Читать книгу No Win Race. A Story of Belonging, Britishness and Sport онлайн

70 страница из 87

First Test: A Malcolm Marshall bouncer strikes English Test debutant Andy Lloyd in the head. Dramatic. As the ball rises towards Lloyd’s head, he twists to avoid it. Too late. Hits. Hurts. In a split second, it looks as if the ball has spun Lloyd round 180 degrees. Pause. He’s down, toppled, facing the stumps that had once been behind him. Lloyd is hospitalised. He never played Test cricket again. West Indies win.

Second Test: England are close to victory but West Indies’ opening batsman Gordon Greenidge starts limping. Hobbling as if struck with cramp. Greenidge’s limp is like Michael Jordan’s tongue sticking out or Zinedine Zidane puking up on a football pitch. Something beautiful is about to happen. Greenidge scores 214 not out. West Indies win.

Third Test: Malcolm Marshall, the best bowler in the world, arguably the greatest fast bowler ever, a man at/near the peak of his powers, breaks his thumb. Larry Gomes is close to getting a century, but nine West Indian wickets are down. Either Marshall comes out to bat with a broken thumb (in two places) or Gomes will be disappointed. Marshall comes out. Cast on one forearm, holding the bat in his other arm. Batting with one arm, he fends off England’s meagre attack. Gomes gets his century. Marshall returns, cast on forearm, cricket ball in the other. He is now bowling. Decimates England. Gets seven out of 10 English batsmen out. Michael Holding, a great bowler but a poor batsman at best, also demolishes the bowling of Bob Willis, hitting five sixes on his way to 59 runs. Willis retires from Test cricket. The West Indies win.