The Beginning of Wonderment
West Indies v India, April 1962
India played two Test matches at Sabina Park on their tour of the West
Indies, 1961-62. And it had to be the second of the two that I had seen.
Because, I was remember being fascinated with the name Nawab of
Pataudi – that of India’s captain. And how regal a pair I thought, Frank
Worrell – his counterpart and he himself made, walking out to spin the
toss, immaculately attired in their crème serge pants and woolen country
blazers. And how could I forget Worrell’s walk – as if not wanting to dent
any of the seams in his trousers.
What I remember most was how colossal Sabina appeared for the outside.
My father had parked his car along South Camp Road, which runs north-south
along the east side of the famous ground. Sabina Park, and we had to walk around and
enter from the west. The best I can describe the entry, was like going through a dark dusty
tunnel towards a creaking turnstile. But when we emerged, Sabina was brilliant – well
manicured grass, wooden stands with white-painted facades, and flags aflutter atop the
Kingston Cricket Club pavilion to the west.
The records show that Sobers got a century and a fifty. But what I remember more,
is how excited the crowd got when Wes Hall literally pushed off the sightscreen to
the south – the then Palisadoes End – to begin his run, with Roy Lawrence above
him in a rickety commentary box. “They used to call me `Wesall’ up there,” Sir
Wes now remembers.
The West Indies won by 123 runs.
Baptism into Test match
Writeups
West Indies v Australia, Kingston, March 1999
But my most memorable Test match has to be, the
West Indies v Australia one at the same Sabina Park in
March 1999. Before play started, I asked Tony Cozier if
I could do the write-up for him – my first. Little did I know
beforehand that some would put this one down, as one of
the most exciting Test matches ever witnessed, and Brian Lara’s
double-hundred, one of the most riveting Test innings ever played.
And my most vivid memory? Lara’s flourishing drive to the extra-cover
fence, the ball after being floored by a Glenn McGrath bouncer. As the ball hit the fence, the resident DJ in the Mound Stand began to play
Prince Buster’s `What a hard man fi dead’. And as Lara raced from one
milestone to the next, the normally reserved print media greeted each
with vigorous pounding on their plyboard work-desks, as if punctuating a
Michael Manley speech, down at Gordon House.
Of that innings, Tony Cozier would later write in the Guyana Chronicle:
“’In its context, with all due deliberations and apologies to George
Headley, Sir Gary Sobers and a host of other greats, I cannot identify a
single innings by any other West Indian batsman in our 71 years of Test
cricket of such significance’, I was moved to confidently assert at the time.
Nothing since, has changed my judgment.”
The West Indies won by 10 wickets.
Pretor ian Hospitality
West Indies v South Africa, Centurion, January 1999
Who forgets visiting South Africa for the first time? Like Lawrence
Rowe, I have always had this fascination with that country, and chose
my first opportunity – the last Test of the West Indies first full Test tour
there, to visit. The morning after the long overnight flight from Miami
to Johannesburg, I awoke in Hatfield, Pretoria to the sounds of chirping
of birds and a splendid view overlooking a deep-blue-colored swimming
pool with lots of greenery surrounding.
Test cricket grounds are like churches – each different. And the one at
Supersport Centurion, is grassy and open-aired with a huge covered
stand to the south. On the first morning Errol Pieters – one half of my bed
and breakfast hosts at Arcadia Street in Hatfield – drops me there. And at
close on Friday the first day, South Africa have rattled-up 311 for 9.
The second day I rent a car and make my way down Highway N-1, to
witness a Brian Lara classic. The West Indies captain only makes 68. But
what a thunderous innings that was. The next day Colin Bryden’s heading
in the Sunday Times reads: `Lara wins early battle, Donald the war in fiery
encounter’.
The West Indies go down. And when I drive up back to Hatfield, Errol
invites me in to have a drink and to `talk-cricket’. One drink leads to
another and Desiree his wife, is taking-stock. “Gee Errol,” she says.
“Remember Ray is only paying for bed and breakfast.” “Good gosh
Desiree,” Errol moans back. “Haven’t you a heart? Ray’s from the West
Indies, and we’ve just whitewashed them.”
South Africa won by 351 runs.
The Prince At His Castle
West Indies v Australia, Port-of-Spain, April 2003
There’s hardly anything as exciting as seeing a world-renowned batsman
such as Lara, make his first Test century at home. And fortunately for me,
I was on-hand a Queen’s Park Oval when he did.
There’s this famous picture of Lara well off the ground bent back like a
bow, to avoid a Brett Lee screamer on the fifth morning that the great
batsman went on to the landmark. I remember it, because,
I was there, right above the action. Lara had come close in
the first innings – making 97 much to the disappointment of
the Queen’s Park faithful. But in the second innings, the lefthanded
genius, wasn’t to be denied. One memorable stroke of
his, was a vicious clout through point, piercing a purposely set
jam-packed off-side. Ms. Edwards across Tragarete Road at
The Allamanda, said she heard it.
Lara got 102 – his 20th Test ton and his first on home-soil. But
the West Indies went down by 118 runs.
