RIP Runako Morton

[STEUPS!!]

Details still sketchy but apparently, Runako died in a car accident in Chase village tonight. That's as much as i know at this point

https://www.facebook.com/preswatch/posts/348376831873967

[vb]

Heard the same.

Sad indeed.

RIP Runako.

[frico]

Very sad news,RIP.

[Michael-j]

Holy sh*t! RIP Runako.

[vb]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/westindies/content/story/556238.html

Runako Morton, the West Indies batsman, has died in a road accident on Sunday, police have confirmed. Morton, 33, crashed into a utility pole on the Solomon Hochoy Highway in Chase Village in central Trinidad.

He was on his way home from a cricket match, and was the sole occupant of the vehicle. The accident occurred at around 11pm local time.

Morton played 15 Tests and 56 ODIs for West Indies, with his last appearance for his country coming against Australia in a Twenty20 international in 2010. He underachieved as a Test batsman, scoring 573 runs at an average of 22.03 with four half-centuries. He had a better record as a one-day player, scoring 1519 runs at an average of 33.75 with two centuries and ten fifties.

Morton's career was blotted by disciplinary breaches. He was expelled from the West Indian Academy in July 2001, and a year later was called up to the injury-plagued West Indies squad as a replacement for Marlon Samuels. He pulled out of the ICC Champions Trophy in September 2002, after lying about the death of his grandmother. His career slipped further when he was arrested (though released without charge) in January 2004, following a stabbing incident.

His maiden ODI century (110*) came in a losing cause against New Zealand in 2006. Two months later, he scored another century, but in a washed-out contest against Zimbabwe in Trinidad. However, one of his most significant one-day knocks was his match-winning unbeaten 90 against Australia in the 2006 Champions Trophy.

His in-and-out career continued with a recall for the 2007 England trip and he made runs against Zimbabwe later that year but his form never remained consistent. His most recent fifty was the unbeaten 85 against India at Kingston in 2009. His last Test appearance came in 2008 against Australia in Antigua.

Morton was one of the few players from the tiny island of Nevis to play Tests for West Indies. He represented Leeward Islands from his debut in 1996-97 till 2009-10, when he shifted base to Trinidad and Tobago. He scored 4104 first-class runs for Leewards at 44.60 with 11 centuries and 25 fifties. He played five first-class matches for Trinidad, scoring 189 runs.

[weary1969]

Hear nah RIP but lawd fadder what a 33 yrs he live.

[kaliman2006]

This is sad news. RIP Runako.

[warmonga]

Never like his cricket but had nothing against him personally RIP Brother
Warmonga

[Tallman]

RUNAKO MORTON

Management and Members are deeply saddened by the untimely passing of Runako Morton on Sunday 4th March 2012.

Runako joined the Queen’s Park Cricket Club as a playing member six years ago and has been a stalwart on the field of play, being named as one of the Club’s five cricketers of the year, five times out of the six years.  He also led the QPCC team to victory in the absence of Justin Guillen and Ricardo Paty in the Sunday League final of 2010.

Most recently, Runako scored 123 runs for QPCC in the Sunday League semi-final which carried the Club to victory against TTEC and as a result advanced to the final.  The date of that final, March 29, will indeed be a sad day for the Club as the team takes the field without him.

Prior to the above, in February Runako made the first T20 century at the UWI Sir Frank Worrell field in St. Augustine enabling QPCC to win their first game in the new UWI 20/20 competition.

Runako has been a most positive influence on his younger teammates and was an inspiring team player with a strong fighting spirit.

Like so many others he had his faults but he fought and conquered his indiscretions and he was a better man for it.

He has always been a warm, good natured and sentimental person, generous in spirit, who gave one hundred per cent at all times towards the well-being of his fellow man.

Our sympathies go out to his wife Liselle and three children and to all the rest of his family.

May he rest in peace.

