Windies' legacy of English routs
West Indies steamrolled England by 381 runs in the first Test in Bridgetown on Saturday, a win that was set up largely by the visitors being blown away for 77 in the first innings by a quartet of Caribbean quicks. Cricket lovers of a certain vintage may have thought back to the 1970s and 1980s when such routs of England were commonplace for the West Indies sides of the day, arguably the greatest cricket team to walk out on the field.
The roles were expected to be reversed this time. West Indies are ranked ninth in the world and were coming off a 2-0 series whitewash away against Bangladesh, the 10th-ranked team. Second-ranked England, meanwhile, were coming off a summer home series win against top-ranked India. But even past West Indies' halcyon days and into their prolonged slump, there has often been an extra tank of gas in the Caribbean engine when the opposition were their colonial masters. Perhaps it goes back to English skipper Tony Greig's racially insensitive 'grovel' comments ahead of the 1976 series in England.
We take a brief look back at four famous trouncings that West Indies have handed England over the years:
5th Test, Oval, 1976
West Indies were humbled 5-1 in Australia in their previous series, and English skipper Tony Greig thought it wise to use the racially charged term 'grovel' as pre-series salvo. He chose the wrong time as West Indies skipper Clive Lloyd had by then conceived of the four-pacer strategy that would hound batsmen for the best part of two decades. The first two Tests were drawn but England were hammered in the next two. Sweet and final revenge came in the last match at the Oval when Greig came to the crease with England trying to save the match on the fifth day, as Windies' fastest bowler Michael Holding bowled him with a scorcher for one, setting the stage for a 231-run win.
Series result: West Indies 3-0
2nd Test, Lord's, 1984
By the time West Indies went to England in 1984, so feared were they that no Englishman would dare indulge in pre-series chatter. In the second Test at Lord's, Windies opener Gordon Greenidge showed that the batting was just as ferocious as the bruising pace bowling. Needing 344 to win in less than a day of Test cricket, a draw seemed likely. But Greenidge tore apart the English attack with an unbeaten 214 off 244 balls, leading an astonishing chase even by today's standards as West Indies won by nine wickets in just 66.1 overs.
Series result: West Indies 5-0
5th Test, St Johns, 1998
The decline had truly begun for West Indies by now but they still had two of the greatest fast bowlers in Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh as well as the peerless Brian Charles Lara. West Indies were 2-1 up heading into the fifth Test with England skipper Michael Atherton hoping for a series-saving win. Ambrose, Walsh and Dinanath Ramnarine combined to shoot England out for 127 before centuries from Clayton Lambert, Carl Hooper and a brisk 89 from skipper Lara ensured that Windies would have to bat just once. England responded better in the second innings but a four-wicket haul from Walsh delivered an innings-and-52-run win.
Series result: West Indies 3-1
1st Test, Kingston, 2009
Even though they were the home side, a post-Brian Lara West Indies were by no means favourites against an England side boasting Alastair Cook, Andrew Strauss, Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff and Steve Harmison. But in the first Test England found that extra bit. Twin tons by Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan and then an astonishing spell of fast bowling from Jerome Taylor, who took five wickets for just 11 runs, shot out England for 51 in the second innings to deliver an innings and 23 run win. It proved to be enough to seal the series.
Series result: West Indies 1-0
With the second Test of the three-match series coming up on January 31, and the teams ranked as they are, skipper Jason Holder would hope that the extra tank of gas sustains this time too.
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