Message Board Archives

AND WILL NEVER DIE .

In the just concluded Test Match between England & the West Indies that ended in a draw ; there were three notable events .

First , Blackwood made his maiden ton
batting for the West Indies . Secondly , James Anderson became the highest wicket taker for England in Test Cricket .

Whenever I see Anderson , I am reminded of the fact , that at the under 19 level , in a Test Series vs an U-19 West Indies Team , he was outshone by the bowling of Kenroy
Peters .

Obviously the powers that be in England saw something in James Anderson , and they
harnessed ; nurtured ; and honed his talent .
Kenroy Peters on the other hand was made
Invisible by the powers that be in Regional Cricket . Because for decades ,
they were only interested in " PACE LIKE
FIRE " .

WE will never know whether Kenroy Peters
could bowl faster , because I guess the
main criteria for pace bowlers was height , and Peters did not fit the bill .

I cite this to illustrate the fact that while the English Cricket Board , did not
leave Anderson in the Wilderness , the WICB left Peters in the Wilderness , worse yet , the Windwards Cricket Board ignored him , and are to still doing that despite
his performances .

Finally Congratulations to Jason Holder for making his maiden ton . In my opinion
Holder has the makings of a fine All rounder , but he needs to put in some more
effort , particularly in bowling ; to get
more speed .

In reply to POINT

Maybe he would be content to be a fourth seamer and contribute with the bat. There is no shame in that. I just do not believe he is capable of bowling faster than he is now. Maybe he could get to 85, but to me that would be about it. But a fourth seamer and coming in at 7 (or higher depending) to give his share with the bat...yeah man.

This match was more enjoyable than all de IPL put together...to each his own

In reply to POINT

In reply to Oilah

As long as there is England & Australia ,
Test Cricket aint going to die . They both
love fighting for the mythical " ASHES ".

Many people fail to realize that Test Matches , are the only continuous connection
Cricket has with the Past ; the Present &
the Future , essentially it is one continuous thread that links Players of the Past , the Present & the Future .

The British are very fond of their traditions ; and Test Cricket is one of them . So there is absolutely no danger of Test Matches being a thing of the past .

In reply to POINT I have said this before, to invigorate cricket even more (t20 is doing it), have the U19 champioship and warm up matches be of 40 overs! I believe it's purely psychological, where we make ODIs, the ultimate one day game! It would have an effect on test cricket by.....u fellas fill it in and i will see if we are on 'the same sheet of music' as the Americans would say!

In reply to POINT

I just love it when you write like this... and ignore your usual rant about West Indian journalists.




I would add the little matter of attitude. I saw a whole lot of the right attitude in the Test. Clearly, the people who thought of investing in Jason Holder (Lloyd??) were thinking right.

West Indies' bowling in this Test has attracted some positive comments about its disciplined approach.

But I also saw the right attitude in Roach's batting, as well as that of all the batsmen except Samuels (I believe Simmo will bring him around; and we can ignore that rash shot from Blackwood who had been so restrained up to then). We did not see the usual line of Windies batsmen trotting back to the pavilion.

It would be my guess that the Simmons Era has begun, and it has begun at the right place: the matter of attitude which, incidentally, was what got the Irish so far so quickly.


//

In reply to Ewart

The reason why I am very critical of the Sports Journalists in the Region , and will always be critical of them until the display some testicular fortitude is due to the fact that they have allowed themselves to become
the Messenger Boys of the WICB ; and I get
the impression that they enjoy being in that role .

Please cite me the name & the Newspaper where any of them , was critical of the WICB cancelling the Tour to India , and pointed out to their Readers or Listeners
that by pulling the Plug on the Tour , the
WICB placed the BCCI in serious Financial Straits .

I dont hold a brief for the Players , but the actions of those in the WICB was not only Reckless , but reprehensible . So please spare me any B.S. regarding those
in the Region who claim to be Sports Journalists .

In reply to cricketest

As long as the other two formats of the game are around , Test Cricket will be alive and healthy ; the money derived from the shorter versions of the game will ensure the survival of Test Matches .

An advantage of cricket is the many formats. People would get fed up of t20 quickly if only that was played.

In reply to POINT

In reply to POINT

In reply to Ewart

If your last paragraph is accurate , then shame on the Owners of the Media . I was under the impression , that in the Region there was a little but important thing called FREEDOM OF SPEECH , enshrined in all
Democratic Countries .

If that aint the case , could you please inform me when that was changed , because
I am unaware of the fact that there was a change from adhering to Democratic Principles .

The primary reason why those in the governance of Cricket in the Region , are Incompetent ; Inept ;
lacking in Professionalism is due to the fact that they are accountable to NO ONE ;
& those in the Media are in bed with them
philosophically .

That is a huge problem , regarding Cricket in the Region ; the Media because of their alliance with those in the governance of Cricket in the Region , has enabled those
in the governance of Cricket in the Region
to be Arrogant & Unaccountable . Now this is a fact it aint fiction .

