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runako morton
West Indies v Australia, 2nd Test, Antigua, 2nd day
By Will 2 years ago, at the start of June, 4 Comments »
After West Indies surprisingly resilient and bushy performance in the first Test, I was really looking forward to helping out in our coverage of the second against Australia in Antigua. Their fielding was electric, the bowling reasonably disciplined. A corner hadn’t been turned, but it was at least in sight.
That particular corner hasn’t disappeared completely, but today’s weak effort epitomises their plight. The fielding in the past two days has been shoddy (not helped, I admit, by an outfield which often leaves the long-barrier looking about as bulletproof as tissuepaper) and the batting, at times, well…I’ll come onto that.
First though, a happy tale – even if, in a roundabout way, it does prove how political cricket is in the Caribbean. Xavier Marshall is a 22-year-old batsman with stocks of ability – so much, it seems, that Jamaica refuse to play him. That doesn’t stop him playing Test cricket though, and his maiden fifty today showed glimpses of an extreme talent. He immediately reminded me of Sherwin Campbell when he drove Brett Lee repeatedly through the covers for scorching fours, and showed confident footwork to all the bowlers (until he left a straight one…). Best of all, he batted with a Caribbean flourish – none of this nudging and blocking and grinding. He whacks a cricket ball which, by definition, is what the batsman’s job description demands, and he did it with that carefree enjoyment that the world has missed from West Indian cricket. Keep your eye on him.
Bowling to Marshall was one of Australia’s elder statesmen, Stuart MacGill, and what a total shocker he had. Rank long-hop after half-volley after wide full tosses were sent down, seemingly at random…but predictably so, if that’s not a contradiction in terms. Brilliantly, the more he bowled the worse he became. One long-hop – a half-tracker at best – would have made Ian Salisbury jealous. Fear not, world: MacGill is very much in the winter of his career. As my colleague pointed out, he rarely looks fussed about the long-hops and continued full-tosses.
Outbowling MacGill, meanwhile, was Michael Clarke – an underrated left-arm spinner, or should that be mis-categorised? Clarke doesn’t actually spin the ball, but unlike MacGill he can land it on a length 10 times out of 12, and he was controlled enough to squeeze out two wickets to add to his rollicking hundred. Terrific innings which, dare I even think it, even had shades of Mark Waugh’s fluency about it. His tearful celebrations were pretty unAustralian though: what’s happened to them? They’re as bad as footballers these days (and yes, I know, Lara Bingle’s father died, yada yada).
And then my moment of the day, a snapshot of why West Indian cricket continues to take one step forward and two backwards. With about an hour left in the day’s play Runako Morton strode to the crease, his baggy-maroon cap at a jaunty angle. He clearly meant business, and not necessarily to the letter of the law. What a pity players can’t be jailed for crimes against batting, for Morton tried to heave a fullish delivery from Clarke and was caught by a perplexed Simon Katich at short midwicket. To his credit, he tucked the bat under his arm and strode off even quicker than he’d marched to the crease, presumably to find a hangman’s noose. The rashness of it defied explanation, and West Indies had lost their third.
Plus ca change, and all that.
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