Many curiosities exist in the life of Brendan Nash. Not least, he’s playing Test cricket for West Indies – considered the first white man in 35 years, no less, to play for the Caribbean conglomerate.

Nash was conceived in Jamaica; born in Western Australia; moved to Cairns in Queensland aged six; then Brisbane aged 15.

Spent seven summers playing cricket in, and for, Queensland before being sacked by the Bulls in 2007. So he packed his bags and went to live in Jamaica.

His father, Paul, represented Jamaica at the Olympics.

Must have been a sprinter, right? No, a swimmer. In fact, the first Jamaican swimmer at an Olympics (he placed sixth in an opening round 100m freestyle heat at the 1968 Mexico Games).

Paul Nash was also a member of another unlikely Jamaican outfit, the national water polo team. And was named Jamaica’s sportsman of the year in 1969.

He and his seven-months pregnant wife Andrea left the Jamaican capital of Kingston in 1977 for Australia, and Brendan was soon born in Perth.

Like most cricket besotted kids, he grew up dreaming of playing under a baggy green Australian cap.

He followed that dream in Queensland where he shared a house with a certain Mitchell Johnson.

Irony looms large, for Australian paceman Johnson forced West Indian batsman Nash to retire hurt during the second Test at Adelaide Oval with a thundering delivery which Nash feared may have broken his arm.

But Nash returned to the crease and was not out 44 when play resumed on Saturday.

The 31-year-old proceeded to compose a tenacious 92 and frustrate his native nation in a tick over four hours at the crease.

He readily acknowledges his style: “I’m not the typical West Indian style batsman,” he said. Think Larry Gomes, not Viv Richards.

But he got the job done until, with the scent of a century, he chopped a ball on to his stumps – of course, it was delivered by Johnson.

“It was close, it’s bittersweet … disappointing to finish so close against a good bowling attack,” he said.

Nash said his former housemate was “very professional” and refrained from sledging throughout an innings restricted by lack of movement in his arm from the Johnson blow in Friday’s opening session.

“It (his left arm) was quite numb and painful and I couldn’t basically grip the bat,” Nash said of his injury.

“It was a little bit difficult, I couldn’t feel like I could grip the bat and put much power behind my shots.

“That’s why there was a lot of flicking and that sort of thing, deflection.”

© AAP 2012

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