Thursday 3 May 2012

Shivnarine Chanderpaul, a tribute

In the final Test between the West Indies and Australia, Shiv Chanderpaul became the tenth player to pass 10,000 Test match runs. At the same time, he lifted his career average back over 50 and went back to the top of the Test batting rankings.

Never the easiest on the eye, Chanderpaul remains a favourite here at Tasty Morkels. Gritty and grafting rather than flamboyantly calypso, he is still capable of explosive innings. An ODI 150 in India stands out in the mind's eye, for instance. He's just an all-round great who can conjure up stats like his average knock against Australia lasting over four hours and the fact that he is the player that has been on the losing sides in Tests most often. That's a harsh legacy for one so capable and one who prizes his wicket above pretty much anything else.

But how to honour him on his achievement of making it to 10,000? We got the Subbuteo Cricket down from the attic and created a special Shiv guard of honour, with the majority lining up in good order and one down the end stood outrageously towards leg:


Well done Shiv. Don't ever change.

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