[pardners]

The both articles failed to mention about his spat with the law last year when he other occupants of a car were stopped and marijuana discovered in their possession.  I think two of the other guys were Leeward Is cricketers as well.

The fella had real cricketing issues... but all the same... RIP breddah.

[STEUPS!!]

 I turned on the tv while waiting for the news and Ian Alleyne was on. So Ian Alleyne like the sensational bastard he is, just aired footage of the scene of the accident and runako's body being removed from the vehicle.

what i was confused about tho, is that after removing his body, they placed a neck brace on him, which led me to wonder if he was still alive at the scene. from the footage and my untrained eye, i wud say no.  the footage however, showed how the fire officers totally man handled his body, not supporting his neck properly and a general lack training in this area. i also didnt see any EHS personnel but they placed him in an ambulance and not a undertaker vehicle. really strange.


sad to see and extremely unfortunate that that had to be aired

[D.H.W]

I turned on the tv while waiting for the news and Ian Alleyne was on. So Ian Alleyne like the sensational bastard he is, just aired footage of the scene of the accident and runako's body being removed from the vehicle.

what i was confused about tho, is that after removing his body, they placed a neck brace on him, which led me to wonder if he was still alive at the scene. from the footage and my untrained eye, i wud say no.  the footage however, showed how the fire officers totally man handled his body, not supporting his neck properly and a general lack training in this area. i also didnt see any EHS personnel but they placed him in an ambulance and not a undertaker vehicle. really strange.


sad to see and extremely unfortunate that that had to be aired

That's the reason why I have stopped watching his show for a bit, the sensationalism of death kind of rubbing me the wrong way.

[dinho]

I now mention that in the Ian Alleyne thread there..

That was disgusting.. Camera man all up in the man corpse and grill and they milking the man unfortunate death for shock value.

Real distasteful.

[vb]

Tributes pour in for Morton
Gayle calls him ‘true warrior’

By Kern De Freitas
Story Created: Mar 5, 2012 at 10:35 PM ECT
Story Updated: Mar 5, 2012 at 10:35 PM ECT
Mere hours after Runako Morton passed away following a vehicular accident late Sunday night, social media were buzzing with tributes for the former Leewards Islands, Trinidad and Tobago and West Indies batsman.
Morton was returning home to Princes Town after celebrating victory with his Queen’s Park Cricket Club (QPCC) teammates over T&TEC in the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) National League Premier Division.
But for all Morton's publicised disciplinary woes, the 33-year-old cricketer seems to have been immensely popular, given the outpouring of support and commiseration that followed the news of his death.
Morton had his share of disciplinary issues, as he was dropped from the regional cricket academy and the West Indies team for various transgressions during his international career.
He last played for T&T in their March 11-14 regional four-day match against the Leeward Islands last year, during which he and Leewards player Tonito Willett were arrested for marijuana possession after breaking team curfew.
But yesterday, Bryan Davis, longstanding cricket administrator at Queen’s Park, remembered the other side of Morton.
Davis described Morton—who ironically bagged a pair during the weekend clash with T&TEC—as a “tremendous inspiration...(with) great fighting spirit”, and a “great team man”.
The Internet was also alive with people trying to confirm Morton’s passing on cricket forums, blogs, Facebook and especially Twitter, and then with consolatory messages.
In poured condolences to Morton’s family and West Indies cricket from journalists, cricketers and fans alike, both regional and internationally.
On Twitter, the troubled but talented right-hander was described as “one of the best” West Indies players, as “a top cricketer”, “too young, very sad” and an “underrated” cricketer by fans.
Among Morton’s former cricketing colleagues, ex-West Indies captain Chris Gayle felt regional cricket lost a “true warrior” and current Windies captain Darren Sammy hailed him as a “cricket warrior”, while T&T and West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo was “shocked and saddened” at his death.
Justin Guillen, Morton’s skipper at Queen’s Park, said the Nevis-born cricketer was “gone too soon”, former England player and commentator David Lloyd was “very sad”, as were Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and England batting star Kevin Pietersen.
The West Indies Cricket Board, T&T Cricket Board and QPCC, as well as the Ministry of Sport, all issued releases honouring Morton and his contributions to local and regional cricket, and regional sponsor Digicel tweeted its “heartfelt condolences”.
Below are selected tweets that emerged yesterday from cricketing personalities:

