Professor Jeremy Coney takes his pitch-analysis class © AFP

There are different ways to do a pitch report. Jeremy Coney, the former New Zealand captain, has probably covered the entire range. He’s attached a ball to a string to exorcise it, recited a poem to describe it, and once, late last year, almost did a breast stroke on land while knocking his knuckles on the pitch. Coney, who during his playing days was hailed for his ability to read pitches, loves analysing the 22 yards. On the eve of every game one can see him scrutinising the surface, tapping on it, inspecting the grass, feeling the clay … It’s almost as if he was a horticulturist on some scientific mission.

So what does Coney look for during his investigations? “I call it reading the entrails,” he says enthusiastically when asked about this whole business. “I ask myself questions as I go along. Is there grass? Is it distributed evenly? How is it shared around? Are there gaps? What sort of grass is it? Are they new young plants? Are they stressed because of lack of water? All this will tell me whether the pitch is going to be quicker at the start, or whether the ball will skid on from the grass (which is always the fastest). If it’s an old plant, the ball will hit the crown and start to do some strange things. If there is dirt there is automatically more friction. So if there are bald patches, I will know that this pitch is going to be variable and will only get worse from that point.”

Continue reading "Coney and the art of pitch analysis"

	Rangy Nanan chose a profession that merited little attention in the era of raw pace © Siddhartha Vaidyanathan

"For every fast bowler that played for West Indies between 1976 and 1986, there was a spinner whose ambitions of playing international were finished." Elquemedo Willett would know. One who represented West Indies in five Tests between 1973 and 1975, Willett's career came to a premature halt mainly because of West Indies' focus on pace, pace and nothing but pace. Willett's not complaining; in fact he doffs his hat to the great fast bowlers who made West Indies an invincible force. But maybe it's worth sparing a thought for an entire breed who took up, in Willett's words, a "useless profession".

The list of spinners who played only a handful of games for West Indies, in that era, is endless. Raphick Jumadeen (12 Tests), Inshan Ali (12), Imtiaz Ali (1), Derick Parry (12), Albert Padmore (2), Clyde Butts, Willett, Rangy Nanan

Nanan's case is instructive. A prolific domestic wicket-taker, he got his only chance when West Indies toured Pakistan in 1980-81. He had a good time in the tour games - including snapping up 6 for 48 in an innings against the Governer's XI at Sahiwal – and made his debut on a shirt-front at Faisalabad. On a surface, which Dennis Lillie once termed as a bowler’s "graveyard", he returned impressive match figures of 4 for 91. "It wasn't all about performance," he says reflecting on those times. "We needed to understand that, irrespective of how we did, there was always a chance of not playing in the next game. That was how good the fast bowlers were. It was unfortunate. Had I played fifteen years earlier or fifteen years later, things would have been different."

Continue reading "The tale of a Windies spinner"

	John Bowry finds time to narrate the tale © Siddhartha Vaidyanathan

It has been more than 36 years but John Bowry remembers the day vividly. He was playing for St Kitts in the 1969-70 Leeward Islands tournament in Antigua when he came against a fella called Viv Richards. Read on for an interesting anecdote:

"It was his first tournament and when we reached in Antigua, we were told he was going to kill us. Antigua won the toss and elected to bat. We didn't breach with the new ball and my captain called on me to bowl. In the first over I dismissed a batsman by the name Pat Martin and Richards came in and on my second ball to him he was caught bat-pad at leg slip. I bowled a straighter one and it bounced. He pushed forward and it came off his glove and the guy at leg-slip took it.

"He stood up as if he had not played the ball, but in my opinion he had played and in the umpires opinion he played it and the umpire raised his finger. He did not walk off immediately and the crowd charged into the ground because in that season he was in the most terrific form and a big favourite there; we all had to run off.

Continue reading "When The King refused to budge"

Stoppages in play aren’t uncommon and this series has had its fair share. There’s been rain, plenty of it, bad light and good light – play was bizarrely not started because the umpires “expected” the rains to come. An umpiring botch up played it’s part in a 15-minute stoppage – when Ganga caught and everyone was caught napping – and in a tribute to Sachin Tendulkar, there’ve been sight-screen hassles.

