LONDON, May 12: Alf Valentine, former West Indies spin-bowling great of the 1950s and 60s, has died at his home in Orlando, Florida at the age of 74. The Jamaican formed part of a famed spin attack with Sonny Ramadhin and the pair became celebrated in a Calypso song "Those little pals of mine - Ramadhin and Valentine."

At Lord's in 1950, they shared 18 wickets to fire the West Indies to their first Test victory in England, crushing the home side by 326 runs. Valentine's combined figures for the two innings of 116-75-127-7 remain a record for the number of maiden overs in a Test and his victims included former England captain Len Hutton twice.

His prodigious left-arm spin was to trouble Hutton for the rest of the series which the West Indies went on to win 3-1, thanks also to the batting exploits of Frank Worrell, Everton Weekes and Clyde Walcott - the three Ws.

Valentine played 36 Tests, taking 139 wickets at an average of 30.32. Like Ramadhin, who survives him, he featured in local English leagues before retiring.

Former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd told SkySports News on Wednesday: "He was very accurate and had a great cricketing brain. He was a wonderful person. He would be up there with all the great spinners that we have produced." -Reuters