Sport: Blood and the Ashes

London — Twenty thousand Englishmen baying at the enemy. Screaming themselves hoarse, urging their champion to strike flesh. And then, it happens: The enemy is hit. Yes! Unwilling to show pain, he removes his helmet. Blood — the sight most keenly craved for — trickles down. His entourage runs to assist him — he attempts nonchalance, but concussion is an issue. The crowd is ecstatic.

Is this the Saxons at the Battle of Hastings, eager for Norman gore? Or Wellington’s men at Waterloo, bayonets fixed for Frenchies? No, it’s June 2005 at Lord’s Cricket Ground, the spiritual home of cricket worldwide. And the bloodthirsty mob of 20,000 are mostly wearing blazers, brogues and club ties. On other days of the week, you’ll find them at work in arbitrage.

And the blood? Australian, of course — the ancient enemy, rival for the Ashes, as the trophy for each five-match tournament between England and Australia is known. What a start that was, and there were still some 24 more days of such glorious skirmishing to look forward to.

In fact, the 2005 Ashes series turned into the greatest I have ever witnessed, the probable outcome seesawing almost hourly. There were moments when I had to leave the TV, my anxiety too intense. (Spectating can be more nerve-racking even than playing oneself.) I still cannot watch the highlights of the second match — which England won by the closest margin in 123 years of the contest — without fear stoking my pulse. It also remains the only time I have attended a victory parade: Trafalgar Square, London, was awash with jubilant jackets and ties that day.

England vs. Australia in cricket may be one of the oldest sporting rivalries, but it is hardly the most chivalrous. Rather, it is when this oh-so-civilized game truly reveals its nasty, brutish heart. Cricket may be the only team game in the world in which it is entirely legal for a player to make a move whose only purpose is to hurt, if not hospitalize, an opponent. In cricket, this is not a foul; no penalty is awarded, or score deducted. For, central to this gentleman’s pastime — whether played on a village green or at Lord’s — is “the bouncer.”

Sport: Chris Gayle's first love is still cricket....for now

It often seems that Chris Gayle is tone between actually playing cricket and being a celebrity who plays cricket.

His exploits on the cricket pitch are fast entering the realm of legend, much like that other famous Jamaican athlete, - you know, the guy who runs? But, along the way, just like his track star compatriot, Gayle has had his share of publicity flaps and flops. Arguably, none will live longer in infamy (or maybe now in hashtag-land) than "Don't blush baby" the casual cap to a seemingly awkward attempt to coax Australian TV journalist Mel McLaughlin to join him post-game for dinner and a few drinks, during an on-air interview.

The incident made international headlines beyond the cricketing world and cost Gayle a fairly hefty $10,000 in fines from his local Aussie t20 club, the Renegades.

he has since shrugged off the whole brouhaha (the latest in a line which included him reportedly dropping his towel in a dressing room before another female reporter and boasting about his "big bat").

The West Indies batting star is apparently comfortable to move into another sphere of public life: memoirist. His life tome had its Jamaican launch at the expected place - his Triple Century Sports bar and Grill in the heart of the New Kingston business district.

The title?: "Six Machine" (clearly with apologies to the late James Brown, and the declaratory sub-title, "I Don't Like Cricket...I Love It".

Clearly not as much as having a party - and the man of the hour was suitably outstanding in white wihte shirt with black trim, tomato-red trousers and black shoeswith matching red trim. try ignoring him.

of course media reps ran through the expected raft of interviews and some got their books signed (distributor Novelty Trading, which runs the venerable Bookland store a few doors up the road, was on hand to handle the supply and sales, and patrons hungry for the sports highlights of the day could feat their eyes on the lounges multiple screen - that is, after the big man got through with his presentation.

Gayle, who spenthte summer playing T20 in the UK, among other things, is apparently in recuperation mode at present, but expects to beck on the pitch to put his big bat (and useful spin) into play, what with a number of international cricket engagements on his ever-expanding plate.

wheRe WorDs WandeR

The phrase comes from the game of cricket. The wicket, as us Caribbean people well know (even the non-cricket fans) , refers to the rectangular area in the centre of the cricket field between the stumps. A bowler bowls the ball from one end of the wicket, bouncing the ball upon it, before the batsman hits the ball at other end. The wicket is usually covered in a much shorter grass than the rest of the field, making it more susceptible to variations in weather which cause the ball to bounce differently.

If the wicket is wet when the ball is bowled it will not bounce as high as usual, appearing, from the point of view of the batsman, to stick to the ground making it very difficult to hit the ball well no matter the shot played. 

