Mathew Wilson: A Fallen Weekend Warrior

By John L. Aaron
The passion for a cause, ideology, religious belief, principle, or simply a sport, often transcends cultures, ethnicities, and age groups. To die for a cause is not always precipitated by a desire or genuine wish to do so, but to die doing what one loves doing, says a lot about human nature and the belief in one’s self and ability to endure. There ends the abstract nature of a tragedy such as the one that shocked the cricketing community in the State of Connecticut last weekend, when a cricketer having just enjoyed a five-wicket haul, collapsed and subsequently died.

The late Mathew Wilson.

Many professional bowlers enjoy long distinguished cricket careers without ever accomplishing such a feat at the amateur or professional level, so for Mathew Wilson to have accomplished such a feat for his club – the Jamaican Progressive League Cricket Club must have been something very special and shared with his teammates before he passed away.

Incidents such as this often times put things into relative context for the weekend cricket warrior, who would most likely take a pause and reflect that it could have been him or her. It is not yet certain if Mathew Wilson had a health condition that caused his collapse, or heat exhaustion associated with playing under adverse weather conditions, or if it was simply his time to make such a transition. Whatever the reason, we can all agree that we wished it never happened. More so, to a guy who had a cheerful disposition and a warm personality. He was well-respected by many, according to those who knew him best.

Kevin Hussain, President of the Connecticut Cricket League, said, “Mathew always wore a smile, he was constantly calm and collective, adored by many and respected by all. He was a humble person, and his absence will be a noticeable void in our hearts and lives.”

Also known as Agart and Ahbal, played his cricket in the Connecticut Cricket League, and it was during a regular season league match at Keney Park in Hartford, CT this past weekend, that he collapsed and was transported to St. Francis Hospital & Medical Center in Hartford, where he subsequently died of what appears to be a heart attack, or possibly heat exhaustion. The St. Lucia born native was at the end of his 8-over spell in the match, having bagged five wickets, before collapsing.

Mathew Wilson was born in the Village of Mon Repos, on the eastern coast of St Lucia in the Caribbean. There he played cricket for South Wales Cricket Club, before migrating to the United States. Most of his family still reside in Mon Repos, and close to where Mathew Wilson’s final resting place will likely be. The avid cricket enthusiast is survived by his mother, fiancé, three daughters, four grandchildren, his brothers, and cousin Henry “Shotgun” Wilson.

The Connecticut Cricket League has started a Go Fund Me drive to raise USD$10,000 to defray the expenses of transporting the body back to St. Lucia for burial, as well as to provide some financial assistance to the Wilson family in their time of need. The league also plans to establish a Mathew Wilson Memorial Cricket Fund to assist underprivileged young cricketers in Mathew Wilson’s Mon Repos Village in St. Lucia.

Those wishing to make a contribution can access the Go Fund Me page at https://www.gofundme.com/mathew-wilson-memorial-fund.

Usacricketers.com urges all cricketers, fans, friends, and others to make a monetary contribution and help the Connecticut Cricket League reach its USD$10,000 goal.