South Africa's Graeme Smith won the toss and sent the West
Indies in to bat in today's second One Day International of the
series. Would it be a repeat of yesterday where the West Indies
lost their way badly, going down by eight wickets to the visitors?
The fans hoped not. That was to be wishful thinking.
The sun is super hot today, just like yesterday, but even though
dark clouds hovered then, there was no rain to cool the fans down.
What's different with the weather today though is that there is a
nice breeze blowing into the Media Centre.
Yes. I know. The slogan of the new West Indies cricket sponsors
Digicel is in fact 'Bigger, Better Cricket,' however, Sabina Park
was such a sea of red today that it just seemed apt to allude to
that in the title of this article. Seeing the ground a few days ago
and comparing it with today, it's obvious that many people worked
into the wee hours of the night to give Sabina Park the Digicel
feel.
Ultimately my two picks for the Sticky
Wicket West Indies Cricket Hall of Fame were quite easy. The
first batch of players inducted, though all deserving in varying
respects, seemed to be selected with one eye fixed on records
(individual and as team captain) and the other gazing constantly at
players? statistics.
Cricket is undeniably a game of numbers, but little, if any,
consideration seemed to be given to the context of our cricketing
history. No other explanation could be plausible for my two
selections being initially excluded?
Xavier Marshall makes a promise to MICHELLE McDONALD
Xavier Marshall's debut in the VB one-day series in Australia
was largely unsuccessful so the opening batsman returned to the
Caribbean with big plans to join the Jamaica national team and add
some runs to his name.
After three away matches, however, all he did was add to a
lingering reputation for indiscipline. This resulted in him being
suspended for the Round Nine match against Barbados, and being put
on probation for the rest of the Carib Beer series. He never played
another match for the season.
Teenage Jamaican opener Xavier Marshall has been recalled to the
West Indies team for the first two ODIs against South Africa in
Jamaica on May 7 and 8.
The talented right-hander, who appeared in one match for the
West Indies in the VB Series last year, was recently dropped from
the Jamaica side and put on a discipline-related probation. Also
returning to the team are Dwayne Smith Corey Collymore and Ian
Bradshaw, three players who did not play in the current Test
series.
