Tuesday 14 September 2010

West Indies

1. International team which used to be made up of a fearsome battery of pace bowlers (see also Roberts, Andy; Garner, Joel; Holding, Michael; Marshall, Malcolm; Walsh, Courtney and Ambrose, Curtly), a masochistic wicketkeeper (see also Dujon, Jeffrey) and some hitters up the top order who could flay any attack to all corners of the ground (see also Greenidge, Gordon; Richards, Sir Vivian; Lloyd, Clive and Hooper, Carl). The bowlers seemed to take pleasure in outdoing each other in causing physical harm to opposition bastmen, the batsmen in causing harm to the averages of opposition bowlers and unwary spectators. Quite simply the most thrilling side there's ever been in the game for a period which ran from the early 1970s through to the mid-90s.

2. Current international team made up of fielders with holes in their hands, batsmen with the attention span of a.... oh, nice pair of shoes you're wearing, dear reader. Where was I? Oh yes, interspersed with fleeting moments of genius (Chris Gayle launching the ball into orbit, for example), they are generally the most lackadaisical set of players to take the field. Hit a new nadir against England when coach John Dyson misread a Duckworth/Lewis sheet and ordered his players to draw the game.

No comments: