Dennie Quill, Contributor

An ugly win is better than a pretty loss. Trite but true. The West Indies' triumph over Zimbabwe on Monday has been described by no less a person than the Windies' coach as a "scrappy win", in other words, an ugly win. Yet, fans left Sabina Park with a good feeling, the kind that comes with victory after a period littered with disappointing performances and spectacular collapses.

No doubt the management will be doing a post-mortem with the hope of pointing out the areas that have blighted some team members' performances. But there is one aspect of the game that has left me quite depressed. It is the casual approach of the captain and his men, which was so evident on Monday.

Writing about the late Sir Learie Constantine's approach to his game, someone said: "When Constantine plays, the whole man plays." Present-day players may say that was then, now the hype surrounding cricket has attracted a new breed of fan who wants to be constantly entertained, to see bowlers being punished and the ball punching the ropes repeatedly. They cannot stand to see a team patiently accumulating singles; it's all about sixes and fours.

Masterful mixture

Purists like myself know that the total game of cricket is a masterful mixture of attack and defence. We expect that the batsmen will take sharp singles, and will pivot beautifully for that second run, after quickly assessing the risks. This is what was absent on Monday, batsmen casually crossed in the middle, never seeking to turn challenges into opportunities, never testing the mettle of the fielders. To me that was one of the most disappointing aspects of that match. Mind you, the young Zimbabwe team was very enterprising in the field, but they were never really under pressure.

Now that we are entering the second phase, I feel certain that if this causal approach persists the West Indies will find itself out of the competition long before the last ball has been bowled. Would it be futile to remind Mr. Lara and company that every run counts? What many are clinging to is the fact that Clive Lloyd, the most successful Windies captain (recollections of their scintillating performances continue to thrill fans) may be able to impress on these players the importance of winning, of stretching every sinew in their bodies to bowl and field and perform well beyond their capabilities.

Let me turn now to the organisation of the matches. I went to two matches at Sabina Park. I parked at National Heroes Park. There was something inequitable about the pricing because one person in a vehicle was asked to pay $1,000, whereas five persons in a similar vehicle were also charged $1,000. That aside, the volunteers were courteous, the JUTC drivers were well turned out and pleasant. The checkpoints at the entrance to the park were efficiently manned. It is unfortunate that the organisers deceived a significant number of patrons by telling them that their seats were in the covered area of the Headley Stand, when this was not so. Luckily, there were lots of empty chairs so people could move around and sit comfortably in unoccupied chairs.

Another positive is that the bathrooms were accessible, clean, equipped with toilet paper, soap and hand towels. Dare I hope that the courtesy displayed by bus crews and volunteers will be maintained for a long time to come?

On the verge of history

The influx of visitors anticipated for this ninth World Cup has not materialised, but the West Indies are standing on the verge of history because they could become the first host team to lift the World Cup. One believes that the stylish West Indies captain would want to exit the stage in a blaze of glory, and he more than anyone else understands that his batting is as crucial as his captaincy in this series.

Many of us are simply happy to be alive and be part of this wonderful experience. We stand on pins and needles hoping and praying that West Indies will rise to the challenge, this time.