A Tiger On The Loose
West Indies v Australia, Georgetown, April 2003
And speaking of Australia. How about that brutal assault on
them by Shrivnarine Chanderpaul at Bourda on April 10, 2003!
What got into the little left-handed batsman that day, only God
knows. But he certainly mauled the Australians like some
crazed tiger, sparing nothing bowled at him.
As Garth Wattley in his `Five of Chanderpaul’s best’ reminds:
“Once again It (Chanderpaul’s 100), was made in the midst
of a crisis. West Indies were 47 for 4 when he replaced
Marlon Samuels at the crease, and 53 for 5 when the reliable
wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs joined him at captain Lara’s
dismissal.” “With shots to all parts of the ground,” Wattley
recalls, “he gave everyone pause, stroking 15 fours and helping
himself to two sixes so rapidly that he produced what was at
the time Test cricket’s third fastest century, off just 69 balls.”
Australia won by nine wickets.
Finding My Length
West Indies v Australia, Kingston, March 1965
Wisden has it that Wes Hall with match figures of
nine for 105 at Sabina, produced (quote): “the most
important single contribution of bowling in the five
Tests.” But more importantly, a torch was being
passed to Gary Sobers – now Sir Gary – to lead the
West Indies team. And of the occasion Sobers wrote
in `Gary Sobers Most Memorable Matches’: “Sabina
is a ground where I felt I could do anything.” Indeed,
Sobers won his first Test as captain and took his
100th Test wicket – Peter Philpott caught Kanhai at
leg-slip. An unsung hero to me, was the West Indies
wicketkeeper Jackie Hendriks, diving all over to
reel in thunderbolts sent down by Hall and Griffith.
In addition, Hendriks’s 30 in a seventh wicket
partnership of 64 with Joe Solomon (76) helped lift
the West Indies second innings to 373.
Wisden gave Sir Gary Sobers high praise as both a
player and a captain: “Never has there been a more
versatile and skilled cricketer at international level.
He bowled spin of two types, often used the new
ball, and was always conspicuous with his fielding
in various positions.” “As captain he showed an
instinctive tactical sense which never let him down.
He was a worthy successor to Sir Frank Worrell. No
higher praise can be given.”
The West Indies won that Test by 179
runs and went on to take the series 2-1.
The First Sighting Of
Clive Llo yd
West Indies v England, Kingston, February 1968
The West Indies were back in Jamaica in early 1968.
And I have fond memories of Sobers’ powerful
second innings century after making a first-ball duck
in the first. I also remember him bowling the new ball beautifully. Then there was
the violence of Seymour Nurse’s 73 in the second innings. And the riot that took
place when Basil butcher was given out caught low, down the legside. The bottles
thrown, were no match for the police teargas.
The future West Indies captain Sir Clive Lloyd announced himself with some
powerful backfoot driving and some sweeping cover fielding. When stumps were
pulled on the extra sixth day, the West.
Indies were two wickets away from victory.
Never Again
West Indies v England, Leeds, August 2000
So I take my wife and younger son to Leeds to introduce them to Test match cricket.
The West Indies lose in two days, with Andy Caddick, and homeboys Darren Gough
and Craig White the triumvirate destroyers. In their second innings 61, the West
Indies record five ducks. And for the next three days, the family and I got to know
Leeds very well. That we were on-hand to witness the West Indies pacer Curtly
Ambrose get his 400th Test wicket, could have been considered a consolation. But
it would take all of nineteen (19) years for my wife to accompany me to another Test
match.
England win by an innings and 39 runs.
A Sunday Spoilt
West Indies v England, Kingston, March 2014
Test matches double as reunions of sorts. And so, on the Sunday of this Test, two of
my high school and college friends Frank Morant and Mikey Vernon arranged ahead
of time to have lunch over by the Kinston Cricket Club on the Sunday.
The first innings scores were competitive – the West Indies 311 all-out, and England
339. A lead of 28, seemed nothing to overhaul. That’s until the wiry Steve Harmison
got the ball. Then all hell broke loose. Harmison getting bounce and movement got
7 for 12. And Matthew Hoggard, with front shoulder angled into the wind – 2 for 21.
By the time my lunch guests showed-up, and we made our way over to the KCC
dining area, burners were being fanned-out.
England won by 10 wickets.
The Slide Begins
West Indies v Australia, May 1995
In a 2015 interview with Scott Oliver, Jimmy Adams suggests that when Australia
visited in 1994-95, by then, the West Indies were losing focus. Probably that’s
why in hindsight some still say that when the West Indies wicketkeeper Courtney
Browne dropped what appeared to be a straightforward catch off Steve Waugh
when 42, the Barbadian might have been seeing two ball. Steve (200) and his twin brother
Mark (126) and Greg Blewett (69) then went on to bat the West Indies out
of the game. Australia snatch the Frank Worrell Trophy. And the West Indies 15-
year unofficial dominance of world cricket, came to an end.
Australia won by an innings and 53 runs.
Needless to say, there are many more Test cricket memories of mine. But for now,
these will I hope, suffice.