Your Fearless Cricket Update

                                      ------ The Curious Case of Muruli ----

 

I’m sitting in the Gerry Gomez Media Centre   waiting for a call from a man who doesn’t trust me, hoping he’ll have answers about a man I don’t trust, which may clear the name of a man no one gives a damn about. To distract myself from this uneasy vigil – and from the phone that never rings, and from the sight of poorly dressed news people, who seem to spend their money on late night ventures rather than proper attire?

 

 And so it came to pass that cricket  was redeemed with the recall of  a certain player ( Fidel Edwards with four wickets) and the test debut  of another ( Sewnarine Chattergoon) , but yet still  the cricketing public have stayed away..

 

And the Queens Park Oval pitch was called Slow-Prosper, and it was north of the Bomb in Port of Spain on Wednesday, and it was a pitch of desert and scrub weed and not tall, thirsting flowers that would wave in the breathless air.

 And there was sin in the pitch. Jezebels and Delilahs all, they did come to Slow-Prosper at the Oval to set up shop, for Slow-Prosper was unincorporated, and naught of giving the West Indies a Fair chance of victory, and beyond the law of cricket. Even Death was the oval on a Black looking Friday.

And the sinful did come to Slow-Prosper and did spill their seed in the various and lubricious chalices that did wink and wave and tempt the weak from the front porches and parlors.

But then there came upon the Queens Park Oval, the godly, the righteous, and the upper management, looking for homes from which they could journey back into the city with joy in their hearts, and with a minimum of fuss and bother, except on the weekends when traffic was hellish. And the good Queens Park Oval did come to be valued by them without the Scoreboards, and the sin was squeezed out of the place, and a town beloved by its people did grow in Slow-Prosper, and prosper they did, as the World Cup had brought new facilities and women to the Club (sooner rather than later, it is still hoped). And so it came to pass that the Oval was redeemed, and maybe a cricketing pilgrim will come here to build a great house by a fishpond over time.

 

On Friday, several Faithful acolytes and trusting servants of cricket have given themselves to cricket as a nun gives herself to God, and what has cricket given to them in return? The finger.

 

Sri Lanka was undone of their own makings over cautious on Day 2; they were out smarted by the fighting spirit of the West Indies team.

 Darren Powell, the wily Jamaican out foxed two Sri Lankan batsmen with his cheeky change of pace.

With a score of 278 to respond to, The West Indies batting to the happy beat of Soca, Chutney and Reggae Music from the Trini Posse stand enjoyed themselves, thanks to some early ill intent from Captain Chris Gayle before he was outsmarted by Mirando.

Both debutant Chattergoon and Sarwan got starts, but never continued on.

Chanderpaul’s early flight from Guyana to Trinidad, did not benefit him or the team as he looked leg weary and fell cheaply.

In the heat of the battle, tiny Devon Smith showed courage and guts, while Muralitharam threatened all the while , and finished with three wickets.

Now it is on to Saturday and maybe a game of second innings, a lead of 75 to 100 by the West Indies could be match winning, anything less and it could be a one innings match, with the West Indies in the unenviable task of facing Muruli and others on a turning pitch , batting last.

By the way, I have a Digicel Phone and a B Mobile phone, but it seems both do not work in Trinidad and Tobago, because the man I don’t trust says he has been trying to call me all day.

 

:: AB