5:00 P.M. Cross Roads, Kingston Jamaica: the work-day ends and traffic is dense. Like ants at a whiff of rain air, the locals are on the move–all roads leading to Sabina Park. “One Subina! $1.50,” goes the perpetual roaring Jamaican accents of taxi drivers. Even the lions are jealous.
Tongues are wetted with a taste of the demography as Sabina’s entrance trickles into view–all walks of life. Familiar faces from the living room are drawn into focus. The mind envisages the possible companies and offices accountable for the innumerable dress trousers/ skirts paired with dress shirts. Colours run wild; of skin, cloth and language.
As the love-making of steel pans and mallets encourages the sway of professional hips, the atmosphere builds. Though security checks emulate gravity and the use of Guardian Group volunteers form blankets, breaking the fall of patrons once carried away by the vibrant aura.
Buzzzz goes the latest addition to Jamaica’s culture, adopted from South Africa 2008; undoubtedly the distinguishing feature (over live broadcasts) from other home grounds in CPL. Shattering the vuvuzela: “Ahh,” the fans are disappointed. A Tallawahs supporter enters subsequent to McCarthy putting Fletcher down off Thomas and inquires at the groans: “A drop him drop him?” At the responses he returns: “Turn unu want me turn back?”
At Russell’s indication of his run-up length, another patron sounds out: “A 200 you wah come give we fi chase tonight; we good wid 160!” True to the alias, CPL-The biggest party in sport –Tallawahs fans cheers of 6s and 4s are rivaled by their communication with the selector between overs. No more so than when Koshens’ ‘Do Sumn (We Nuh ‘Fraid A Nobody)’ was aimed at the Jamaican-born and former Tallawahs Captain–Chris Gayle.
Should one have peeked into the patrons thoughts as they existed the venue, surely something along the lines of “We deserve at least one more” would have been seen. Like Kryptonite to travelling CPL teams, the fear of the intimidating Sabina Park faithful is there to be harvested. The owners of the Tallawahs, assuming they rather a successful franchise, will do well to remember that. After all, we are the Jamaica Tallawahs.
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