Darren Sammy (West Indies captain)
A cricket warrior gone, but not forgotten…Played every game hard…Condolences to his family and friends…RIP Runako Morton…

Chris Gayle (former West Indies skipper)
We lost a true warrior WI cricketer Runako Morton-May his soul rest in peace! Our memories together live on!-My Condolences to his Family

Dwayne Bravo
(T&T, West Indies all-rounder)
RIP Runako Morton. Shocked and saddened at the loss of my former WI teammate

Adrian Barath
(T&T, West Indies opener)
Condolences to the family of Runako Morton, gone too soon. RIP

Justin Guillen (QPCC captain)
RIP Runako Morton. Gone far too soon. Lost for words…

Kenny Williams (cricketer, Barbados)
RIP Runako Morton didn’t get chance to tell u thanks for everything when I was TT blessed love bredd until we meet again. Tears

Kevin Pietersen
(England international cricketer)
My thoughts go out to Runako Morton’s family this morning…Such sad news!! What a lovely guy & fierce competitor!! RIP bossman!!!

Ravi Bopara
(England international cricketer)
Very sad to hear about Runako Morton’s tragic death. My deepest condolences to his friends and family. RIP Morton

Harbhajan Singh
(India international cricketer)
Very sad to hear about the death of Runako Morton. He was a good friend and fine cricketer. My condolences to his family. RIP Runako

Scott Styris
(New Zealand international cricketer)
Sad to hear the news of West Indian cricketer Runako Morton passing away in a car accident! Terrible news. RIP

[vb]

By Tony Cozier

Story Created: Mar 5, 2012 at 10:36 PM ECT
Story Updated: Mar 5, 2012 at 10:36 PM ECT

THE sudden death of anyone in the prime of life is sad and shocking, more especially an international sportsman constantly in the public eye.
So it is with Runako Morton, a West Indies cricketer at various levels through all of his adult level, who died in a car crash on Sunday night, aged 33; so it was when Laurie Williams, a West Indies ODI player, perished in the same way in his native Jamaica in 2001, also aged 33, and when another Jamaican, Collie Smith, an all-rounder already rated one of cricket’s emerging greats at the age of 26, succumbed to injuries in a car accident in England in 1959.
The gloom that descended over the game, wherever it is played, was reflected yesterday in the immediate responses, through the internet’s several channels, of sorrowful teammates and one-time adversaries who knew him personally and of ordinary fans whose link was solely through his cricket.
From Nevis, which has rebutted its miniscule size to produce seven Test and ODI cricketers, Morton’s promise was initially recognised when picked for the West Indies under-19s in three matches against their Pakistani counterparts in the Caribbean in 1996.
A strong, aggressive, almost entirely bottom-handed batsman, he proceeded to make heaps of runs for the Leeward Islands in the annual regional tournament (4,104 at an average of 44 with double hundreds in successive innings against Barbados and CCC in 2009 along with nine singles). But it was potential never fully fulfilled at the highest level, a failing of several others of the recent past.
The causes were a combination of problems of technique, the decline of the West Indies team itself and a volatile temperament that regularly led him into trouble. Yet his commitment and love of the game could not be queried.
The first of his run-ins with authority led to his expulsion from the West Indies Cricket Board’s Shell Academy, the first of its kind, in 2001. A year later, his fictitious claim of his grandmother’s death in Nevis so that he could exit the 2002 Champions Trophy early and indiscipline on an ‘A’ team tour of England, Ireland and Canada brought him a year-long ban.
There were later clashes with the law, the most recent a year ago when he and fellow Nevisian Tonito Willett were charged by the police in Port of Spain with possession of marijuana, an accusation to which they pleaded not guilty.
Reliable reports were that he had mellowed since marriage and a move three years ago to Trinidad. He piled up the runs in club cricket for Queen’s Park and became one of few players to represent two territories when picked for T&T in the 2011 regional first-class tournament.
The first of two strikes by senior players opened the way to his Test debut in Sri Lanka in 2005. Like many of the first-timers, he was embarrassed by the mesmerising spin of Muttiah Muralitharan and the swing of Chaminda Vaas. But his breath-taking catching in the slips moved Ian Chappell, commentating on the series, to rate him the best in the position at the time.
In 15 Tests between then and 2008, going in mostly at No.3 or No.4, he averaged just 22.03. The closest he came to a hundred was at Napier in 2006; unbeaten 70, he was denied the chance of the extra 30 runs by rain. His 67, against Australia at Sabina Park in 2008 in a fourth wicket partnership of 128 with Shivnarine Chanderpaul, was probably his best. The next Test was to be his last.
He was more at home in his 56 ODIs in which he averaged 33.75. Often opening with Chris Gayle, he hit hundreds against Zimbabwe and India but his unbeaten 90 in the West Indies' victory over Australia in the 2006 Champions Trophy, adding 137 for the fourth wicket with Brian Lara, surpassed them for the aggression and grit that were the hallmarks of his cricket.
Yet it was in an ODI in Kuala Lumpur in 2006, also against Australia, that he struggled for 31 balls before he was out without scoring. It typified the contrasts that made him such an enigma.

