)31-365 Box Office / Wickets

Here is the one Julie has been dreading, a Dinky Di, Ridgididje Wickets shot, I tried to get a photo of the wicket being demolished by a quick bowler but that wasn't on offer and in a way that is good because this shot shows so much more. The fielder poised for a catch is non other than the Australian Captain Ricky Ponting, a most prolific batsman with maybe two to five years left of test cricket. The batsman seen sweeping the ball onto the leg-side is the other side of the coin. Adrian Barath is playing his maiden test for the West Indies, and although being dismissed for only 15 in his first innings went on in the second innings to post the only Century of the match, he in fact got out just after the shot shown here for a score of 104, and regardless of anything else he has a century on debut and that is to be cherished in a cricket career.
The (Normally - Five day match) was over in only three but that doesn't take away from the spirit in which the game was played, the West Indies from the mid 70s until the 1990s was simply the best cricketing nation in the world, and their fast bowlers terrorized batsmen the world over, well things have changed (as must happen) but take it from me the same spirit runs in the new players here today, the comparison with the matches played in England recently, where the England team pulled all the tricks out of the hat to prevent a result in two of the Ashes matches, bodes so much better for the West Indies future as a cricketing nation. From the Era of Geoffrey Boycott, who in my opinion was the best (potential) batsman the game has produced, but who seemingly through team policy stonewalled (defending his wicket at all cost) instead of batting his way out of trouble, the whole ethos of England has become what ever you do don't lose!
This attitude does not exist for either Australia or the West Indies and in the main for most other cricketing nations, who would all rather go down swinging than just hanging on for a draw. Nothing could epitomize this more than the fact that the only "TIED" test match (until 1986) occurred in Brisbane at this time of year in 1960 and involved the same combatants being bowled out twice for the same aggregate score with only one ball left to bowl but all 40 batsmen dismissed. The second "TIED" test involved Australia and India who have gone on to become the powerhouse of World cricket today. The West Indies will get back to a strong position in the cricketing world, have no doubt, all other countries still understand that you can't play the game in a way that "Just Isn't Cricket - Don't You Know". Maybe England will grow up and learn to play to win again, but it is doubtful! In any event I can't wait till November next Year when the Old Enemy (England) are back on our soil so that we can wrest the Ashes from them.
Just to reinforce the comradeship that occurs in the game Brendan Nash (Playing for the West Indies) was brought up and played cricket right here in Brisbane and is quite good friends (off the field) with a few of our players. Moreover, last Thursday the great West Indies Batsman (Now Retired) Brian Lara was awarded an honorary (AM) Member of the Order of Australia, by the Australian Government because of "service to Australia-Caribbean relations by promoting goodwill, friendship and sportsmanship through the sport of cricket". Now That IS Cricket!