Tony Cozier

At Kensington Oval The evidence has been growing for some time and the flaws so starkly exposed at Kensington yesterday provided further proof that Test cricket’s latest technological innovation, the umpires’ referral system, is an experiment that needs urgent review, even scrapping altogether.

By Tony Cozier at Kensington Oval Mark Twain’s assertion that there are three kinds of lies, “lies, damned lies, and statistics”, was hardly made with cricket in mind but it was accurately borne out by Fidel Edwards’ figures in England’s mammoth first innings here.

SO severely tested on the last day of the ARG Test, the West Indies’ resilience was again placed under severe strain at Kensington yesterday.

The West Indies find themselves in an unfamiliar position entering today’s Test at Kensington Oval.

To the uninitiated, primarily Americans such as Sir Allen Stanford, events at the Antigua Recreation Ground on Thursday evening and their aftermath would have been incomprehensible.

IT took the composure of tailenders not reputed for such level-headedness to secure it but the draw that the West Indies eeked out in the fading light here yesterday brought a dreadful week to a positive end.

Five years ago, the ground that has hosted more record-breaking West Indies’ performances in its relatively brief existence witnessed its most unexpected and uplifting.

Three  West Indies batsmen would not have slept easily last night.

– West Indians in Jamaica and elsewehere  are rejoicing in a rare result By Tony Cozier in KINGSTON The day after the latest Sabina sensation, euphoria hung as thick in the Kingston air as did depression five years ago when the collapse and the crushing defeat were the other way around.

The history of Test cricket at Sabina Park is replete with devastation wreaked by lethal fast bowlers.

Intermittently during the past couple of days at Sabina Park, the public address system has blared out a baffling, if unequivocal message.

Ramnaresh Sarwan’s diligent 107, his 12th Test hundred, and his partnership of 202 with captain Chris Gayle were critical to the West Indies cause in the first Digicel Test at Sabina Park.

SULIEMANN BENN made a pertinent statement after the opening day of the Digicel Series.

IT was a fitting twist to the cliché once familiar to the champion teams of his era.

Good news has been in short supply of late, as much for West Indies cricket as for their nervous finance ministers, central bank governors and insurance moguls.

Clyde Butts has delivered the news that the West Indies were dreading prior to the forthcoming Digicel Test series against England.

Twice in the past few weeks, West Indian selectors have opened a fast bowling cupboard once packed to overflowing with quality items, left on the shelf the few fresh goods now available and chosen instead to recycle old ones long past their use-by dates.

Even by the known standards of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), the statements by its chief executive in Port-of-Spain last week touched a new height of illogic and arrogance.

IT has been a long time on the road with 12 matches of varying types over the last three months at nine different venues.

– Chris Gayle credits mind games for New Zealand success CHRIS GAYLE has revealed the secret behind his high-scoring consistency in the recent series against Pakistan and New Zealand.