Tour Diary
High five for the Soca Warriors
Around 1:50pm local time, despite no real action happening on the field, a loud cheer went out in the stands
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan
25-Feb-2013
Around 1:50pm local time, despite no real action happening on the field, a loud cheer went out in the stands. The Soca Warriors from Trinidad & Tobago had managed an honourable draw against Sweden in their World Cup opener at Dortmund. Brian Lara appeared to get the message, his face lighting up with a spontaneous smile. An announcement was made after a few minutes and the excitement, especially among the Trinidad boys, was palpable. Lara exchanged a high five with Dwayne Bravo in the slips while Daren Ganga and Ramnaresh Sarwan began to beam as well.
Full postBhangra fever in Antigua
Having absorbed the reggae and soca music all day long in the stadium, it came as a pleasant shock, late in the night, to see a group of locals gathered at Heritage Key, the main city centre, swinging to the strains of Bhangra .
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan
25-Feb-2013
Having absorbed the reggae and soca music all day long in the stadium, it came as a pleasant shock, late in the night, to see a group of locals gathered at Heritage Key, the main city centre, swinging to the strains of Bhangra.
It wouldn't have been surprising in Trinidad, which has a large East Indian community, but to see Antiguans enjoy Mundiya to bach ke rahin was a revelation. It was odd to see them 'wining' – a form more focused on hip gyrations - as opposed to following the traditional Punjabi steps. You could even see them mouthing some of the lyrics, though, what they meant was pretty much lost on them.
All this, of course, was taking place in a promotional event for the 2007 cricket World Cup. The fashion shows and dance performances were organised by Team 2K7, from the Ministry of Tourism in Antigua and Barbuda. It was an attempt to gauge the response such carnivals will elicit, to plan ahead for big events next year.
Jeffrey Ettienne, the head of the fashion show troupe, said he picked up the Punjabi album on one of his tours in England. "It's strange, its original, it's different too… it's a nice beat.”
Full postThe ARG's colourful presence lives on
Not only did the last five days produce great cricket but, personally at least, introduced one to the joys of the Antigua Recreation Ground, or ARG to most
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan
25-Feb-2013
Not only did the last five days produce great cricket but, personally at least, introduced one to the joys of the Antigua Recreation Ground, or ARG to most. When a stadium's farewell assumes as much importance as a cricketer's, you know that there must be a special allure that draws in people.
The fact that it's centrally located is vital, with several people passing by the ground daily, even if there is no match going on. Viv Richards's association with the ground started even before he began playing. With the Antigua Grammar School, where he studied, being close by, and the local prison, where his father worked, adjoining the ground, Richards was bound to be an ARG regular. Incidentally, during the early years of the ground, the entire ground staff comprised inmates of the adjacent prison.
The Rec, or 'pasture' to the old timers, also attracts through its
characters. One of the most famous characters at ARG is Labon Kenneth
Blackburn Leeweltine Buckonon Benjamin, or Gravy to the cricketing world. Since 1988 to 2000, he entertained the crowd through his dancing and theatrics. While announcing his retirement in 2000, he walked around the stadium in a wedding gown, making the occasion one to remember.
Full postThe man who oversaw West Indies' golden era
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan
25-Feb-2013
It was interesting to see Steve Camacho and Andy Roberts chat at the Antigua Recreation Ground, considering that the end of one career heralded the beginning of another. Camacho, the former West Indies opener, toured England in 1973 and in the second game of the tour, against Hampshire, came up against a fiery young Roberts.
Camacho, who batted in spectacles, went to hook a short ball and was hit in the face. He underwent an operation for a depressed fracture of the cheek and returned home without taking further part in the series. Roberts made his Test debut one year later, and established himself as one of the best bowlers within the next couple of years.
Full postReggae with Big Bad Dread and the Baldhead
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan
25-Feb-2013
It was a sight to watch Curtly Ambrose, that archetypal destroyer, and Richie Richardson, that marauding hookmeister, strum gentle reggae tunes and regale an audience. Both are part of The Big Bad Dread and the Baldhead, whose latest performance was at Spliff, an outdoor bar close to the ARG.