At 5pm on the fourth day, a fire alarm stopped play. For nearly five minutes, the umpires and the players watched bemused as the sirens went off in various corners. Kumble was getting ready to bowl but there was no way Rudi Koertzen was going to allow proceedings to start. The alarm went off yesterday as well, just that it happened during the lunch break and nobody seemed to take it too seriously. The best part about the whole episode was that nobody appeared to want to find out about the fire, and if at all there was any, but instead focused on turning the "damn thing" off. If only there had been a real fire, it would have been a classic case of Nero playing cricket when Rome burnt.

Life in the press box, these days at least, is making heads spin. With television sets placed on the sides, one needs to turn either way see what went on. Now if you miss any portion of the action and quickly turn to the TV screen, all you're likely to see is World Cup football. So when I missed a loud appeal for lbw, against Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and quickly turned left, all I see is David Beckham fumbling on a long-range pass. Was the ball pitched in line? Was it hitting outside off? Was it too high? Was it missing leg? All I know is that it was missing leg, only that the leg was Beckham's bumbling right foot.

	Edgar Gilbert © Siddhartha Vaidyanathan

Edgar Gilbert had to wait 73 years and eight days before he could actually go to a ground to watch a Test match. Gilbert, a former first-class cricketer, was one of many who flocked to Warner Park yesterday, to watch the first day of Test cricket at the world's youngest venue. Some need to wait several years to play Test cricket, others spend a lifetime just waiting to watch it.

It was no doubt an emotional moment. Gilbert, who played for St Kitts and the Combined Islands in the '60s, was reputed to have been a more-than-useful allrounder. He recalls the days when there was no television, when radio and newspapers were his only windows to the cricketing world. Gilbert speaks about how difficult it was to motivate oneself without actually getting to watch - "There was no-one to model yourself on, no-one to get inspired by." The only cricket he saw when he grew up was the tournament played between communities, and the first first-class match he ever saw was the one he played in.

Continue reading "The end of a 73-year wait"

	Andy Atkinson is back and the Indians know him well © Siddhartha Vaidyanathan

India have seen him earlier, most prominently when they went to Pakistan in 2003-04. He was accused, by Inzamam-ul-Haq, of preparing pitches that didn't favour his bowlers. The battle got so intense that, when Inzamam accused him of shaving off the grass on the pitch, Atkinson hit back by shaving off his moustache, cheekily adding, "Inzy asked me to shave it off".

Continue reading "Atkinson at work"

	Just a few feet from the club ground lies Sir Frank Worrell's childhood home © Siddhartha Vaidyanathan

Empire Club might not even have existed had Herman Griffith, the former West Indian fast bowler, not been turned down by Spartan, the rival body. Griffith despite repeated attempts was spurned by Spartan, owing to the strict class structure that existed that the time. He then decided to form his own club. Curiously enough, it was formed on May 24, 1914 (Empire Day) and got its name as a result.

Most of the members stayed close by – Sir Frank Worrell grew up in a house that overlooks the club ground – and there was a slant towards good manners and behaviour. A sign on one of the walls – “No obscene language” - sums up this attitude. More than 92 years on, the club can look back proudly at its rich legacy. It’s probably the only club in the world to have three knighted members as alumni and would be tough to beat in the fast bowling stakes as well. An attempt to pick an all-time XI throws up a formidable side.

Continue reading "Simply the greatest"

	Soaking up the sun,sand and cricket in Barbados © Siddhartha Vaidyanathan

Continue reading "In the cradle of Windies cricket"

	Darren Sammy, the only international cricketer from St Lucia © Siddhartha Vaidyanathan

It must be special to be chosen one among 160,000. Darren Sammy, the only international cricketer from St Lucia, knows the feeling. Darren played his first game in the previous edition of the Champions Trophy (which West Indies memorably won) and soon realised the enormity of his achievement. “There were more than a thousand people in the airport when I returned,” he beams, “and I realised how much it meant to the people.”

It was a triumph of sorts. His father was just 19 years old when Darren was born (his mother was staggeringly just 15) and didn’t have a steady source of income. Even later, when he worked in banana plantations, there was no guarantee of a rich crop every year. Darren himself experienced several days of working in the fields – starting as early as 6am – and had to wait till 4pm to begin his cricket practice. Luckily for him, his parents didn’t compromise on his education, a fact that helped him to play cricket in school.

