West Indies 243 & 120-4. England 398 England are still in control of this test match, but they aren’t quite in the unassailable position we’d hoped for at the start of play. It’s all because of two things: firstly, the ball actually swung for the Windies on Saturday, and secondly they have a batsman that seems impossible to dismiss – his name is Shiv Chanderpaul (you might have heard of him). Let’s deal with the first point. England lost wickets at regular intervals because the Windies...
Is there hope for West Indian cricket?
I was watching a bit of Fire in Babylon last night – the documentary about the Windies in their heyday. It’s well worth watching if you haven’t already. It’s easy to forget just how brilliant they were – and how they physically battered opponents into submission with bat and ball. The current Windies team is a complete contrast I’m afraid. Their captain is a medium pacer – something unthinkable twenty five years ago – and their best bowlers are mostly spinners. Meanwhile their best batsman is...