Hold the Front page! Bill eats his words. In spades. Guyana pulled it off. First match at de Jumbie Stadium and it was a triumph. Bloody good cricket match too. Right down to the wire. Well done all LOCals and well done GL Events too.
**First things first. The traffic cops did well to get everybody there on time. But they got to do something about dem minibuses stopping to pick up clientele on the highway.
*The lacuna hits you in the face; that car park. Walking in Willis’ Wonderland Bill calls it. (He stole the joke and song from Arsenal FC fans). Mud, glorious mud and on a fine day. Manned hymacs at the ready to dig out stuck cars. The car parks are simply not satisfactory LOC, Walter and others. Fix them and fix them overnight!
*Bill has delusions. You might have noticed. He had a private box ticket so he joined the queue at the VIP entrance. Le tout Guyana was there. Naga, Vic, Robert, Basil W, Carl S. You name it they were on the red seats. Not Bill, he was turned away.
*Never mind he had a great time in the Pepsi Box. Courtesy of Yesu Persaud -another old mucker and always, but always, a man of his word. No standing on ceremony there and good company. Bill will be back.
*But Bill is a man of the people. Off to the Party Stand for him. His ear was bent double with complaints. Dem people feel ripped off. $90US to stand in the sun, no seats, just eight drinks and an indifferent lunch. Two feet away the Guyanese are paying $25US for the same minus food and drink. C’mon ICC stop this farce now.
*Bill will write elsewhere about the ICC but there is a big danger in their ‘one size fits all’ policy of them bulldozing countries like Guyana and killing off the goose that laid the golden eggs. The crowds in the stands were sparse; is the ICC really bothered about this or are TV and rights payments their only Gods? Still time to change, Mr Speed. Live up to your name in your decision making. Guyana expects!
*A blown hello and an invite to his ground floor lair from Stadium Supremo Tony Xavier. Slimline Tony-lost 72 pounds he told me. He was serene. The critics (including Bill at times) had been routed. `The rumour mongers – and you know who they are – what they have to say now?’ he bellowed to Bill. But, as to life after CWC, Tony was less than loquacious. ‘We got to get a strategy’ he told me. Ten days and counting but ‘Today made me proud to be Guyanese’ was his farewell riposte. Me too, Tone, me too.
*How the mighty fall. Pony tailed Walter Willis – the Rupert Craig for this century – builder of highways, convention centres and stadia could be seen checking the toilets for leaks and engaging in active two way traffic with ‘Stadium One'(Tony X) on how to deal with it. Leave the bogs guys, head for the loam lacuna. Fix that! Quick!
*On the field, it looked like coasting to Victory for the boys from Boerland then Malinga struck. Bill on his way out stopped to watch with some South Africans, to watch their nails being bitten. Boy dem Boers were relieved at the end. Malinga put the icing on Guyana’s cake that afternoon.
*One man missed the four wicket spell .Oppo politician Basil Williams – Deb’s delight – sought Bill’s help in getting transport from VIPland to his car at 4.00. He was not best pleased when BC suggested he hijack a drinks cart for that very purpose. Necessity is the mother of invention, Bazza,
Like Bill said, he is on a diet of old columns for the next few days. He’s sure, though, that life is not all rosy. This is Guyana. He’ll keep looking and keep reporting it to you. Meanwhile well done Chetti, Oscar, Vic, Karran, Walter, Tony and others. National Awards for these boys Bharrat? Announce it on the day of the West Indies match; think of the PR round the world.
Pip!Pip!
