Mind games
It’s 28 years since Dunedin hosted a test match against the West Indies
Judhajit
25-Feb-2013
It’s 28 years since Dunedin hosted a test match against the West Indies. Lance Cairns belting the ball into Burns Street, Michael Holding kicking the stumps out. The two tail-enders scampering down the wicket to secure a historic leg-bye. Hamish McDouall in his blog Googlies & Grass Stains believes it was also one of the first times New Zealand cricket showed naked cunning.
New Zealand didn’t want to face all four quicks, so they selected two spinners in their twelve, and then called in a third...the Windies dropped Andy Roberts and selected spinner Derek Parry, whom Lance Cairns sent over the boundary three times with luscious plundering.
Those kinds of mind games can work - the same as leaving documents detailing the Black Caps’ weaknesses at the Cake Tin, the great finesse of John Buchanan in 2000. Make the other team concentrate on weaknesses and you have won the battle, no?
After five years and 34 Tests in the West Indies team, Fidel Edwards is within five wickets of joining his brother, Pedro Collins, as the only such blood relations in the history of Test cricket to both pass 100 wickets. Tony Cozier in the Nation News looks at more such famous pairs.
Also, Paul Holden in his blog Sideline Slogger has a peripheral take on a potential starting XI for West Indies.