The Obama effect in Kingston

OK, thats a classic right there. Sabina Park is buzzing of course, as the fifth English goes down at 23 (Collingwood plays on to Taylor). And in the stands, a lady holds up a banner that says, "Yes WI can". Obama, what hast thou done?

"Just like the old days"

Yes, indeed, Nasser, just like the "old days". Jerome Taylor, with his first ball after lunch, sends Kevin Pietersen's off-stump flying with a beautiful delivery that seems to be drifting just a little towards leg, but is in fact, heading inexorably towards the timber. And the stump does a few neat cartwheels before finally lying supine, as if to say it had had enough. And the young quick takes off on a run of his own, the now-well-established "catch me if you can" routine. Sabina Park, of course, goes wild. What scenes. What scenes indeed, and what a reminder of what the cricketing world misses when the West Indies are not at the top of their game. Come on lads, can't you do this more often? God only knows the world of test cricket needs it.

A good advert for test cricket

Good, tough test cricket happening over at Sabina Park. The West Indies start the day with a slight advantage; two settled batsmen get tons; but then both fall, and so do two other wickets cheaply. And now, a 50 run partnership has just started to gel, as the Windies draw closer to the English first innings total. Every run from the time the Windies draw level will be extremely useful. And because Freddie Flintoff is bowling, the atmosphere is crackling (how the hell does he do it every single time?). At some stage, I have write a piece on how Flintoff has managed to be the first English cricketer since Botham and Gower to have a claim on my loyalty and affection.