Having made it to the West Indies side, Darren could make a difference. He chose a novel way of repaying his gratitude by gifting his father with a mini-bus. Sammy senior drives the mini-bus and makes a living these days; the hard days on the field are a distant memory. Daren realises that he’s scaled a barrier, yet knows that there’s lot of work left to be done.

	Danny Byrne (top) and Peter Chismon engage in their favourite pastime © Siddhartha Vaidyanathan

What are two Englishmen doing in an India v West Indies Test? Watching, maybe. Peter Chismon and Danny Byrne are two globetrotting fans, who travel to various venues, irrespective of the sides playing. Both try their best to visit new venues – they were at Fatullah and Chittagong for the Australia series recently – and decided to watch the India Tests at St Lucia and St Kitts.

Chismon, a 64-year-old from Ipswich, who retired from his job of selling guns at West End a few years ago, concentrates on the game by scoring it. He makes sure he scores the game whenever he visits a venue for the first time and proudly shows his notepad where he scored the recent Australia-Bangladesh Test at Chittagong. Jason Gillespie, whose double-hundred in that match sent heads spinning in various directions, was kind enough to autograph it. That tour to Bangladesh also meant that Chismon had now watched cricket in all Test playing nations.

Continue reading "Englishmen at Beausejour"

	Mahendra Singh Dhoni took to dominoes easily © Brian Camacho

The Mohammad Kaif press conference, at the end of the second day's play, had a special visitor. Sitting among the journalists was a certain Dhoni, observing the questions being asked and Kaif's responses to them. He couldn't hold himself back from smirking at a couple of questions and finally, when he realised he had to go, put his hand up and shouted out (in Hindi): "How do you plan to celebrate this century?".

Kaif treated it like any other question, though, and patted it back calmly: "There are still three days to go, we need to make sure we win this Test. We will think of celebrating after that." Dhoni had his fill and he soon walked off, asking Kaif to join the rest of the boys at the beach when he had finished.

A few days back, in a sponsored party where both teams were invited, Dhoni decided to take the lead and try out a game of dominoes. Not only did he learn the rules quickly, but also managed to pick up a few nuances by observing closely. Within a few minutes, he was on his way, partnering Kaif in a victorious debut campaign. Given a choice between holding back and having a go, there's normally only one route Dhoni will choose.

Around 1:50pm local time, despite no real action happening on the field, a loud cheer went out in the stands. The Soca Warriors from Trinidad & Tobago had managed an honourable draw against Sweden in their World Cup opener at Dortmund. Brian Lara appeared to get the message, his face lighting up with a spontaneous smile. An announcement was made after a few minutes and the excitement, especially among the Trinidad boys, was palpable. Lara exchanged a high five with Dwayne Bravo in the slips while Daren Ganga and Ramnaresh Sarwan began to beam as well.

	Labon Kenneth Blackburn Leeweltine Buckonon Benjamin, or Gravy to the cricketing world © Siddhartha Vaidyanathan

The fact that it's centrally located is vital, with several people passing by the ground daily, even if there is no match going on. Viv Richards's association with the ground started even before he began playing. With the Antigua Grammar School, where he studied, being close by, and the local prison, where his father worked, adjoining the ground, Richards was bound to be an ARG regular. Incidentally, during the early years of the ground, the entire ground staff comprised inmates of the adjacent prison.

Continue reading "The ARG's colourful presence lives on"

Having absorbed the reggae and soca music all day long in the stadium, it came as a pleasant shock, late in the night, to see a group of locals gathered at Heritage Key, the main city centre, swinging to the strains of Bhangra.

It wouldn't have been surprising in Trinidad, which has a large East Indian community, but to see Antiguans enjoy Mundiya to bach ke rahin was a revelation. It was odd to see them 'wining' – a form more focused on hip gyrations - as opposed to following the traditional Punjabi steps. You could even see them mouthing some of the lyrics, though, what they meant was pretty much lost on them.

