The next decade....what's in store?

So Jamaica finally lost

Our first outright loss in the Carib Beer Series. That in itself might cause some people to say 'well done', but you always have to look at the loss under a microscope.

The Tamar Lambert supporters will say it's because they changed him from captaining. I don't know how it works on the cricket field, but I know that when I was assistant to anybody and I saw them going wrong, I would always tell them my thoughts, in a nice way of course so they didn't feel I was criticizing them.

I say that to say that if Tamar saw Wavell making a fielding change or bowling change and he felt that wasn't the correct thing to do, wouldn't he go to Wavell and voice his opinion? Wavell doesn't strike me as the dictatorial type.

The second thing is the batsmen. For my money, I would have carried Danza Hyatt. Not because Brenton Parchment made a century in the match against Guyana he should have been chosen when Chris Gayle had to pull out. Danza had more half centuries than Brenton. What would you rather? One score of 100 or two scores of 50? I'd take the latter. In the away games Brenton hasn't lasted long in any of his innings.

Then there is the issue of Xavier Marshall. Many, including myself, felt he should have stayed in the region instead of sitting on the sidelines in Australia with the West Indies. Since returning, he has scored I think it's one half century. Not anything significant for a fellow who is accustomed to really dominating. Had he stayed, he would have played himself in by now, and it is not difficult to assume that he would be in the top 5 of runs scorers.

We didn't get enough of a first innings lead. I was thinking today that the WICB should give bonus points, plenty bonus points, to the team who leads their opponent on first innings by at least 100 runs. This 30-odd lead is not sufficient. It is a psychological advantage if you can lead your opponent by more than 100 runs.

The bowling seemed to be very ordinary. Are the guys tired? The fast bowlers have been rotated. Nikita Miller the left arm orthodox spinner has not. He normally takes 5 or so wickets at least in a match. This match he took 2.

But well played to Trinidad and Tobago. After what happened to them in the first match against Jamaica (playing three men short when Shazam Babwah's father died and he had to return home, Sherwin Ganga got hit on the cheek and retired hurt, and Imran Jan had back spasms and couldn't bat in the second innings). Congrats to Lendl Simmons as well. It's nice to see the youngsters applying themselves.

Posted by yamfoot at February 28, 2005 10:56 PM