As you all know, when on a Sunday morning, I dabble in matters cricket, I first visit with the big-men of West Indies cricket-writing - Tony Cozier and Tony Becca - to see what they are saying. I then, quietly slip into their slip-stream. However, this morning, I will not. Let me gentlemen, gently twist in the wind.
 
By now, all the wells which spring-forth Banks, Carib, and Red Stripe beers, must be about to run-dry, such was the celebration on the West Indies hanging-on to draw the Test match in Antigua. Imagine, my Caribbean people, going head-over-heels, over a draw!
 
But before I'm called-out for my mean-spiritedness, let me also join-in, in praising Jason Holder for his cerebral Test century. For those who might not want to rewind the tape, let me remind, that when I saw Jason Holder batting last June, in the Test at Kensington Oval against New Zealand, I sort of saw, what Clive Lloyd, had seen - an intelligent approach to his cricket and to his batting.
 
Speaking of which. Might those who - for selecting the youngster to wet his feet by captaining the World Cup 2015 team - likened selector chairman Clive Lloyd, to some sort of bumbling oaf, now raise their hand(s)? But gentlemen, this is not my beef.

Full Story

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

what is it you really trying to say

I'm lost

In reply to Cuter



That we should have a batted first. But no one wants to touch the proverbial elephant in the room which is the selection of Benn. The 2nd and 3rd session of the first day almost cost us the game. Benn forced Ramdin to go back to his main bowlers so that by the second new ball our bowlers were so nackered they were plastered to all parts of the field.

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

1.The West Indies are a weak batting and bowling team.

2.If the opposition bat first,you are much more likely to be able to draw the match than if you bat first because if they bat first and score 400 runs,then providing you save the follow-on they have to decide when to declare in their second innings.They have to time their declaration to ensure you would be stretched to have enough time to win the game but also they have to give themselves enough time to bowl you out.
It is this delicate balance that can allow us to draw a game.
Mr. Ford did not deem it necessary to include these considerations in his piece and therefore maybe he could explain to us simpletons why he did not and why a weak team should not insert the opposition in a test match.

3.If we bat first and are bowled out in less than 90 overs then depending on how well we bowl we could lose in 3 days.

4. I have a question for Mr. Ford.When you look at teams losing test matches in 3 days,what percentage are teams batting first and what percentage are teams batting second?

We must first learn to draw test matches consistently and in the interim have our guys learning on the job. This will help us develop sufficient cricketing resources to facilitate winning on a consistent basis.

Batting second on what historically have been batting paradises in the Caribbean will help in this regard.

The writer's inflexible approach (bat first) suggests at best, that he does not strategically think cricket and worse, he does not think past his nose.

In reply to Dukes

I agree with your perspective . Allowing the other Team to bat first ,means that our brittle batsmen have a target that they should meet & surpass .

The gist of what you are saying is that if the standard of our batsmen was higher , with stats to prove that , then when we win the toss , WE can bat first . espite the fact that our Bowlers can also be brittle .

Lost in the shuffle of this discussion , is the fact that very few people have
brought up the fact that our Players do not currently possess the key ingredients
that are imperative to win Test Matches
against Teams ranked above our Team , and
perhaps some ranked below our Team .
how
These key ingredients , are not inherent to any Cricketer , they have to be learned . The aint in books ; DVDS ; or Videos .
The question then is how can Players acquire those skills ??

The only method that I know of to acquire
these skills is by playing a lot of 4 days
matches at the Regional level . Doing
this builds up Stamina , YES STAMINA ;
MENTAL & PHYSICAL .

Stamina induces CONCENTRATION ; QUICK

THINKING ; & ALERTNESS , IN ALL ASPECTS

OF THE GAME .

The lack of concentration , brings about
costly mistakes , in Batting ; Bowling ; Catching ; & Fielding . For the umpteenth
time in this Forum . Go and check the stats of Players on Teams ranked above our
Team and compare them to our Players ,
there is a huge disparity .

Unless & until that disparity is closed ,
especially in the longer versions of the game , more likely than not , our Players
& Team will be on the losing end of matches .

YES , this will initially cost money ,
however as I have stated very often in this Forum that money will be easily recouped when our Players start climbing the ladder of International Cricket .

So then the question is this :

IS THE WICB & THE REGIONAL CRICKET BOARDS

GOING TO MAKE A VERY SERIOUS EFFORT TO

MAKE THIS HAPPEN ???

In reply to POINT...

... good question?

Well I will say a see a small step forward with this lengthened season. So lets see how we look in another 3 yrs time.

In reply to natty_forever

What should have been done ,over 3 decades ago , cannot be made up in 3 years . My take is that if those in the governance of Cricket in the Region , really are serious
about making our Players& Team the best in the World , it will take a very long tome for that to happen .

The problem is that there aint no proof
that they will do this ; and the effort must be continuous & sustained . If this does not happen WE are simply spinning top in Mud .

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

Stupid article. There are countless times in the history of test cricket that teams win the toss and put the opposition into bat. That's why the winning captain has a chance to determine whether his team will take a bat or a bowl.

Plus the stupidity of the article is accentuated by the fact that we had England 30 odd for 3 wickets, and bowled them out in their first innings for 400 runs. That was every indication that we made the right decision to bowl first. If we had a good fourth bowler, we would have been in an even better position.

If we batted first, we would have been 70 for 4 by lunch, 170 all out just after tea, and watch England score 600 for 6 declared, and then WI get bowled out for under 200 by the end of the third day, losing by a mammoth innings and 200+ runs. And we've seen this before over the last few years.

No thanks, we good, thanks for the decision Ramdin. What a stupid article.

i get the impression , by looking at the scorecard, that we did not "hang in for a draw" but we played quite well

ford all over the place

he should know that batting first or last is not written in stone and it depends on a number of factors, which he fails to expound on to make his argument

In reply to doosra



It will be interesting to see what we do if we win the toss. Put England back in the field, keep them tired....

In reply to Ninetenjack

To make the English Players tired , our
Players would have to bat for roughly two days .

I have seen no indication that they currently possess the Mental & Physical
Stamina to do that . Consideration must also be given to the fact that ALL our
Players in all aspects of the game are not at the level to be very successful; that is required in the longer versions of the game in International Cricket .

This must be sorted out first ; and this is what those in the governance of Cricket must do . But they have shown no inclination , that this problem exists ;
neither do their Surrogates in this Forum .