All cricket lovers

[Mitty]

After watching the idiot ref take the sizzle out of the Arsenal, Liverpool game, sport lovers will get to see what could be a very thrilling 1st period of play in the 4th day of WI v NZ.

The most gifted and flamboyant stroke maker will be at the crease along with Gayle to start the day for WI.

This young man is the most talented cricketer out of Ja since Lawrence Rowe.

Suh figget the disappointment of the soccer match and watch X man tear the leather off this ball. This pitch is conducive to his style of batting.

A just hope mi nuh jinx him

[Me]

Sound like it is Gayle that you were talking about.

[Peter R]

Marshall is showing a lot of potential in spite of a low score... I think he has the making of a test cricketer but he will need more opportunities... and the WICB is famous for chopping and changing with no rhyme or reason.

Now Mr. Christopher Henry gayle is playing like a captain... well done and keep it going.

We need to bat out this morning session, day 5 if we want to save the match. i don't see us bowling out NZ but they could make 240 easily if they have all day...

Hate to be negative but I see us losing as those around Gayle just don't have the batting skills to keep going..but the optimist in me is hoping for the best.

[Mitty]

Xman is one of a long list of victims who suffer because of a very immature and amateur sport culture and environment. This youth has so much talent, but has obvious imperfections in his game. He is forced to work out his flaws at the highest level of the game instead of in an academy where he can erased them before they become permanent bad habits. West Indies will never be dominant again until they have a full time academy to assist in player development.

Same ting with Ja soccer. We have some very talented youths with raw world class ability, but again the powers that be let us down. For ex. I think Ross-Doyley, Orgill, Cousins, and Daley(from Meadhaven) or world class talent that just need to be harnessed. These are just a few players that happened to catch my eye in their limited international performances. I am sure there are a lot more

The captain seems to be taking a slow march to this academy that should have been completed 2 yrs ago.

[Peter R]

The thing is they had started some sort of Academy at St George's University in Grenada I believe...then after a couple years it just disappeared...

You're correct about the grooming of the youths...the "big" countries are doing it and have improved their game, australia in particular over the last 15 years and among the things they did was scrutinize what all the successful West Indian players (and others of course) did, then turned around and used them as the model for success. ironically, many of these things were being done by instinct... I think Desmond Haynes was a batsman whose technique was modeled by the Aussies...when he was told about it he was surprised and he wasn't aware of what he was doing. Anyhow, that's the story I hear.

Point is, as you said, we need to up the level if we want to return to being competitive.

And on that note abig "big up" to Gayle and those who spent time with him at the crease...so sorry he didn't pick up the double. At any rate the match should draw...unless we really blow it

[Mark]

Where can I find a live feed?

[Gamma]

part of the problem is that our players rarely to get to play a high level of cricket outside of the test matches and these days were are not getting many 3 or 5 test series.

in the recent past, because of the lack of high level cricket, windies players used the actual test series to work themselves n and evitably would lose the series.

this has not really changed and so if marshall doesn't get that high level of cricket consistently to build his confidence....aussie going through a lean spell now but they do have in place a very good system as well as a high standard of domestic cricket.

[Baddaz]

as many on this space may know, i've been a staunch critic of chris gayle's discipline at the crease...

my criticism has been his one way aggressive style regardless of the state of the match... his frequent early departure putting pressue on the batsment coming behind him... if wi did not have a disciplined chanders, we would have been worse shape...

recently, i've noticed a change in gayle's approach and its all for the better... the last few matches, he has been more disciplined and is playing like a captain with responsibilities - leading by example...

if he keeps this level of discipline, he will make many more centuries and west indies will be more successful... the batsmen coming behind him will also exercise more discipline, more inclined to stay and make runs... gayle will also have a big impact on the development of x-man because he will not have to alway face the pressure of making runs and staying at the crease...

big up chris gayle!

[Karl]

Xman is one of a long list of victims who suffer because of a very immature and amateur sport culture and environment. This youth has so much talent, but has obvious imperfections in his game. He is forced to work out his flaws at the highest level of the game instead of in an academy where he can erased them before they become permanent bad habits. West Indies will never be dominant again until they have a full time academy to assist in player development.

Same ting with Ja soccer. We have some very talented youths with raw world class ability, but again the powers that be let us down. For ex. I think Ross-Doyley, Orgill, Cousins, and Daley(from Meadhaven) or world class talent that just need to be harnessed. These are just a few players that happened to catch my eye in their limited international performances. I am sure there are a lot more

The captain seems to be taking a slow march to this academy that should have been completed 2 yrs ago.

There was a time when Viv Richards was being flayed on his faults...well in double quick time Viv made "the nagga-naga dem" concentrate on his "Master Blaster(ing)". In Australia with West indies being blasted out by took on one Lillie and one Thomo (Thompson) the young master went in a virtual opener and the rest, as they say, is history.

btw - I have never seen so many so-called 'bad' batting actions than in today's cricket. The old hang-up on 'playing straight' seems to be all too often thrown out the window.