Hence a "sticky wicket" refers to a situation where there is no option you can take which is necessarily a good one. Such wickets are far less common in cricket now since matches tend to have stopped being played on uncovered wickets, especially in the professional sport.

Sport: One of cricket's greatest game callers, Tony Cozier passes at 75

From BBC Sport

Legendary West Indian commentator Tony Cozier has died at the age of 75.

A familiar and respected voice around the world, the Barbadian will be remembered for a career in TV, radio and journalism spanning 58 years.

Born in Bridgetown in 1940, he made his BBC Test Match Special debut in 1966 and also wrote several books.

"Tony was the master of going between TV and radio ball-by-ball commentary. He was the master of both," said BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew.

"He's easily the best I've come across in 25 years at being able to do both disciplines."

The son of a journalist, Cozier studied journalism at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and began commentating and writing on West Indian cricket in 1958.

He played hockey as a goalkeeper for Barbados and cricket as an opening batsman and wicketkeeper for two Barbados clubs, Wanderers and Carlton.

But he became a household name through his work with major media organisations throughout the world, including the BBC, Channel Nine and Sky.

In December 2011, he was awarded honorary life membership of the Marylebone Cricket Club for services to the game, and the press box at the Kensington Oval in Barbados is named after him.

Sports: Gayle "hits Big" for the future at 2nd Foundation dinner

He's known as probably the biggest hitter in the game today (especially T20) and an inspirational leader.

But future WI cricket hall of famer Chris Gayle knows that real success involves succession, and in keeping the flow of new talent to the game vibrant.

Against that background Gayle last year went to his old proving ground of Lucas Cricket Club and, through his Chris Gayle Foundation, offered a real gateway for talented youngsters from the surrounding innercity to gain access to top-level competition and to learn the intangible yet vital "life skills".

Thus the mood was celebratory at the Jamaica Pegasus recently when Gayle, joined by several local and regional cricket luminaries (including Dwayne Bravo) and Minister of Sports Natalie Neita-Headley to recognize the latest cohort of the Chris Gayle Foundation programme.

Amid entertaining banter from emcee (and WIPA exec) Michael Hall, especially his boast about record figures of 9 for 7 in high school.....against a team from the School for the Blind, the young players, their coaches and other programme contributors were recognized (with special awards) and in turn paid their tributes to the programme and its illustrious founder.

Gayle for his part, pledged to continue his support for youth development through cricket, and urged the young charges to intensify their focus so as to take advantage of the tremendous opportunities that the sport presently had to offer to those who excel at the highest level.

---end---

text and all photos: Michael AD Edwards


localjoe.myorganogold.com

West Indies Cricket in the Crucible: FIRE IN BABYLON Official Trailer - In Cinemas May 20

It might not immediately resonate with despondent Windies cricket fans, but the two-decade dynasty that the great West Indies teams of the late 70s through the early 90s  was forged in the cauldron of Australian pace bowling and the ashes (no pun intended) of a thrashing at the hands of the Aussies in 1975.

After that fateful test new captain Clive Lloyd set out to overhaul the team and, essentially, fight fire with fire. Michael Holding, Joel Garner, Colin Croft and - later Malcolm Marshall, Courtney Walsh and Curtley Ambrose, combined with the potent and intrepid batting attack of Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, the aforementioned Lloyd and Vivian "Master Blaster" Richards  to put the "fire" of the film's title on, first, the English, and then, the Australians in the supreme grudge match.

For its portrayal of the above only, "Fire On Babylon" is a worthy addition to sporting film lore. But the production teams behind award-winning features like "The Last King of Scotland" and "Restrepo" has much more on their minds than just a cricket highlight reel. The ascendancy of the West Indies is set against and paralleled by the socio-political forces of the day, including the rise of Afro-consciousness, the fight against apartheid and against racism in general, and the concurrent threads of Caribbean musical expression - reggae in particular - which were also attracting global attention.

All these elements are skillfully and wittily blended by writer-director Stevan Riley, who has everyone giving input, from Sabina Park groundsmen to last-standing Wailer Bunny "Jah B" Livingstone to the cricketers themselves - notably Richards and Holding, who each speak poignantly about resisting the temptation to go on the ill-fated and controversial "Rebel Tour" of then apartheid South Africa in the early 80s.

The bottom line is you don't even have to like cricket to enjoy Fire In Babylon, although a newfound appreciation for the game could well be a product of viewing it. Telecoms giant Digicel, which recently hosted a Kingston premiere, are certainly hoping for that and other positive effects as a prelude to the home series against Pakistan and India this summer.