Bishoo makes strides as opening Test looms

LONDON, England (CMC) — Leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo will have the chance to break into the top 20 of the International Cricket Council's bowling rankings if he suits up for the opening Test against the Black Caps in Wellington starting tomorrow.

In the latest rankings released on Tuesday, the 32-year-old Guyanese rose two places to 21st, to lie just outside of the top 20 in the world.

Bishoo is coming off a productive tour of Zimbabwe where he grabbed 13 wickets in the two-Test rubber, to emerge as Man of the Series.

He was particularly impressive in the opening Test when he claimed a nine-wicket match haul as West Indies won by an innings inside four days.

There is no guarantee, however, that Bishoo will find a spot in the starting XI as West Indies have several pace options at their disposal in conditions which will be favourable to seam.

Speedster Shannon Gabriel is the highest ranked Windies bowler at 20th and will also have the opportunity to improve his ranking, as he is expected to spearhead the attack.

PCL resumes on Thursday

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua – The oldest rivalry in the history of first-class matches in the Caribbean will have special meaning, as the Digicel 4-Day Championship hits the halfway stage with fifth round matches, starting tomorrow in Guyana, St. Kitts and Jamaica.

All six franchises will be looking to give cogent proof that last weekend’s break in the tournament for rest and recovery was beneficial, as they continue to chase the Headley/Weekes Trophy, symbol of regional 4-Day supremacy.

Front-runners and three-time reigning champions Guyana Jaguars and traditionally-strong Barbados Pride started it all in the first-ever, regional first-class match more than 150 years ago, and there will be plenty at stake when they renew this bitter, long-standing rivalry in the feature match of the round.

Leeward Islands Hurricanes and Trinidad & Tobago Red Force, two teams that suffered setbacks in the previous round, will face each other looking to get back on track, and Jamaica Scorpions will target their second straight victory against a revamped Windward Islands Volcanoes, yet to win this season.

Brathwaite among runs in tame draw

LINCOLN—Leading West Indies batsman Kraigg Brathwaite warmed up for next weekend’s first Test with a half-century, as the Caribbean side earned a tame draw against New Zealand A in their three-day match yesterday.

Having failed in the first innings, the right-hander carved out 88 in the second on the final day of the contest at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval, to find form ahead of the two-Test series against the Black Caps.

West Indies, resuming from 53 for two overnight, were dismissed for 186, with wicketkeeker Shane Dowrich chipping in with 47 to follow up his first innings 35.

Worryingly, however, there was another failure for Jermaine Blackwood who fell without scoring after making just four in the first innings.

West Indies not underestimating Black Caps middle order

If the West Indies plan to target a potentially vulnerable New Zealand middle order, skipper Jason Holder is giving nothing away.

With experienced wicketkeeper-batsman BJ Watling out of the first test with a hip injury, starting at Wellington's Basin Reserve on Friday, there will be pressure on others to deliver.

Henry Nicholls, Mitchell Santner and Colin de Grandhomme are all establishing themselves with the bat at test level, while Watling's replacement Tom Blundell is set to debut.

Holder and the West Indies seam attack will be desperate for early wickets to make inroads into New Zealand's middle order. He said they had full respect for the Black Caps in home conditions and couldn't just focus on skipper Kane Williamson and 81-test veteran Ross Taylor.

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Any Hope For A Test Championship?

According to those who know, business, marketing or advertising is, most times, if not all the time, the key to success.

It is what sells, and it is what makes money. Money is what keeps one going, and to many people, having money, and plenty of it, is the real sign of success.

Recently, the ICC talked about staging a Test championship, and just recently, James Sutherland, the CEO of Australian cricket, said that Test cricket is plummeting, so much so that by the next 15 years, he doesn't know where it will be.

According to Sutherland, in India, as far as value is concerned, it takes five days of a Test match to equal three T20 matches, and only the Ashes series can be compared with the Indian Premier League.

And that is true right around the world. Making money, more than anything else, seems to be the order of the day.

When one considers the marketing and advertising, however, the notices of when matches will be played, who are playing and their stats, the giveaways, free shirts, caps, and banners, the music, flashing lights, and pretty dancing girls, nothing in cricket, in my over 60 years of association with the game, has ever been marketed or advertised as the IPL or any form of T20 cricket.