Lost in the shuffle

The England team walks on to field. From left: Les Ames, Patsy Hendren, Andy Sandham, Wilfred Rhodes, Bob Wyatt, the Hon Fred Calthorpe (captain), Jack O’Connor, Ewart Astill, Nigel Haig, George Gunn, Bill Voce, West Indies v England, Barbados, January 11, 1930. (ESPNcricinfo photo)

In this week’s edition of In Search of West Indies Cricket, Roger Seymour examines the phenomenon elite batsmen experience, the euphoric sensation, where runs just seem to gush out of their bats for an extended period of time. It’s almost like being in a state of Nirvana. It’s 1929 and the MCC are on their way to the West Indies for the first official Test Series in the Caribbean.

“The Antique Roadshow” is a very popular British television programme in which experts go from town to town in the UK, and the residents bring their old treasures to be examined. These heirlooms are assessed for their condition, age and rarity. Sometimes a guest arrives with an item which has been sitting on the mantelpiece over the fireplace, or in the attic or basement out of harm’s way, for generations. It is only there for sentimental reasons because it belonged to grandpa’s brother or a long deceased relative, and the present guardian is anxious to discover its worth. Occasionally, it happens to be a rare item of great value, which had just been lost in the shuffle.