5th Test Thu 27-31 July 2023 - Kia Oval

[Leysboy]

Though not exciting enough to qualify them for the World Cup though.

All the respect in the world to Afghanistan and the Netherlands for qualifying ahead of them, but it's going to seem wrong somehow to have a cricket World Cup without any representation from the Caribbean......certainly for middle-aged guys like me, anyhow, who grew up watching the Windies teams of the 80s and 90s. Can still remember watching Cortney Walsh and Malcolm Marshall bowl to the students in the Parks (must have been '91) as a schoolkid, whilst wandering round the boundary getting autographs from the likes of Viv Richards and Richie Richardson.........

I’m sat wondering at times why it’s gone so wrong for the West Indies in recent years. Did players decide to just abandon test cricket, and chase the money in the shortest format. There seems to be a lack of quality compared to what they’ve always had coming through.

I just about remember the Greenidge and Haynes opening up. Then you had your Richards and Lloyds coming in for a bat, and of course the bowling attack rarely passed up a chance to skittle you out for next to nothing, and leave players bruised and dazed in the aftermath.

Garner,Marshall,Holding,Roberts wow what an attack.

Anyway I’m looking forward to going next summer, as it should be a corker of a summers cricket. Starting in May for the T20’s vs Pakistan. Followed by the Windies.

 

[Foley]

Garner,Marshall,Holding,Roberts wow what

They had lots of very good and very fast bowlers. Ian Bishop, Sylvester Clarke then Ambrose and Walsh ( and Benjamin ). Clarke was rapid and would have walked into most sides but only played around 11 Tests.

I remember watching the England v WI games. We were normally hammered. They had great fast bowlers then a teriffic batting line up. The best England could offer were batsmen like David Steele and Brian Close- brave to the end, but battered and bruised ( before helmets)