Cricket World Cup 2011 - Is Grenada playing ???

This is not cricket alone but is General Knowledge as well.  Do you know of the place where you can make scuba dive and see the wreckage of Bianca C.  It is  the land of Grenada  which gained its independence from Great Britain in 1974. Just like our Marina, Grenada is famous for Grand Anse, a sheltered, two-mile stretch of soft sand, just south of the capital St John -  the finest of Grenada's beaches. Grenada has as many as 45 different beaches. 

It is the smallest independent country in the western hemisphere and has more spice per square mile than any other country as it produces nutmeg and mace crops.  It consists of six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines.  It’s size is only 344  square kilometres (133 sq mi), with an estimated population of 110,000. Its capital is St. George's. The national bird of Grenada is the critically endangered Grenada Dove.  The "oildown" is considered to be the national dish. The phrase "oil-down" refers to a dish cooked in coconut milk until all the milk is absorbed, leaving a bit of coconut oil in the bottom of the pot. Soca, calypso, and reggae set the mood for Grenada's annual Carnival activities. Another  important aspect of Grenadian culture is the tradition of story telling, with folk tales bearing both African and French influences.

Do you know of their  participation in the present World Cup Cricket 2011 ??    The WC fever is on and of the 14 Nations – India, England,  South Africa, West Indies, Bangladesh, Netherlands and Ireland are in Group B.  WI play South Africa at New Delhi tomorrow.

It is a tale of decadence  - the team which was most feared and enjoyed greatest success in the first decade of advent of ODI is struggling these days.  Incidentally do you know of  the Captain of the present team which had the likes of Gerry Alexander,  Frank Worrel,  Gary Sobers, Rohan Kanhai, Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards, Courtney Walsh, Richie Richardson at the helm. Sad that the present team presents a very ordinary look.  The ineffable Lloyd won 64 of the 84 matches that he captained and won both the 1975 inaugural and 1979 edition of Prudential World Cup in England.

Just like the Oranjes for Holland, Blue for India, Green for Pak, Yellow for Aussies, the Windies wear maroon.  But what is West Indies ?  - whilst the rest of the teams represent Nations – the West Indian Cricket Team (Windies) is a multinational cricket team representing a confederation of 15 Caribbean countries. 

WI have been fabulous and have ruled the roost due to the cavalier approach to batting and the fearsome fast bowling as done by Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Wayne Daniel, Joel Garner, Colin Croft, Malcolm Marshall, Patrick Patterson, Ian Bishop, Courtney Walsh and more.  The greatest of their Batsmen would include Rohan Kanhai, Clive Lloyd, Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards, Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Hayne, Richie Richardson, Brian Lara, Chris Gayle.

The West Indian cricket team, also known colloquially as the West Indies or the Windies, is a multi-national cricket team representing a sporting confederation of 15 mainly English-speaking Caribbean countries, British dependencies and non-British dependencies. The traditionally main sport of cricket unites these Nations together and they hosted the 2007 WC in a common banner.  The West Indies consists of Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago and the United States Virgin Islands.

The other islands of  Caribbean territories such as Bermuda and the Cayman Islands also play cricket and  are associate members of the International Cricket Council whilst the Bahamas, Belize, Cuba, Suriname and the Turks and Caicos Islands are affiliate members.

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) headquartered at St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda  is the governing body for professional and amateur cricket in the West Indies.

The present captain is not their best batsman, nor their best bowler or all rounder – he is Darren Julius Garvey Sammy, a member of WI U19 team in 2002.  he has so far played 46 matches scored 536 runs with 58 as his highest and has taken 31 wickets at an average of 46.38 at an economy rate of 4.53.  he made his debut against New Zealand at Southampton in 2004.

Recalling the glory of WI, in the finals of 1975 WC played at Lords on 21^st June 1975 (ODI 33) –  Against an attack consisting of Dennis Lillee, Gary Gilmour, Jeff Thmoson and Max Walker - Windies scored 291 of the allotted 60 overs losing 8 wickets.  Clive Lloyd’s 102 of 85 remained fastest century for long.   Australia chased well with Ian Chappen making 62 off 93 but were plagued by 5 run outs of which Viv Richards figured in the first 3.   The WI bowling attack was Benard Julien, AME Roberts, Keith Boyce, Vanburn Holder and Clive Lloyd.  Aussies lost by 17 runs scoring 274 losing all their wickets in 58.4 overs.

Regards – S. Sampathkumar.