‘Once upon a time’ might indeed be the start of a fairy-tale legend about West Indies cricket. But hark, t’was not a fairy-tale in years gone by, only the start of a tale of truth. Now, however, the telling of the story is indeed a ‘tale of two Indies’ one for ‘the best of times,’ the other just ‘west of times’ – like a setting sun.
The best of times grew out of a cricket cauldron where the heat beneath was the result of the fiery need to succeed; to be the best on the school grounds, on the club grounds, on the national or international playing fields. Each team played to win. We played cricket. We took lunch and tea breaks on and off the field, at which time in the stands or on the perimeter of the grounds further strategy and planning could be fiercely debated. Spectators were as much into the game as the players.
Cricket was not only a physical activity but also a mind game where the bowler sought to deceive with the ball, while the batsman sought to conceive what arc of the bat might be best for the next ball whatever the speed, line, length, height, swing or be it ‘toe-endangering Yorker’. Now it is not cricket but just a game of ‘swing and hit, or swing and miss. It is now a game of fours and sixes where audiences applaud, occasionally in person, but sadly sometimes just as a digital presence. Even the fours and sixes don’t always draw spectators since a game, especially one involving the West Indies team, is often not a spectacle – a visually striking performance. Sad.
Once upon a time cricket was played any and everywhere, on surfaces smooth or rough. How many remember or have been told that cricket was once played on pitches covered by matting in Trinidad. Apparently, it was felt that the covering made the pitches similar to those in England.
We played cricket with the batsman’s protection, just one pad and perhaps gloves. There might be three stumps or two sticks representing the width of the three stumps; then again it might just as easily have been the width of two rocks apart, or when playing with a hopping or wind ball, just a tall tin can.
Once upon a time it was cricket, lovely cricket north, south, east or west. Now???
Michael Rudder ]]>
