“Test cricket – To win a 2nd Test is more difficult than winning the 1st!”

May 22, 2011 Sports

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By Colin E. H. Croft
“Whatever we do, we must not lose this Test!” That was captain Clive Lloyd’s 1st statement in the team meeting in 1979/80, as we prepared for Test No. 2, against Australia, after we had a creditable draw in Test No. 1, at Brisbane. The 2nd Test was to be played at a ‘results’ ground; Melbourne Cricket Ground.
To win any 2nd Test in any series is much harder, ball for ball, than winning the 1st. By the 2nd, every team’s players know much more of what is required.
Darren Sammy and Ottis Gibson would have said similar things last Thursday evening, as they prepared for the 2nd Test, against Pakistan, at St. Kitts.
Way before 1979/80 Australian tour, though, we had had to continue battle, v Pakistan, in my first series. After just managing to draw Test No. 1 back in 1977, too, we moved to Port of Spain for Test No. 2. The Queen’s Park Oval is a great ‘results’ cricket ground too, but not always in West Indies favour!
Lloyd said much as we gathered in the ‘drinks room’ at Hotel Normandy; adequate and practical. “I expect that Pakistan will come very hard at us here, especially with their spinners!”
West Indies had made two changes. Irving Shillingford, the Dominican who had hovered near to Test status, but could not break in until then because of that strong middle order, replaced Maurice Foster.
Orthodox left-arm leg-spinner, Raphick Jumadeen, was included for the injured Vanburn Holder.
There were at least 30,000 people at the Queens Park Oval on Day 1, way more than it now holds, as the cycle track was used for accommodation.
You could touch them. You could actually feel them! Scary! Once the ball passed at mid-off or mid-on, it was normally four, lost somewhere in the great crowd!
For me, this was a truly massive game, not bigger than my 1st Test, but, really, more personal.
Both Joel Garner and I had done a good enough job in Test No. 1 to keep our places, getting 13 Pakistani wickets between us in our 1st Test (noted last week). For me, though, there was very much more involved here!
If anyone had experienced the crowds at QPO in 1970’s and 1980’s, you would know that they were ruthless – the best word that I can use – in their appreciations and comparisons. They took no prisoners!
In 1975, I had played for Paragon Sports Club. With the help of Pascal Roberts, Prince Bartholomew, Ron Faria, Richard Gabriel, Jack Noriega and Leo John, I had not only done really well, but the club won everything. According to pundits at the QPO in 1977, “Dah Guyanee Kraff is a mark man!” Whoa!
Talk about nervous after Lloyd won the toss, electing to field first? I was dripping with anxiety before leaving the dressing room. Yet, a strange calm came over me as I marked out my run. It is still a blur!
By the end of that 1st day, Test No. 2 v Pakistan; March 04, 1977; I had managed to cement my place, not only in the team for that full series, barring injury, but in the annals of West Indies cricket history! In what can only be called a truly magical spell – two, actually – I finished with 8 wickets for 29 runs!
It should be noted that I had replaced the lightening fast, highly successful Michael Holding in this team, due to his injury. In his last Test, in England in 1976, at the Kennington Oval, London, he had had 14 wickets, including that magnificent 8-92, on one of the best batting pitches, up to now, in the world.
Yet here I was, in only my 2nd Test ever, with similar figures; semi-inverted; doing better than that! 8-29 is still the best ever one innings returns for West Indies fast bowlers, and still 2nd best overall, period! Only Jack Noriega’s 9-95, v India, 1971, has ever been better for any West Indies bowling innings!
I remember three distinctly separate situations in that 1st innings. In my first spell; to lunch; the scoreboard showed me at 3-21 from 8 overs. That was already an excellent start for me to this Test. Then, in my 2nd spell, after lunch; 5-8 from 5.5 overs! Whatever I wanted to do with the ball; happened!
My 2nd memory instant in that 2nd Test was getting Asif Iqbal out, first ball, caught behind by wicketkeeper Deryck Murray, with one of the two best deliveries I had ever bowled in my life.
According to the late Jerry Gomez, doing the radio commentary; “Colin Croft is bowling very, very fast leg breaks!”
That particular leg-cutter was pitched just outside leg-stump, on a full length. Since my delivery angle was so wide anyway, it seemed that the ball, on hitting the ground, deviated across the batsman almost 30 degrees, towards the slips, just touching the edge of the bat. That angle presented many problems!
The 3rd memory item of that innings was seeing Wasim Raja leg stump uprooted, becoming airborne, as he played way inside an off-cutter.
That was also my 5th wicket in the innings, the first time that I had had five wickets in a Test innings. That day, I really did make the ball ‘talk’, and in several languages too!
But, with this return, you would expect that if one bowler gets 8-29, then the entire batting innings should not get to 100. Yet, Pakistan did not surrender!
Wasim Raja flashed again for 65; Majid Khan a defiant 47. FTR, Garner and Jumadeen got the other two wickets, but Pakistan, in that innings, made an incredible 180! When West Indies batted in 1st innings, we made 316, thanks to Roy Fredericks’ 120. When Pakistan batted a 2nd time, they made 340; Sadiq Mohammed making 81 and Wasim Raja (again!) making 84.
Andy Roberts had four wickets and Garner had three wickets, also confirming his place in the team. I bowled just as well, but only had one wicket. The deliveries kept missing the damned edges of the bats!
Set to make 205 to win, to go 1-0 up in the 5-Test series, West Indies closed out the game on 206-4, winning by six wickets; Gordon Greenidge; 70; and Fredericks (again!); 57.
I was “Man of the Match”, shared with Wasim Raja. I even received a trophy, donated by Guyana and its President, Forbes Burnham.
It was even suggested that he had only finally put up that trophy after he knew that a Guyanese would win the award. Not much has changed in our cricket, has it?
That 2nd Test was won by the West Indies. But, by the scores, it is obvious that it was not an easy win! Also, FYI, the 2nd Test in Australia, 1979/80, was also won by West Indies. 2nd Tests are really special!
Having done surprisingly well in Guyana; winning Test No 1; West Indies will definitely want to win now in St. Kitts; a great possibility of winning its first Test series at home for two years.
I say go for it. Whatever happens, they must not lose this Test No. 2! Enjoy!

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