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.