Roland Butcher

Visit of Roland Butcher on Monday 24th November 2025

A cousin of Basil, Roland Butcher came to the United Kingdom at the age of thirteen
from his native Barbados. He was an aggressive middle-order batsman, who
represented Middlesex between 1974 and 1990. He secured his place in history
when he became the first black player to represent England, making his Test debut
at Bridgetown in 1980-81.

Butcher came to prominence during Middlesex's successes in 1980 when they won
the County Championship and the Gillette Cup, impressing with a rapid half-century
in the final of the latter. He had actually made his England debut two weeks earlier,
impressing with another half-century on his one-day international debut against
Australia.

He continued to enjoy success with Middlesex, winning the County Championship
again in 1982 and 1985, and featuring in victories in the finals of the NatWest
Trophy in 1984 and 1988, and the Benson and Hedges Cup in 1983. In 1987, he
won the Walter Lawrence Trophy for recording the fastest century of the season (in
terms of balls faced) against Sussex.

He retired from playing professional cricket in 1990, also a season in which
Middlesex won the County Championship.  Butcher took up coaching and was
appointed head coach of Bermuda, replacing previous part-time coach Allan
Douglas. In November 2004, he was appointed director of sports at the Cave Hill,
Barbados, campus of the University of West Indies.

On 31 October 2022, Butcher was bestowed with the Freedom of the City of
London He was later appointed, in late December 2022, as a selector on the West
Indies' Men's senior and youth team selection panels.

Roland played in three Tests for England and 3 ODI’s. Over his career he scored
over 12,000 First Class runs including 17 centuries.

He spoke of his career, his team mates at Middlesex including Mike Selvey, Mike
Gatting, John Emburey and Phil Edmonds, and his inspirational Captain Mike
Brearley.
He also related to his West Indian idols growing up and shared his
disappointment in the demise of West Indies cricket.

Roland has written an autobiography “Roland Butcher’s Breaking Barriers” available
in book stores and on-line.

Neil Swanwick