118) against Australia in 2003, showcasing his batting capability at the highest level.
- Played a key role in the West Indies team that won the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy.
Did You Know?
He was a primary school teacher before his international cricket career took off.
His younger brother, Wilden Cornwall, also played first-class cricket for the Leeward Islands.
He made his Test debut at the age of 31, a relatively late start for an international cricketer.
“I just wanted to be the best wicketkeeper I could be for the West Indies.”