[dwolfman]

Late on it, but RIP Runako.

He was alive, but unconcious at the scene and died later at hospital.

[weary1969]

Memorial 2day in San Fernando Open Bible funeral is Saturday in Nevis.

[weary1969]

Cricketers get in crease for Morton
Vinode Mamchan
Published: Wednesday, March 14, 2012.

Teammates of West Indies batsman and Queen’s Park cricketer Runako Morton at the First Church of the Open Bible, San Fernando, yesterday. Cricketers from all walks of life showed up yesterday at the Open Bible Church, San Fernando, to say farewell to former West Indies cricketer Runako Morton. Morton, 33, died just over a week ago when his car crashed into a pole near the Chase Village flyover.  Leading the cricketers were batting legend Brian Lara, Dinanath Ramnarine, Wavell Hinds, Kirk Edwards, Corey Collymore, Rawle Lewis, Rangy Nanan and Suruj Ragoonath, as well as T&T cricket team’s manager Omar Khan and coach Kelvin Williams.

President of the T&T Cricket Board (TTCB), Azim Bassarath, and former president Deryck Murray also were present. However, what caught the eye were the Queen’s Park cricketers, led by skipper Justin Guillen, who showed up in the sky-blue colours of their club, with the name “Morton” and his number, 37, emblazoned on the backs of their tops. During the ceremony several cricketers were seen wiping away tears but none was as overcome as Hinds, who wept openly under the embrace of Lara.

Also present were Morton’s family members from Nevis, led by his cousin, the former Premier of Nevis Vance Amory. Amory said although Morton had a troubled past, the problem was that people just did not understand him. He said: “Runako had a passion and a number of managers who dealt with him did not know how to channel this energy into something positive. “He was a man you had to understand in order to get the best out of and I must say he was really a wonderful person.”

Amory’s words brought tears to the eyes of Morton’s mother as she focused on his blue casket. His widow, Leiselle, sat in the front row with his three children. In a tribute, Mrs Morton described her late husband as very dedicated. She said: “He was very protective of us and if anyone did us anything you know you had to answer to Runako.

 “He was a fighter and spoke his mind but never held on to things. He was a great provider and we will miss him dearly.” Morton’s final resting place will be in Nevis, where an official function will be held on Saturday.

[Aviator]

[100% Barataria]

sad, rip