In reply to POINT

In reply to Ewart

The impression I get from what you have written , is that the Owners & their Reporters really don't care about Cricket
& the state of Cricket in the Region .

So essentially , Those in the governance of Cricket in the Region don't care , ALL the
People in the Medi don't care . The International Cricket Cabal don't care .

The Regional Governments don't care , so
what the Hell is going to become of Cricket in the Region ??? That is the question that is hanging in the Air .

In reply to POINT

That was a terrific test. It is so much more satisfying
than a ODI or a t20.
Really enjoyed this match. Listened to much of the
first 3 days. On hols with sparse internet.
Overjoyed to see the result. English waffling on
about flat wicket.

In reply to POINT

In reply to POINT
Well said POINT.

I must admit that I too had a nice feeling as the guys fought back on DAY FIVE ...knowing that a NO Result aka a DRAW was a victory in many ways for us...IF we could just hang on...and long before the last session I was reminded how much I enjoyed the ebb and flow of Test Cricket.

My submission re the case you cited is that while many will point to resources and say money...I posit that the real lack is in committed individuals and the will to create and build an environment that nurtures our talent.

I no longer will whine about County Cricket...it played its part but they wised up and kicked us out...so what...lets do what JA is doing in Track and develop our own systems...we ve been at this long enough

In reply to POINT

In reply to imusic

In reply to imusic

You're right. T20 is great to popularise the game and get people
playing. But it is rubbish!
T20 is like going into a nightclub and picking up a slut.
Test cricket is like going into a nightclub and locking eyes with
a beautiful classy woman and getting her!

In reply to POINT

I think the reason test cricket is poorly attended esp in the WI is the poor performance of the players. Also 5 days is a long time in our fast paced and instant world. But tests can produce a rollercoaster of emotions that the shorter game lacks.

Most cricket fans still take the time to follow the ebbs and flows of a test match, and many would go to see parts of a match if it were competitive.

The problem is that for so many years our players were caught between IPL and WI cricket and the kind of money that can be earned from the shorter version of the game. Their commitment to five days of hard work became unimportant and being on a test team meant little.

This new team has no stars and look how hard the guys worked to save the match and show some pride. If this can continue, then I agree tests will n ot die.

In reply to GMA

T20 cricket is the nightclub

Test cricket is a bingo hall

In reply to GMA

In reply to GMA

Test cricket is more like ah MILF

T20 like ah young sexy chick

Hahaha ah if I knew ten years ago what I know about women
now......!

In reply to POINT

Good luck with that! Its a fact the younger generation has no patience for Test match cricket! for that reason it WILL die!!!

In reply to unitsypher

only in these parts if LEadership is lacking.

Test Cricket ...even for the seniors..they admit that a Test career is still the bench mark...what we lack is leadership...winning will mask our weakness in this area but ironically thats excatly what is required to stir the inbred love for the game back into the masses

In reply to powen001

In reply to BeatDball

I have absolutely no problem with your
suggestion .My take is that if Players
have good Mental & Physical Stamina , they will be Good in any form of the game .

This fact has been lost on those in the Region who are in the governance of Cricket . Why they cannot understand this fact is
beyond my comprehension .

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2015/apr/18/west-indies-cricket-decline-caribbean

In reply to GMA

In reply to powen001


Test Cricket will always be the benchmark
by which Cricketers are always going to be measured .

Because it pits the Mental & Physical Stamina of Players for 5 days in all aspects of the game .

My reasoning is simply this;Players whose
Mental & Physical Stamina is very good for
5 days , will find it easy in the shorter
versions of the game .

That is why in my opinion , concentration must be placed on having our Players Physical & Mental Stamina at a very high level in all aspects of the game .

In reply to unitsypher

One day hopefully , they will understand
that the other formats of the game are easier that the longest version of the game .

A Marathon runner , can run the 10,000 meters easily , because his Mental & Physical Stamina will be up to the task ; because he is accustomed to running a longer distance than that .

The person who runs the 10,000 meters , will need to train to run the Marathon if he wants to be successful in running the
Marathon .

The gist of what I am saying is that Once
Players play the longer versions of the game , including 4 days matches , they will find the shorter versions of the game
easy .

In reply to POINT

In reply to powen001orrect ,

That is correct , now to gain Mental & Physical Stamina requires Players playing
a lot of 4 days Cricket at the Regional Level .

Yes , I am fully aware that this will cost
money . However that money will easily be
recouped as our Players & Team start Climbing the International Cricket Arena .

This is precisely why I am severely critical of the Windward Islands Cricket
Board for having the Windward Islands
Tournament last 2 days . Playing 4 innings
in 2 days is an asinine idea , it is also
cheating the Players .

I would readily agree that Devon Smith must take responsibility for his failures
to concentrate , but his lack of concentration is compounded by the Stupidity of the Windward Islands Cricket
Board .