West Indies quick Shamar Joseph celebrates his side’s victory in the second test against Australia in Brisbane this week. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
People like Shamar Joseph have a lot to answer for.
Life gave him lemons and limes and he turned them into makeshift cricket balls and revived a fading cricket empire.
His overnight rise from security guard to world-beater is the reason so many of us still buy into the dream.
Maybe we will wake up and discover we are Don Bradman or Richard Hadlee too.
He woke up and he was Michael Holding.
Actually, he woke up with a really sore toe. So sore he thought his game was done.
The doctor showed up, gave him some pills and the captain told him to get out there.
He couldn’t. He didn’t even take his gear to the Gabba. Someone had to go back to the hotel and get it for him so he could take his place in history.
The kid who had once practised with lemons and limes was about to stun the cricketing world.
He sliced through the Australian line-up with seven for 68 in an incredible unbroken spell of 11.5 overs. His spell secured the West Indies their first test win in Australia in 27 years. Wonderful.
Crease bound
Hawke’s Bay successfully defended the Hawke Cup against Manawatū at the weekend. All power to them.
But the amount of first-class players involved in that fixture really makes you question who that competition is actually for.
The Bay had five first-class players in their top six — Jack Boyle, Brad Schmulian, Liam Dudding, Will Clark and Bayley Wiggins. Schmulian has a first-class double ton. Manawatū had Curtis Heaphy, Dane Cleaver, Bevan Small and Ray Toole in the line-up.
Cleaver has played one ODI and nine T20s for the Black Caps. It is understandable to want your first-class players playing high-level cricket as often as they can.
But the Hawke Cup ought to be reserved as an aspirational pathway for club players.
Clubbing it
Otago Cricket Association chairman Russell Mawhinney has a big challenge ahead. He is off to climb Mot Kilimanjaro this month. This is how he described it.
"In a fit of insanity I decided to hike up Mt Kilimanjaro ... In a fit of inspiration I decided to use the hike to raise money to help young cricketers so I’d be very very grateful if you could see fit to donate to the cause via the givealittle page.
"I get that it’s not a cure for cancer but I totally believe in cricket (in fact, sport, full stop) to teach people about life.
Helping our young people achieve their dreams is a hugely important thing in my mind."
A worthy cause. Good luck, Russell. Come back in one piece.
The declaration
Thanks Shamar.
