LARA
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC
AN EIGHT-PAGE feature on the world's new top Test run-scorer, Brian Lara, is the highlight of the latest edition of the Sagicor West Indies Cricket Quarterly.
The 36-year-old West Indies star batsman's epic double-century in the third and final Test against Australia at Adelaide took him past former Australia captain Allan Border's record and now puts him on 11 204 runs from 121 Tests.
The eight-page Lara special in the 80-page full-colour magazine, includes statistics on Lara's progression to the world record and the fact that he has scored the most Test runs in defeats as well.
On the front cover, under the headline "KING LARA", are three photos of Lara - the main one showing him leaping and punching the air after achieving the world record.
Under the headline, Lara - The Little Genius, the editorial states:
"As we again salute another Brian Charles Lara world record, one is left to wonder why West Indies teams of the past decade continue to struggle, especially on overseas tours."
It continues: "History will show that Lara is now the highest run-scorer in Test cricket history following his magnificent double-century in the third and final match against Australia in Adelaide. History will also reveal that West Indies suffered another whitewash on an overseas tour, leaving the regional team with a record, which is a poor reflection of the glory years from the late 1970s through to the mid 90s.
"West Indies have now lost 32 of its last 39 overseas Tests. And there is little comfort when one considers that the few victories achieved were against minnows Zimbabwe and Bangladesh."
The editorial adds: "Lara is a genius. One international newspaper even acclaimed him as "the greatest batsman of his generation" following his latest feat. Yet, he sadly lacks the support from team-mates to ensure that big individual performances do not result in defeats."
DETAILED STORIES
Also included in the Sagicor West Indies Quarterly, edited by regional award-winning journalist Keith Holder, are detailed stories on the telling report by Justice Anthony Lucky and a three-page feature on Barbados' most successful captain Courtney Browne.
Columnist Ralph Thorne takes another look at the WICB, WIPA, Cable & Wireless, Digicel Affair - Part 4, under the headline "Harvesting Sugar Cane in England."
And another columnist, 17-year-old Community College Mass Communications student, Natasha Beckles, writes on the Pros and Cons of the Stanford Twenty20 tournament, which is to be played next August and September.
There are updates on the 2007 World Cup to be held in the Caribbean; full scoreboards on the West Indies Test and "A" team tours to Sri Lanka earlier this year, as well as reports and averages; coverage of the 2005 KFC Cup and West Indies under-19 championships with full scoreboards as well.
Those who like to argue about the current players in West Indies cricket will find career first-class averages featuring the six competing teams in the Carib Beer series, in addition to team records.
There are many more articles in the Sagicor Quarterly, which is available at leading book stores in the Caribbean.
This is the fourth edition of the Sagicor West Indies Quarterly since new sponsors Sagicor came on board in January 2005.
