Chadwick Antonio Kirkpatrick Walton (born 3 July 1985), nicknamed Rope, is a West Indian cricketer from Jamaica. A right-hand batsman and wicket-keeper, he has represented the West Indies in Test, One Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 International (T20I) cricket, and has appeared in several franchise tournaments across the Caribbean, North America and South Asia.
| Full name | Chadwick Antonio Kirkpatrick Walton |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 3 July 1985 |
| Place of origin | Jamaica |
| Nickname | Rope |
| Batting | Right-handed |
| Role | Wicket-keeper batsman |
| National side | West Indies |
| Test debut | 9 July 2009, vs Bangladesh |
Before his international call-up, Walton played first-class cricket for the Combined Campuses and Colleges and for the University of West Indies Vice-Chancellor's XI, sides that draw players from the tertiary institutions across the Caribbean. His performances in regional cricket led to selection for the senior West Indies side.
Walton made his Test debut against Bangladesh on 9 July 2009. During his maiden Test series, he equalled Ridley Jacobs's West Indian record of five dismissals in an innings as a wicket-keeper. While he was regarded as tidy behind the stumps, his batting at the highest level proved a concern; he managed only 10 runs across four Test innings in the early part of his career. Following the West Indies A-team tour of India, he was named in the 15-member Test squad for the West Indies' tour of India announced on 4 October 2013.
Walton returned to international cricket for the limited-overs series in New Zealand after Marlon Samuels was ruled out due to a chronic wrist injury. He scored 17 runs across the three ODIs he played in the series, and recorded two ducks in two ODI innings. His T20I debut, played across two matches at Eden Park, Auckland, and the Wellington Regional Stadium (commercially known as Westpac Stadium), produced 9 runs.
Although his early international batting returns were modest, Walton was regarded regionally as a powerful striker, particularly in the shorter formats.
Walton's career illustrates the pathway from Caribbean university and regional cricket to the West Indies senior team, with subsequent involvement in a wide range of franchise leagues. His equalling of Ridley Jacobs's five-dismissal innings record is a notable wicket-keeping milestone, and his List A centuries in the 2016–17 season marked a significant phase in his domestic career.