'Happy Hour' is supposed to be happy, but for the Indians, it
was a miserable time at Warner Park in St Kitts today. After
cruising to 204 for 3 at the end of the 35th over, the visitors saw
their timbers shattered four more times for the addition of only 23
runs.
The West Indies were going to be chasing for the first time in
the series, and in the end, with only 246 runs to get on a wicket
suited for strokeplay, the Indians would have to pull off a
spectacular bowling effort to deny their hosts a second successive
victory.
Mon, May 22, '06 by MICHELLE MCDONALD IN BASSETERRE
There is an air of anticipation in Basseterre on the eve of St
Kitts' first ever international cricket game.?? The redeveloped
Warner Park is a hub of activity as preparations reach their
crescendo.? Wires are being run, the pitch is being measured and
marked out, the party stand to the west is slowly taking shape and
the furnishing of private boxes at the southern Lozack Road end is
nearing completion.
At the Players Pavilion end to the North, media personnel are
getting connected in order to keep the world abreast of this
historic occasion.?? As it was when Grenada staged their first
international match in 1999, the St Kitts-Nevis government has
declared Tuesday a Public Holiday.
C.L.R. JAMES felt W.G. Grace did not need whatever he lacked:
"All that he had he could use," he wrote, suggesting that the
completeness of this cricketer was comprehensive even in its
incompleteness.
This is what I have found in cricket: an absolute appeal to the
senses; and it is why it is still riveting despite the travails of
current West Indies performances.
I have a confession to make...very timely especially since today
is the day of worship for my religious faith. After
writing that yesterday's game was going to be a cracker, I left
in the middle of it. Precisely the middle.
After West Indies trudged along to 50 in 122 balls with four
wickets down, eventually reaching 198 all out due only to Ramnaresh
Sarwan's unbeaten 98, could you blame the sceptics who know of
India's aptitude to score heavily? You could hardly call 199 a
challenging target...right? Wrong! This I was to find out when I
turned the car around after a little voice [could it have been
Lara's???] said to me "go back to Sabina Park now."
It rained for most of Friday evening into the night in Kingston,
but this morning, rain has given way to clear, if not bright sunny
skies. No possibility therefore of India being caught napping as
they were when the heavens opened up from Wednesday night into one
hour before the scheduled start Thursday.
Greg Chappell admitted that he and his team thought that they
would have had the morning off. "I think we probably allowed
ourselves to expect no cricket today and maybe it took us a while
to get started," said Chappell after the match. Brian Lara also
thought there was "no way there was going to be cricket."