Curtly was on bass guitar, Richie was on rhythm. For the early part of the show, Curtly was on the right extreme and Richie was on the left, while Bankers, the lead singer, and Jason, the drummer, orchestrated the show. Soon, with television cameramen and other mediapersons showering them with all the spotlight, both decided to mingle with the crowd.
Full postFrom possibility to realisation
As our taxi passes by All Saints Comprehensive School, our driver informs us of its fast-bowling legacy
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan
25-Feb-2013
As our taxi passes by All Saints Comprehensive School, our driver informs us of its fast-bowling legacy. Four Tests cricketers have emerged from All Saints – Eldine Baptiste, Winston Benjamin, Curtly Ambrose and Kenneth Benjamin. Between them you have 2543 first-class wickets and a tremendous amount of firepower. Another All Saints fast bowler, Anthony Merrick played for West Indies A. Yet, it isn't a school that's produced only fast bowlers. Ridley Jacobs, the wicketkeeper-batsman who even captained West Indies in two Tests, is also an alumni. Not for nothing is the school's motto, 'From possibility to realisation'.
Full post'There used to be people falling off trees'
Richie Richardson laments the absence of spectators on the opening day of the Antigua Test
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan
25-Feb-2013
Richie Richardson laments the absence of spectators on the opening day of the Antigua Test. He remembers how he cherished playing at the ARG (Antigua Recreation Ground), his home ground, and how the atmosphere would often get electric. "There used to be people falling off trees."
One can visualise the setting. The ARG is small and quite cute with certain low-lying stands allowing for the breeze to gush through. The Chickie stand and the Party stand set the rhythm for the crowd, with calypso and soca (an acronym for soul calypso) playing between overs.
Sadly, only around thousand people landed up to watch the first day. Lara felt that it was a result of West Indies' poor performances, yet was confident that they "could win the crowds back". The weekend promises better fare. For the trees to be occupied, though, we may require a thriller.
Full postA game of Warri
Harbhajan Singh wracks his brains over a game of Warri , a pastime that the locals introduce him to
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan
25-Feb-2013
Harbhajan Singh wracks his brains over a game of Warri, a pastime that the locals introduce him to. Warri is played in India as well – it's known as Pallanguzhi in Tamil – but, going by the mystified looks, none of the Indians seemed to have heard of it.
If you have mastered Warri, you earn the title of "professor". One such professor decided to give Harbhajan a lesson, teaching him the intricacies of the game. A Warri board comprises twelve large pockets, into which 48 beads are filled equally. The player who begins empties one of the pits that belongs to him and distributes the seeds - one for each pit in a clockwise direction. He continues the process by emptying the pit next to where he ends the first set of seeds. He carries on the process until the end, when if he finds more than one empty pit, he gives up the turn to the other player. If he finds one empty pit next to the pit where he ended, then he captures all the seeds gathered on the right side of the empty pit. The player who captures the most seeds ends up the winner.
Quick counting of the beads and judgement of the number of pockets to be filled requires one to be very attentive. It also requires some rapid mental calculations. Harbhajan does well, plays a few smart moves and thrills "professor" with his learning curve. Inevitably he loses, but the margin (25 to 23) tells you how close it got. "Professor" challenges him for one more round. Harbhajan, though, has a valid excuse: "I need to go out to bat, wickets are falling quickly."
Full postThe King's brother
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan
25-Feb-2013
As astonishing as it may sound, Viv Richards's mother felt that he wasn't the most talented cricketer she'd seen. She reserved that accolade for Mervin, her other son. Mention it to Mervin and he blushes naughtily: "Nah. I was probably more wristy and stylish but Viv was something else."
Mervin didn't play too much cricket; football was his preferred sport. In fact, he's currently the president of the Antigua Football Association. "We played a lot of football. Viv was in defence, me in midfield. Viv had a great leap. He could clear from dangerous positions. He would often come from behind and score. Football lost a great defender in Viv."
Full postOver to the Soca Warriors
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan
25-Feb-2013
The crowds at the Queen's Park Oval haven't been short on the musical front. One of the catchy tunes has been the one toasting the Soca Warriors, the T&T football team that's gearing up to play in their first World Cup.
Cricinfo asked a couple of the Trinidad cricketers to talk about the excitement.
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