Darren Bravo was born 6 February 1989 in Trinidad. He plays as a left handed top order batsman and has represented West Indies in more than fifty Test Matches, as well as ODIs and T20Is. He has scored 3506 Test match runs at an average of 37.69, 2902 ODI runs at 30.54 and 340 T20I runs. As well as representing West Indies, Bravo has been a popular selection in the Indian Premier League (IPL) having been selected by – among others – Deccan Chargers, Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Despite the regularity with which he has been signed by IPL teams, his only stint playing County cricket came with Nottinghamshire in 2011.
Bravo scored his first international century against Bangladesh in his tenth Test match, ending on 195 just five runs short of a maiden double century; he would finish the following series against India with two more centuries meaning that, after 12 Test matches, he had equalled the run count of Brian Lara, fuelling hope that he would be able to emulate the Trinidadian’s international success. The similarities between Lara and Bravo could not just be seen in the fact they had identical records after 12 Matches, but also in the way that they bat. In 2011 Bravo was described as a ‘clone’ of Lara after a hundred in Kolkata, surely one of the highest compliments a West Indian batsman could receive.
Bravo has also represented the West Indies in three separate Cricket World Cup campaigns, including three matches in the 2019 event in England. Overall Bravo has had a very respectable ODI career scoring 18 half centuries and four centuries since his debut in 2009,
During the 2011 County Championship season, Nottinghamshire signed Bravo after their initial overseas players, Adam Voges and David Hussey departed the club. Bravo played four First-Class fixtures for Notts in Division One. He passed 50 twice in his seven First-Class innings for the club, ending the season with 248 runs at an average of 35.42. As well as appearing in four First-Class matches, Bravo also represented Notts in three List-A matches, finishing his spell with 94 runs at an average of 31.33.
Notts finished the 2011 season in sixth position in the County Championship table having recorded five wins, five draws and six defeats from their 16 matches finishing on 173 points. Bravo was unable to help Notts qualify for the semi-finals of the Clydesdale Bank 40 competition with the club finishing in second position of group C.
November 2023
Nottinghamshire First-Class Number: 619