You messed about, I caught you out

Last week Chris Gayle of the West Indies hit a six from the first ball of their Test Match against Bangladesh.

The first Cricket Test Match was in 1877 and since then there have been over 2,000 more and yet this is the first time this has ever been done in a Test Match

It comes as no surprise that it is Chris Gayle who has created this record. I watched him recently as he set about destroying teams in the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka and he does hit a cricket ball an incredibly long way. He played a major part as West Indies went on to win the competition beating hosts Sri Lanka in the final. My dad had an expression he used to use when he watched cricket, "Hit out or get out!". I think he would have approved of Chris Gayle.

I am not a huge cricket fan but I started watching it on TV in the late 60s and early 70s when I should have been studying for exams. Some of the greatest players I remember were part of the West Indies team over the years. The one and only Sir Garfield Sobers who famously hit 6 sixes from one over in 1968 whilst playing for Nottinghamshire. Sir Viv Richards, Gordon Greenidge, Clive Lloyd and Brian Lara all produced great batting performances over the years. Lara scored 400 and 375 against England and also managed to score 501 for Warwickshire in 1994

West Indian fast bowlers have a history of terrorising the opposition and I well recall the likes of Malcolm Marshall,Curtly Ambrose, Joel Garner and Michael Holding doing just that on a regular basis. Micheal Holding now commentates on the cricket on TV and has one of those voices you could listen to all day

The West Indian Cricket Team is made up of a Sporting Confederation of 15 countries, British dependencies and non-British dependencies which probably explains why there so often appears to be a lack of team harmony but on their day they are probably the most entertaining cricket team in the world

It has always surprised me that our friends from across the pond have never taken to cricket. It is a game full of statistics which American sports fans just love and if they can get excited about really tall men running up and down a court and throwing a ball through a hoop and also have a 'World Seies' for 'Rounders' why can't they also embrace this riveting sport. Just think of all the advertising revenue from TV adverts over a five day Test Match.

....and then there are the fielding positions in cricket....backward short leg, deep cover point, silly mid-off, long off, long on, gully...and we are merely scratching the surface here. Surely that has more appeal than pitcher, catcher, shortstop, first baseman, second baseman, third baseman, left fielder, centre (sorry, center) fielder and right fielder. I mean come on guys let's use a little imagination here. Couldn't you find room for a deep square leg somewhere in there?

I leave you this week with my Top 10 Cricket Related Songs

1. It's Over.............................................Roy Orbison
2. Bat Out Of Hell..................................Meatloaf
3. Run, Run, Run....................................The Velvet Underground
4. Cover Me...........................................Bruce Springsteen
5. Catch Us If You Can..........................The Dave Clarke Five
6. Long Leg(ged) Woman Dressed In Black....Mungo Jerry
7. Slip Sliding Away........................................Paul Simon
8. The Point Of No Return...........................Jeff Lynne
9. Silly (mid-on) Love Songs........................Wings
10. Theme From 'The Third Man'.................Anton Karas

I am going to declare at this point. See you next week!