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Kensington Test most important of series
By Rawle Welch
The fourth test match between the West Indies and England at the Kensington Oval which starts this Thursday is perhaps the most important one for the hosts in the series.
Victory over the visitors will give them an unassailable 2-0 lead and series win an achievement that they’ve not attained since 2004 when they defeated minnows Bangladesh 1-0 in a two-test series right here in the West Indies.
It will also mark the first time in thirteen attempts that the West Indies would have won a series since their triumph against Bangladesh, a result many West Indian fans are hoping desperately for them to accomplish.
The former world champions who dominated the sport for over 15 years have gone through a prolonged period without a series win against the more established test playing nations and currently enjoys an eight placed ranking among test nations, a trend Chris Gayle and his men will obviously be hoping to reverse.
Since 2003/04 when England visited, the West Indies have played a total of seven Test series and apart from their 1-0 win against Bangladesh in 2004; the homesters have drawn two and lost four and Gayle will no doubt be pleading with his team to produce another gutsy performance and wrap up the series.
This match could be the real turning point for West Indies cricket and Coach John Dyson and his team of assistants will have to come up with the right decisions to ensure that the regional side is the best that takes the field and play the kind of cricket that will put the visitors under immense pressure from the start.
There is no doubt that the West Indies, who earned a draw from a nerve tingling third test in Antigua, will have the edge both psychologically and in terms of players fitness and those two vital ingredients should see them open as favourites.
The English, still reeling from the loss of inspirational all-rounder Andrew Flintoff to a hip injury and the recent announcement of wicketkeeper Matt Prior’s departure to be with his wife who delivered their first child recently, it is difficult to see how they can pick themselves up after the Antigua result combined with the absence of two key players.
They did dominate the last test match for almost the entire duration, but not securing the desired result after a valiant performance from all of their bowlers must have left them exhausted and emotionally distressed.
The West Indies Team Management must seize on whatever advantages they would‘ve obtained from the previous game and maximise them to good effect.
The England team looks more vulnerable now than ever and it is an excellent opportunity for the West Indies to register their first series win against a top ranked team for almost six years.
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