Wednesday, February 4, 2009

The Joy of Six- classic England v West Indies moments

1) Constantine calls the shots. 4. Test, Jamaica, 1934-35
Series, and England's reputation was at stake at Sabina Park, West had never won a test series of any kind. In his great pomp, George Headley made 270 not out from a total of 535, his highest Test score. And then came a sort of Carnage that would be painfully familiar to England in recent years. With two scores, Manny Martindale delivered a bouncer that broke the jaw of the England captain, Bob Wyatt. It put him in hospital for the next two days. England fragmented to 26 to four. Les Ames mobilized for a century, but they still have to follow it. Heavy rain was expected, and on his second time out Wally Hammond and Ames fought hard draw.

Curtly Ambrose devasted the England line-up during the third Test in Trinidad in 1994, limiting the tourists to 46 all out in their second innings.

2) These young Pals of mine, Ramadhin and Valentine, 2 Test, Lord's, 1950
You see, we can not tell you this story better than Lord Beginner can. If you do not already know it (why not?) Victory Test Match Calypso is a match report from the West Indies' first win in England. It will tell you everything about how Sonny Ramadhin and Alf Valentine bamboozled England's finest, and do it with a catchy musical backing, which is certainly more than we can offer. This is Calypso cricket.

3) Brian Close to the West Indies, 3 Test, Old Trafford, 1976
They do not make them as Brian Close anymore. But then they never used to do them as Brian Close also. He was a night stand. This innings, his last, was one of the bravest ever played. This was true grit and raw hip million. The idea to bring up a person at the age of 45, some nine years after their last test, seems unreasonable. But the only question was close idea was why he had not made captain also. At Old Trafford, he was promoted to open, even if he had not worked in years. For 80 minutes at the end of the third day, he and John Edrich is one of the most hostile periods of bowling in Test history.

4) Graham Gooch's 154 not out 1 Test Headingley, 1991
There is an argument, not an absurd one, that this is the greatest individual performances in sports history. It is quite correct to hail it as the greatest Test innings of all, a hair width in front of Brian Lara's legendary 153 in qualitatively and quantitatively. As always, context governs our understanding of what Gooch achieved. England had been embarrassed in Australia and had not won a test at home to West Indies for 22 years, the pitch was a dog dangerous and uneven folding so violently that a full's mood; Gooch was in pitiful shape, and under pressure from David Gower series; Curtly Ambrose, who took the first six hatch in the second innings, led a truly threatening attack that included Courtney Walsh, Malcolm Marshall and Patrick Patterson. England had two chances, slim and packing his bags.

5) 46 all out, 3 Test, Trinidad, 1993/94
The desire to understand and explain the greatness is obvious, but sometimes it is best not to think about where it comes from. Like Harvey Keitel's performance in Bad Lieutenant, and Robert De Niro's in Taxi Driver, Curtly Ambrose's memorable demolition of England in 1994 came from a dark place, which showed an almost demented pride sublime talent, and a hybrid of a UNPLAYABLE of - cutter.

6) "Mind the windows, Tino", 1 Test Herrens, 2004
It is easy to forget the middle of the ambush, Incompetence and humourlessness days, but for a few years ago, was fun for the England cricket team. They were winning games - 16 of 23 in 2004-05, with only two losses - and it was actually a group of the attacks have a good time. Nothing encapsulated that better than Freddie Flintoff's wicked take the West Indian tail ender Tino Best at Lord's in 2004.

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