DE MAGNIFI-CENT SEVEN

Is early yet, but ah Test Match win foh us, is like going thru ah long drought wid no rain, only scattered showers. West Indies (WI) spectacular second Test Match Victory ‘gainst Australia (Aus) in Aus by drawing ah two match Test Series, is like ah Flood of Joy, and calls foh ah humble cele-bray-shun wid thanksgiving, why not?

Like most Cricket Fans ah didn’t hang me hopes too high wid de chances of ah WI victory in de recently concluded two test match series; in fact ah was expecting ah 2-nil, 1 foh 2 thrashing from de all powerful Aussies. But when de Squad was announced de Number Seven (#7) was men-shuned, “Seven New Caps were included on de team.” Literally saying dat foh all Seven ah dem Youthmen, dis could very well be ah first time in ah Test Match against de all powerful Australia, right now de world’s No 1 wid its threesome pace attack of captain Pat Cummings, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazelwood, each wid 250 test scalps to dey names. Dis Trio is already tipped as possibly Australia’s best ever pace triumvirate.

We were going like Lambs to D slaughter, or is it lambs to B slaughtered. But de over optimistic Lie-Za told me very early not to worry ah must read de part ah de Good Book dat says: “David defeated Goliath wid ah sling and a rock. He killed him without even using ah sword.”

So ah tell me-self ah go fight wid me Number 7, men-shun over 700 times in de Good Book.

First thing ah did was to say ah lickle Prayer foh all Seven uncapped young-stars, foh Humility, Patience and Discipline and dat de Lord will Bless dem. “ Ah prayed dat de Seven become “de Lucky Seven,” and dat as dey Blessings grow, so will dey Cricketing skills and dey Bank Account. How else will dey develop and become de WI “Magnify-cent Seven?”

GREAT ALL ROUND PERFORMANCES

Needless to say dat de First Test was ah wake up call foh WI who sustained ah 10 wicket defeat.

Yes Aus won de match, but WI walked away wid ah few promising Goodies, signs of things to come. First timer, 24 year ole Guyanese pacer, Shamar Joseph from Barapara, interior territory, possibly de next Super Star Fast Bowler in Test Cricket was worth setting up to witnessing his very first ball in ah Test Match, getting de wicket of de great Steve Smith, arguably one of de better batsman in de game. Joseph went on to pick-up 5 for 91 in de Aus First Innings. And in de second Innings of de second Test, ah limping Joseph wid ah busted Big-toe, bagged ah Best Spell by ah WI player vs Aus in de 4th innings of ah Test. Joseph took Seven (7) Aus wickets foh 68 runs. He was named Player of de Match in de second Test, also Player of de two Series. It was also de first win foh WI in twelve, Day-Night Tests between WI and AUS. If dat is/was not Magnificent ley we label it as ah Lucky Seven spectacular.

Ah quick recap at de last 46 years of Cricket between WI and Aus (1977 – 2023), shows dat WI stamped its authority foh de first 15 years during de period 1977 to 1993. Dey were eight (8) Test series. WI won 7 series to de Aus’ nil, one was drawn.
Den from 1994 Aus ruled de Roost foh nearly three decades, 28 years, wid 12 Series, Aus winning eleven, one drawn. WI broke Aus unbeaten spell by drawing de 1998/1999 series 2-2; and recently broke de second unbeaten spell again last week. So dey’s nuff wuk foh our Players to do. We will cuss dem when dey disappoint us, but we will Rally round our WI Magnificent Seven Squad. And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

Bassy Alexander is a land surveyor, folklorist and social commentator.