Today’s WI v. Ban Test Match Start Is The 500th Test Match Player By The West Indies. Congratulations Are In Order.

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by Anura Guruge

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We were gone, to lovely and historic Francestown, N.H., most of the day. When we got back, late, as ever, I took in my 45 minutes of cricket before coming up for my nightly 3rd shift. The 2nd Test match between the West Indies and Bangladesh had started, today, and though the highlight package was not available I was more than happy to watch the ball-by-ball coverage of the first session. That I did given that I have watched this whole series — the first time I have really ever watched the Bangladeshis in action. I have mixed feeling. Some definite talent. Application? Yes there is a question mark there. Well they have been at it long enough. They really should be entering the 2nd phase of their Test history.

I learned, to my delight, that this Test, which started today, was the 500th West Indian Test and only England and Australia, of course, have played more. Wow. South Africa probably would have been third if not for the years in the boycott wilderness.

Clive Lloyd and Courtney Walsh were at hand, on TEN Cricket, along with Ian Bishop and Jeff Dujon. Wow, these boys have put on a few pounds.

TEN Cricket showed this following graphic a number of times. I found it disturbing.

Everybody seemed to be embarrassed to point out that the Win-Loss ratio of 1980 – 1993 is now reversed! That is crazy and that is bad. I found this companion graphic also on Cricinfo.com. The current bowling lacks penetration. A ’40’ average. That is way too high.

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Malcolm Marshall, one of the many bowlers from the halcyon days in the ‘1980s’. I saw Malcolm quite a bit given that he played for my then county, Hampshire [i.e., Hants.]. I was there the first day he played for Hants. It was cold and Malcolm didn’t do too well. He was also all of 18 (or thereabouts). I heaped a lot of abuse on him from my perch in the Member’s Pavilion. I cried when he died and wrote online that I feel dreadful that I gave him heck on his first day. But he was there to replace Andy and they were big shoes to fill. Malcolm proved to be a gift. I was blessed. During my time at Hants we had Barry Richards, Gordon Greenidge, Andy Roberts and Malcolm. 

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