The Cricket Hall of Fame is mourning the loss of two Hartford stalwarts Noel C. Elliott and Carole Grayson. Elliott, who was originally from Jamaica passed away peacefully on Sunday, May 20. He was 92 years old, while Grayson, who is an American, died on Saturday, June 16, at the age of 72.
The late Carole Grayson (left) and Noel Elliott.
A lifelong member of the West Indian Social Club, Elliott was one of the pioneers who started the game in Hartford. Along with another pioneer, the late Reginald Leslie, he did not only recruit players but donated many hours and funds to get the game off on the right track.
Elliott was among the first group of West Indians who arrived in Hartford in the 1940s to work on the various farms and fields that were flourishing during that time. The men brought not only their energies to work on the farms but also their love for the game which was very popular in their homeland. Boredom set in when they found themselves with nothing to do with their spare time and they started to play the game in the camps where they resided.
Grayson, a social worker with the state of Connecticut for 35 years, became a member of the West Indian Social Club, where she developed a love for the game. She served as secretary of the club’s cricket team and became an excellent scorer. As word got out of her competence, she became in demand, and as a result turned out to be the top scorer in the region who got the opportunity to score at almost every cricket event that was held in Hartford.
Her contributions to the sport did not stop there, however, as she became not only the longest serving secretary of the Connecticut Cricket League, but also secretary of the Cricket Hall of Fame. She also served with the youth cricket program in the city, as a representative of the game at City Hall, and sometimes as a babysitter for some of the cricketers, while they are involved in a game at the park.
She was eloquently admired by both players and fans for her knowledge of the game, as a great friend, and a valuable source of cricket information both locally and internationally. She also had the opportunity to meet and see some of the great West Indian players which included Sir Everton Weekes, Sir Garfield Sobers, Larry Gomes, Rohan Kanhai, Andy Roberts, Basil Butcher and Easton McMorris in action at the park as well as the Indian team with star player Sunil Gavaskar, when they were world champions, in action in Hartford.
