David Defoe

David Defoe (born 5 April 1949, Dominica) is a Dominican-born cricketer who played first-class and List-A cricket in the West Indies before later representing the Netherlands at the 1982 ICC Trophy. A left-handed tail-end batter and left-arm fast-medium bowler, he broke into regional cricket with the Windward Islands in the 1969-70 season and also featured for the Combined Islands during the Shell Shield era.

Windwards and Combined Islands career

Defoe made his first-class debut for the Windwards in early 1970 and, after strong early returns, earned selection for the Combined Islands later that season. He continued appearing for the Windwards through 1972-73, including fixtures against touring international teams such as New Zealand in April 1972. Contemporary records show a workload as an opening or first-change seamer who could extract movement and offer control on Caribbean pitches. The official Windies player database lists 10 first-class matches, 19 wickets at 26.84, reflecting a solid strike role in a short span at that level.

Defoe also played limited-overs matches for the Windwards in the early 1970s, part of the formative years of regional one-day competitions. Scorecards and career pages place him primarily as a bowler, usually batting at No. 10 or 11 and tasked with breaking partnerships or controlling the run rate in the middle overs.

Netherlands international and later recognition

After emigrating to the Netherlands, Defoe was selected for the Dutch squad at the 1982 ICC Trophy in England. He played three of the Netherlands’ matches and produced his standout figures of 3 for 29 from 11 overs against Malaysia, underlining his usefulness as a new-ball option in associate international cricket. His selection is frequently noted as an example of Caribbean-born players contributing to European associate teams during that period.

Defoe is commonly listed among Dominican representatives who reached the higher rungs of West Indian domestic cricket before adding an associate-international chapter abroad. Later retrospectives in Caribbean media and databases continue to cite his dual-track career: Windwards and Combined Islands domestically, Netherlands internationally.

Playing style and legacy

Defoe is described as a left-arm fast-medium bowler capable of opening the attack, with a compact approach and emphasis on control rather than out-and-out pace. Within Dominica’s cricket history, he stands out for bridging two cricketing worlds: the competitive Windwards pathway of the early 1970s and the associate international scene a decade later. His journey remains a reference point for Dominican players who later pursued opportunities both within the Windward Islands setup and overseas.