The Tropical Paradise

Grenada is an island of all but impossible beauty. Its cricket is itself anomalous. They still field a national side as part of the Windward Islands group, and their teams are led by Devon Smith and Andre Fletcher: both cricketers of renown. Once upon a time they contested a cricket World Cup in their own right. And while the grandstands were sparsely tenanted, it was good to see Messrs Hughes and Gillespie doing Laurel and Hardy impressions therein. Captain Pat won the toss, and decided to bat, opining that he had no idea what the pitch was likely to do. He might well have added that whatever was going to transpire out there, it was unlikely to improve for the batting side.

That Australia was bowled out in 67 overs does not, at first glance, sound like a glowing endorsement of Cummins’ decision. The pitch did play better than in Barbados, but not by a great distance. There was swing, seam, and uneven bounce enough to discombobulate most of the batsmen. Yet the visitors did not bat too badly. Against a five-man seam attack they looked for runs on every occasion. They were wise to do so. Khawaja perished to a booming inswinger from Alzarri Joseph, who took the honours with 4/61. Travis Head was caught low down by Hope from a ball which exploded off a length from Shamarr. And the captain himself, after a brusque and incisive 17, was skittled by a ball which crept along the carpet.

Uneven bounce does not generally evaporate. The history of cricket suggests that a pitch which is up and down on the first day tends to get worse. If it does, the home side are in for a testing time. Yet survival is possible. With half the side out for 110, once more it was left to Carey and Webster to relaunch the ship and get the innings back on track. Carey rode his luck, as ever; but his 63 (from 81 balls) was exactly the rescue mission required. And Webster’s common-sense application was an implied remonstrance to his predecessors. He was only dismissed trying to pinch the strike with Lyon at the other end. His 60 was an innings of the highest class.

How will the West Indies respond? Only tomorrow will tell. Meanwhile at Edgbaston, India amassed almost 600, with the new captain Shubman Gill making 269. In response, Akash and Siraj reduced England to 5/84. Since then, at the time of writing, Jamie Smith and Harry Brook have put on an unbeaten 6th wicket stand of 165 in a mere 25 overs. Food for thought, perhaps?