“Test cricket is the greatest!”

Jul 24, 2011 Sports

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Colin E. H. Croft
Regardless of what anyone says, Test cricket is here to stay.
It has made a re-emergence, after being, for a short time, threatened, by the uneducated, with extinction.  In Dominica, Test No. 1999, West Indies and India were toe-to-toe; like Mohammed Ali v Joe Frazier.
Test cricket is really the greatest!
Tests have been, are, and will always be, that special yard-stick of true excellence in our sport.  As Kieron Pollard recently reiterated, much money can be made playing T-20’s or T-50’s.  If, however, one does not play Tests, hopefully well, one could be very wealthy, but with no full, lasting reputation.
India’s Kapil Dev, Australia’s Alan Border, South Africa’s Alan Donald, Zimbabwe’s Andy Flower, Sri Lanka’s Arjuna Ranatunga, New Zealand’s Martin Crowe, England’s David Gower, West Indies’ Richie Richardson, Pakistan’s Imran Khan, Bangladesh’s Shakib-al-Hassan; some who made names in Tests!
Test cricket and Test cricketers, everywhere, especially those still alive, even if they are not regularly in lights; dead ones too, if they can; must take a bow.  We all deserve to take a very large, thankful toast!
This weekend, India is playing England, No. 1 v No. 2, in Test No. 2000, at Lords, that “Mecca of Cricket”.   What an appointment, an occasion and a celebration for what started back in 1877!
I also feel very fortunate that that very first Test was started on March 15; my birthday.   What a thing!
I was even further honoured, as I was invited to be at Lords for Day 2, Test No. 2000, on Friday last.  No-one would understand my euphoria at being there, having contributed to that very exact moment too!
BTW, as you may remember that I suggested in an article in June, I am better pleased that West Indies will be playing a Test at the home of cricket – Lords – in 2012, after all.  What a tremendous reprieve!
The Marylebone Cricket Club, (MCC), has won the re-bid, after the consternation of the Swalec Stadium, Cardiff, Glomorgan, Wales, losing so much money staging England v Sri Lanka several weeks ago.
No. 2000, 1st Test; England v India; was sold out ages ago.  London is buzzing with great excitement!
From March 15, 1877 to March 15, 1977, there were 800 Tests.  No. 797, in February 1977, Kensington Oval, was my first Test.  Pakistan’s then captain, Mustaq Mohammed, was my first Test wicket.  Joel Garner, the other debutant, also bowled excellently.  He had six wickets in the game.  His first was Sadiq Mohammed, caught at mid-wicket, by Colin Croft.  I even had seven wickets in my first outing too!
Andy Roberts and I also saved West Indies from losing No. 797!
The rest is fully written and available West Indies and world cricket history too!
In the penultimate game for that 1st century of Test cricket, No. 799, West Indies v Pakistan, Queens Park Oval, 1977, I had that definitive 8-29, still a West Indies record for fast bowlers for a single innings!
Extra-prima excellent was Test No. 800, England v Australia, a “one-off” Test between two teams that started Test cricket; “The Centenary Test”, to commemorate the century of cricket.  It begun on 12 March, 1977, but the exact anniversary, March 15, was a rest day.  Mightily strange thing that!
Extremely uncannily too, No. 800 was also won by Australia, by the exact margin, 45 runs, as was the case in Test No. 1, back in 1877!  Things like that only happen for quite unexplained reasons.  Wow!
West Indies has been involved in Tests since joining in 1928, No. 173.  I played in 27 Tests overall.  My last was No. 919, West Indies v Australia, Adelaide Oval, 1982.   We won that one too!    England beat West Indies by an innings and 58 runs in the very first Test for West Indies ever, at Lords!
By 1994, I had become a part-time Sports Journalist, Test No. 1257, West Indies v England, Queen’s Park Oval.  After Test playing days, I have now had extensive experiences covering Tests everywhere.   I will try to recall some of the better Test matches I have seen. Listened to, or actually played in.
1965 – No. 588 – West Indies v Australia, Bourda; 3rd Test:  This was the 1st Test that I had seen.  As an 11 year old, I had to jump fences, or climb the trees in Regent Street, to get a good glimpse.    I fell in love with my favorite West Indians of all time, Seymour Nurse and Charlie Griffith in this Test.  Lance Gibbs had match figures of 9-77 from an incredible 48.1 overs.  West Indies won by 212 runs!
1968 – No. 636 – West Indies v England, Bourda; 5th Test:  I was at Central High School.  We went, in school uniforms, for free.  This game truly magnified Garfield Sobers’ and Rohan Kanhai’s excellence!  Sobers (152) and Kanhai (150), put on 250 for the 4th wicket.  Bourda’s green outfield turned brown with batting heat.  Geoffrey Boycott also made 116.  The game ended as a very exciting, even terrifying draw!
England was 206-9, chasing 308 to win, when play was called off.  To this day, Lance Gibbs, who had six wickets in the 2nd innings, would tell you that he had last man in, Jeff Jones, out LBW.    Had that decision been given, by Guyanese umpire Cecil Kippins, no less, West Indies would have won the game, squaring the series.  England won 1-0.  Kippins maintained that he made the correct decision!
Post-script to No. 636 was that there was a riot afterwards.  Kippins’ house was almost fully burnt down!
1975 – No. 764 – Australia v West Indies; Perth, Australia; 1st Test:  Despite the terrors of the world’s best, and fastest, bowling attack back then; Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thompson, Max Walker and Gary Gilmour;  Roy Fredericks hooked and cut his way to full legendary status.  Even the Australians were in total awe!
It was the only game that West Indies won that series, losing 1-5 to Australia, but no-one could ever forget Freddo’s 169, in only 145 deliveries, with 27 fours and one six.  It was an incredible innings!
1980 – No. 870 – Australia v West Indies; Adelaide, Australia; 3rd Test:  Clive Lloyd set Australia 574 to win.  They made 165, courtesy of Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Colin Croft and Joel Garner.    Lloyd said that it was his personal revenge for Australia setting West Indies 735 to win No. 646, in 1969!  West Indies made 352 in the 2nd innings, Sobers (113), Nurse (137), and still lost by 382 runs!
We won 2-0, the first time that West Indies had beaten Australia, in Australia, with the best bowling attack the world has ever seen!
Worth mentioning too:  England beating West Indies, 2000, No. 1503, Lords, that fateful Saturday when parts of four innings occurred – West Indies all out, 2nd innings; 54; England making 191-8, to win.
Also, West Indies beat Australia, No. 1645, Antigua Recreation Ground, 2003.  West Indies made 418-7, to win, thanks to hundreds from Shiv Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan.
1999 – No. 1453:  The best Test and best innings I have seen, though, was Brian Lara, single-handedly, v Australia, Barbados, with 153 no, West Indies making 311-9 to win!
What great Test cricket!  Enjoy!

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