A Warriors, Windies weekend

Then I realised that the Soca Warriors were due to play against Wales, in Austria, on Saturday, at about noon, our time. Now, I know that when the Indian tour was being planned, there was no knowledge of us playing a football match in Europe.

In fact, the cricket tour was planned, I am sure, long before the Warriors even qualified to be in Europe.

But, as the star that is Trinidad and Tobago’s sports keeps rising, the scheduling of the cricket on a Friday and a Sunday became very fortuitous indeed. As you read this today, whether at the Oval, or at home waiting to watch the Windies on television, we will already have played the fourth ODI and the football match against Wales.

How did we-Windies and Warriors-fare? (Windies won, the Warriors lost 2-1).

Well, the build-up for the cricket this past week has been unbelievable. First in Jamaica, the nail-biting loss to India, followed the very next day by that astonishing win. I was in Grande Riviere, listening on the radio, and at the end, getting the remarks of the commentators about Lara’s choice to bowl the final over.

Their criticism mounted with the first two deliveries, the first edged for four, the batsman not in command, the second driven to the boundary. As Dwayne Bravo delivered the his third ball the commentator totally “lost it”, and between the static (in spite of the fishing wire I had strung to try to improve the reception ) and the background noise, including the shouts drifting down from the bar in the village, I knew we had won.

I did not know how, but I knew we had.

Have you ever had cause for great celebration and you were absolutely alone? For me this was the third time-and I should have been able to deal with it, but I was not. In 1965, I was at University in Houston, stone broke, a day before registration for the next semester closed. Alone and depressed, I almost did not answer the ringing phone — I did not feel to talk to anyone.

When I picked it up, it was the university calling to tell me I had been awarded a scholarship, for which I had not even applied! I just sat there for about two hours before my flat-mate arrived, to ask me why I was just sitting there.

In mid-1981, I was at home all alone when an uncle called, to ask if I had heard the news? What news? I asked. Prime Minister George Chambers had just announced that his government was halting work on Johnny O’Halloran’s Caroni Horse Racing Com-plex.

I ran out on to the lawn and shouted — I don’t know what — at the sky. The neighbour called to ask if I was alright.

And now this fantastic victory, and no one to embrace, with whom to share the moment. This time I tried to share, and to find out more. I called home. It had not even rung once when she answered: “Yes! Yes! Yesss!!!”. I put on my coldest voice: “What are you doing, and with whom?”

“Bravo”, she shouted, “Dwayne Bravo bowl him down!” Then she told me what had happened.

On Tuesday the Windies were in St Kitts, and the Warriors were in Austria. Work prevented following the cricket ball-by-ball. However I stopped for lunch at Veni Mange Restaurant, which, if you did not know, is also a Shrine to Brian Lara.

I sat at the bar where the TV is located and where other devotees sit. I watched the Windies skittle India from 204 for four to 246 for nine at the end. Again, Brian was criticised, for giving the ball to Sarwan.

One over later (and one run and one wicket) it was a brilliant stratagem. By the time I got home in the evening, there were ten overs to go — or seventy something runs. Once again the fortunes swung back and forth. She arrived home with just three overs left, and we faced the tension together.

At last, just when there was reason to doubt, Sarwan stroked the winning boundary. This time I could share the celebration.

Then, as a little icing on the cake, came the news of the Warriors win over Club Vienna Austria, in a match which was just a training session. Still, it was good to hear that it was an easy win, and more importantly, there were no injuries reported.

Then, just to keep us all close to the distant Warriors, Channel 4 showed the whole of the match — TT vs Iceland, played in London in February. So we all went to sleep, with cricket and football victories in our hearts and in our dreams.

As I write this, I am not sure that I can be in the Oval on Friday for kick-off... oops, for first ball.

My wife claims that I need to roll the pitch or mark the field. I am one of those sports fans who needs to be in the venue before the first vibes start to flow.

I am enchanted by the build-up, from empty stadium, to when the teams walk out.