Collymore tightens the screws

KINGSTON: Corey Collymore is still basking in the glory of being named “Man-of-the-Match” and “Man-of-the-Series” following West Indies’ sensational, come-from-behind, seven-wicket triumph over Sri Lanka on the third day of the second and final Cable and Wireless cricket Test that ended at Sabina Park on Sunday.

Collymore, a.k.a. Screwface, captured nine wickets for 85 runs from 31overs to be named the “Man-of-the-Match” for the Test, His 14 wickets at 11.35 apiece elevated him to the “Man-of-the-Series” award ahead of his captain Brian Lara in a successful end to a long, hard season of international cricket in the Caribbean. It was a defining moment in the chequered career of the 25-year-old fast bowler, whose progress had been stalled by two stress fractures in his back and the selection committee’s labelling him a one-day cricket specialist. It meant there was a gap of four years between his first Test against Australia at St John’s and his second in the drawn first Test against the Sri Lankans at Gros Islet in the just ended series that West Indies won 1-0. “I am not doing anything particularly different to what I was doing  before,” Collymore stated emphatically during the regular post-match news conference on Sunday.  “I am just enjoying my cricket and doing what I am accustomed to doing, sticking to the basics, bowling good line and length, and moving the ball around and it’s been working for me.” During the two Tests against the Sri Lankans, Collymore gave palpable evidence that he is the bowler that could emerge to give leadership to the fledgling West Indies attack. He revealed that he became something of a big brother to Jerome Taylor and then Fidel Edwards during the series.

“I spoke to the captain the night before the match and he asked me if I was ready to lead the attack and I told him yes,” he said. “What I did was to take the two newcomers, Jerome and Fidel, under my wing. We went to dinner every night. We spoke about cricket. On mornings, I got them into the pool at seven to get their muscles nice and loose. We were always sticking together and I think that worked to our advantage during this Test match.” It was a point not lost on West Indies captain Brian Lara. He felt that West Indies had missed the services of a “great fast bowler” in recent years and was looking forward to bigger and brighter things from Collymore, particularly over the next 18 months when the team faces South Africa, England and world champions Australia. “I think it was a little unfortunate that Corey was not playing more Test cricket over the last four years because he’s more of a Test bowler than he is a One-day cricketer,” Lara offered. “I think Corey has led this attack tremendously and he understands the game. If you look at him bowl, you know that he knows what he has to do with the ball and his involvement with the youths in the team was great. I think he will be around for a long time — knock wood — if he stays free from injury.”