The flame is still burning

Ever since I was a teenager... ok, ok that was last century... and I was lucky enough to watch cricket from the Caribbean courtesy of Channel Nine, I have been captivated by two things: First and foremost was the natural flair and skill of the Calypso boys and second was the outright passion for the game.

To this day when Brian Lara is on song I can still sit back and admire his sheer brilliance, albeit not as consistently as some of the legends of yesteryear, but when it happens my thirst for flair is quenched.

As far as passion is concerned, after the first one-dayer at Sabina Park in Jamaica, I realised the flame is still burning brightly. The atmosphere was electric; and second to none.

You only have to mingle with the crowd to realise what cricket means to the people of the West Indies. Numerous fans were wrapped in West Indies flags and frequently burst into their contagious and popular war cry “Rally round the West Indies”. At the fall of one of the West Indies wickets, practically the entire ground burst into “It’ll be alright”. How right they were... just,

Lend an ear to an aged cricket watcher and the chances are you’ll be entertained with stories if cricketing heroism for the rest of the day. Mind you, in years gone by they have had some champions playing the lead role!

The remaining one-dayers will undoubtedly bring an unparalleled level of passion that will frequently have me sitting in the commentary box shaking my head is disbelief. I can’t wait.