Continue reading "Bhangra fever in Antigua"

Steve Camacho ©Cricinfo Ltd

It was interesting to see Steve Camacho and Andy Roberts chat at the Antigua Recreation Ground, considering that the end of one career heralded the beginning of another. Camacho, the former West Indies opener, toured England in 1973 and in the second game of the tour, against Hampshire, came up against a fiery young Roberts.

Camacho, who batted in spectacles, went to hook a short ball and was hit in the face. He underwent an operation for a depressed fracture of the cheek and returned home without taking further part in the series. Roberts made his Test debut one year later, and established himself as one of the best bowlers within the next couple of years.

"It's something we've put behind us," says Camacho recalling the incident. "You can't look to take it personally, it's cricket and we need to acknowledge that such incidents happen." After recovering from injury, Camacho played a few seasons of first-class cricket but soon went on to become a pioneer in West Indian cricket administration. He was the West Indian board's first full-time employee and served as secretary, chief executive officer, and Test selector.

Continue reading "The man who oversaw West Indies' golden era"

Curtly Ambrose and Richie Richardson: part of Big Bad Dread and the Baldhead © Cricinfo Ltd

It was a sight to watch Curtly Ambrose, that archetypal destroyer, and Richie Richardson, that marauding hookmeister, strum gentle reggae tunes and regale an audience. Both are part of The Big Bad Dread and the Baldhead, whose latest performance was at Spliff, an outdoor bar close to the ARG.

Curtly was on bass guitar, Richie was on rhythm. For the early part of the show, Curtly was on the right extreme and Richie was on the left, while Bankers, the lead singer, and Jason, the drummer, orchestrated the show. Soon, with television cameramen and other mediapersons showering them with all the spotlight, both decided to mingle with the crowd.

In the crowd was Bridgette, Curtly's wife, and Aileen, Richie's wife. Bridgette says they've been playing seriously since 2002, adding that Curtly used to fool around with the guitar even during his playing days. Bridgette met Ambrose through her cousin – Winston Benjamin, one in a long line of Antiguans who bowled fast. Curtly's favourite band, Bridgette reveals, is Culture, a reggae band that was a part of the vibrant, politically-charged Jamaican reggae scene in the late '70s.

Continue reading "Reggae with Big Bad Dread and the Baldhead"

As our taxi passes by All Saints Comprehensive School, our driver informs us of its fast-bowling legacy. Four Tests cricketers have emerged from All Saints – Eldine Baptiste, Winston Benjamin, Curtly Ambrose and Kenneth Benjamin. Between them you have 2543 first-class wickets and a tremendous amount of firepower. Another All Saints fast bowler, Anthony Merrick played for West Indies A. Yet, it isn't a school that's produced only fast bowlers. Ridley Jacobs, the wicketkeeper-batsman who even captained West Indies in two Tests, is also an alumni. Not for nothing is the school's motto, 'From possibility to realisation'.

Richie Richardson laments the absence of spectators on the opening day of the Antigua Test. He remembers how he cherished playing at the ARG (Antigua Recreation Ground), his home ground, and how the atmosphere would often get electric. "There used to be people falling off trees."

One can visualise the setting. The ARG is small and quite cute with certain low-lying stands allowing for the breeze to gush through. The Chickie stand and the Party stand set the rhythm for the crowd, with calypso and soca (an acronym for soul calypso) playing between overs.

Sadly, only around thousand people landed up to watch the first day. Lara felt that it was a result of West Indies' poor performances, yet was confident that they "could win the crowds back". The weekend promises better fare. For the trees to be occupied, though, we may require a thriller.

Harbhajan Singh tries his hand at a game of Warri © Siddhartha Vaidyanathan

If you have mastered Warri, you earn the title of "professor". One such professor decided to give Harbhajan a lesson, teaching him the intricacies of the game. A Warri board comprises twelve large pockets, into which 48 beads are filled equally. The player who begins empties one of the pits that belongs to him and distributes the seeds - one for each pit in a clockwise direction. He continues the process by emptying the pit next to where he ends the first set of seeds. He carries on the process until the end, when if he finds more than one empty pit, he gives up the turn to the other player. If he finds one empty pit next to the pit where he ended, then he captures all the seeds gathered on the right side of the empty pit. The player who captures the most seeds ends up the winner.

Continue reading "A game of Warri"