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West Indies, New Zealand meet in Sobers’ country to celebrate him
(Cricinfo) – The statue of Sir Garry Sobers at Kensington Oval stands 12 feet tall. His memory casts a much longer shadow, especially now that he is gone. Tributes have flown in from all over the world. “He inspired all of us as kids,” Rihanna, now Barbados’ only living National Hero, said on Instagram. “Even me, playing cricket in the cemetery trying to keep up with my brother and busting all my shins.”
Sobers’ imprint lives on in many of the players in the West Indies team today. Some of them received their first caps from him. Some of them have benefited from his coaching. A few have even managed to sweep him off his feet. The first time Sobers saw Shai Hope bat, he said “‘pfft, this is class! This is class’.” The current West Indies captain has already done a great many things and could go on to do a great many more but he will never win higher praise.
Vitel Lawes again made an impact with the ball (AFP/Getty Images)
Sobers’ first tour as a professional was to New Zealand, a place where he averaged 15.1 and a team against whom he scored only one century. Somehow they resisted his charms but on Saturday they will be caught up in the moment too.
This game taking place at Sobers’ home ground, among players who will have grown up hearing about this legend, will carry more meaning than can be found on a scorecard. It might also be something of a reprieve after the Guyana leg where runs were scored at 4.48 per over.
Tom Latham played a few handy knocks (AFP/Getty Images)
Sherfane Rutherford is a very capable batter. He began his ODI career scoring seven fifty-plus scores in 11 innings. But since that last of them – 70 against England in June 2025 – he has hit that mark just one more time. West Indies will want those returns trending back up again.
Tom Latham’s presence in the middle order has been a great comfort to New Zealand. They’ve come from 1-0 down to go 2-1 up in the series thanks to his talent for playing spin. Bridgetown will bring the quicks into play a lot more, presenting a different challenge to the middle-order batter.
Justin Greaves has recovered from his back injury and has been brought back into the squad, along with top-order batter Brandon King. Both men stand a strong chance of breaking straight into the XI.
In the last five years, Kensington Oval has been the best West Indian ground for seam bowlers. They average 24.84 with an economy rate of 5.12. Those numbers will prompt a re-think of team combinations. The weather should be set fair for the game.
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