Tony Becca
Tony Becca
COMPARED TO Old Trafford, Edgbaston and certainly Lord's, The Oval is a small place.
As the traditional venue for the last Test match in a series in England, however, it is the one, more than any other, that brings back memories.
Sitting on the outskirts of Brixton, The Oval, for every four years or so, is home to two sets of people the British and the West Indians and although the West Indian presence has not been as pronounced as in previous years, this Test is no different.
The West Indies at The Oval is also usually a time for the West Indians to flex their muscles, and although the West Indies have been on the run in recent times, the West Indians really went to town and launched a wonderful counter-attack on the first day when, in what was friendly banter, a few young Brits took them on the way from The Oval underground station to The Oval.
THE POWER AND THE GLORY
With England three-up in the series and gunning for a fourth victory that would make it a whitewash, the England fans, their faces painted in the colours of the England flag, enjoyed themselves as they talked about, and boasted about, the power and glory of English cricket.
Reeling off England's accomplishment against the West Indies one by one, the English fans went back four years and talked about England's eclipse of the West Indies at Lord's, at Headingley and their three-one victory.
They went back a few months ago and talked about how England routed the West Indies for 47 and won the series three-nil, and then they talked about what happened at Lord's, Edgbaston and Old Trafford this time around and what they expect to happen at The Oval as their heroes go hunting for the victory that would be, for them, like a dream come true.
The West Indians were up to it, however, and after listening to the youngsters talking about what batsmen like Robert Key, captain Michael Vaughan and Graham Thorpe, bowlers like Steve Harmison, Matthew Hoggard, and Ashley Giles, and all-rounder Andrew Flintoff have done to the West Indies and how many matches they have won, they opened up and fired back.
Do you remember how many years it took you to win a series after 1969? Do you remember batsmen like Gary Sobers, Rohan Kanhai, Lawrence Rowe, Alvin Kallicharran, Viv Richards, Clive Lloyd, Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes? Do you remember bowlers, fast bowlers, like Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Joel Garner, Colin Croft, Malcolm Marshall, Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh?
WINDIES WINNINGS
Do you remember 1984 when the West Indies clobbered England five-nil in your own backyard, 1986 when the West Indies nailed England five-nil in the West Indies, and 1988 when, with rain saving you in one, the West Indies won four-nil?
"Oh, come on," said one of the English youngsters as they moved closer to The Oval, "that's a long time ago."
"That's true," said one of the West Indians, dressed in his suit and tie as if going to church on a Sunday morning. "But you know something: you will never ever produce a batsman like Richards or a bowler like Holding, and you will never ever beat us five-nil or four-nil not with (Brian) Lara around, and not at The Oval."
Although England defeated the West Indies there in 1991 by five wickets, and after a draw in 1995, in 2000 by 158 runs, West Indians remember 1976 when the West Indies, led by Richards, 291, and Holding, eight and six wickets, won by 231 runs, and after a rain-ruined draw in 1980, 1984 when the West Indies won by 172, and 1988 when they triumphed by eight wickets, and to them, The Oval is home away from home.
After they parted company at the main gate, I turned to one of the West Indians and asked: Do you and your colleagues really believe the West Indies can win this Test match and disappoint England?
"I really don't know. The guys aren't playing well, but this is The Oval, man. They beat us here the last few times, but this is our ground, and they have to deliver."
