FORMER West Indies opening batsmen Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes, along with current fast bowler Curtly Ambrose, highlight a parade of stars on show at the Milo/Melbourne cricket festival today.
Festival 2000, co-sponsored by Air Jamaica, BWIA, Le Meridien Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, Hilton Hotel and Terra Nova, marks the 25th anniversary of the annual event and the players - as in the past - represent some of the best of yesterday, some of the best of today and a few who promise to be among the best of tomorrow.
Apart from Greendige, who played in 108 Test matches and scored 7,558 runs with 19 centuries - including a top score of 226 and a match-winning 214 not out versus England at Lord's in 1984, Haynes, who played in 116 Test matches and scored 7,487 runs with 18 centuries, and who together formed one of the greatest opening pairs in the history of the game, the cast includes former batting stars Lawrence Rowe, Alvin Kallicharran, Faoud Bacchus, Carlisle Best and Gus Logie.
Rowe, one of the most elegant batsmen of all time, will be remembered for his debut innings of 214 and 100 not out versus New Zealand at Sabina Park in 1972 and his epic 302 against England at Kensington Oval in 1974; Kallicharran, a dashing left-hander, will be remembered for his magnificent 124 against India on a turning pitch at Bangalore in 1974-75; Bacchus, an attractive stroke player, will be remembered for a scintillating 250 at Kanpur in 1978-79 against the best of India's spinners; Best will be remembered for a blazing 164 against England at Kensington Oval in 1990; and the diminutive Logie will be remembered for his lovely footwork and for his top score of 130 versus India at Kensington Oval in 1983.
The current stars are represented by Ambrose - the man who once took seven wickets for one run against Australia in an amazing spell, the man with 405 wickets in his bag, and who is ranked among the best fast bowlers ever, and by fast bowler Franklyn Rose who took six wickets against India in his first Test innings.
The young hopefuls will be represented by Melbourne's own Carlton Baugh Jnr. and Donovan Pagon and by Krishmar Santokie, Xavier Marshall and Howard Powell - the three Jamaicans who were members of the West Indies team which won the Under 15 World Cup in England recently.
The 45-over-a-side match which starts at 10 a.m. will see the team batting first for 25 overs, the team batting second batting for 25 overs with the first team returning for its final 20 overs followed by the team batting second.
The day's activities will include a bowling contest involving the spectators and a raffle with the first prize being a weekend for two at Sandals Ocho Rios.
Courtney Walsh souvenir shirts will be on sale with purchasers in with a chance to win a weekend for two at Beeches, Negril.
Admission: grounds $100, clubhouse downstairs - $300, clubhouse upstairs - $500.
Teams - Desmond Haynes' XI: Haynes, G. Greenidge, C. Best, H. Morris, C. Fletcher, K. Baugh, R. Stewart, R. Haynes, M. Sinclair, F. Rose, X. Marshall, N. Miller, A. Sanson.
Robert Samuels' XI: Samuels, D. Pagon, A. Wollaston, F. Bacchus, G. Logie, A. Kallicharran, C. Baugh Jnr, L. Rowe, N. Perry, K. Santokie, D. Mais, C. Ambrose, H. Powell.
