The history of Test cricket at Sabina Park is replete with devastation wreaked by lethal fast bowlers.
Jerome Taylor’s sensational five for 11 from nine overs in the searing heat yesterday that led to the disintegration of England’s second innings for 51 all out and defeat by an innings and 43 runs placed him in the company of Manny Martindale, Wes Hall, John Snow and Steve Harmison who, in different generations, had similarly humiliated opposition batting with their pace and controlled aggression.
Harmison’s damage was the most recent and, to all West Indians and, more especially the five on the field who were involved in it, the most painful.
It was the tall Englishman, with his steep bounce, who blasted out seven West Indies batsmen for 12 puny runs and toppled them for their lowest Test total, 47 all out, in the corresponding Test five years ago.
Even if he fell, not to Taylor but to left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn, it was fitting that he was the last wicket that placed an exclamation mark to England’s third lowest total in all Tests. It was just ahead of their 45 against Australia at Sydney 112 years ago and their 46 against the West Indies at the Queen’s Park Oval in 1994 when Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh were their wreckers.
It could well have fallen short of such minimal targets had not Chris Gayle, wisely choosing not to extend his fast bowling treasure beyond nine overs, removed him at 26 for seven and sent him to relax in the outfield while others finished the business.
Martindale’s seven wickets in West Indies initial Test victory over England in 1930 and his breaking of opposing captain Bob Wyatt’s jaw was always spoken of in awe by oldtimers here.
Hall’s explosive, six-wicket burst in 1960 when he shattered Peter May’s off-stump in half with a delivery of unseen speed is remembered with awe by those who witnessed it. So was Snow’s pinning of the great Garry Sobers lbw with a first ball shooter in the course of his seven for 49 eight years later.
Harmison’s is fresh in the memory but was largely assuaged by Taylor yesterday. It was a burst and, above all, two special deliveries they will be talking about long after he gone to wherever present-day cricketers will head in their retirement.
Running in from the northern end with a fleetness and rhythm absent in the first innings and generating pace in the high 80 miles an hour, Taylor quickly despatched the left-handed openers, Alistair Cook and captain Andrew Strauss, with perfectly pitched balls angled across them that found the outside edge.
At 11 for two, England’s batsman-in-chief, Kevin Pietersen, strutted to the middle, 97 against his name in the first innings, US$1.55 million on his Indian Premier League (IPL) contract with his agent and self-confidence obvious in his every stride.
A single to cover second ball got him off the mark and brought him to Taylor’s end for a new over. The first ball was fast and of full length. It started its path on a leg-stump line and Pietersen shaped to play it towards mid-wicket.
As he did so, it suddenly swung in the air towards off-stump. Already committed, it was too late for any adjustment. Pietersen’s fate was sealed and, effectively, so was England’s.
There is a stroke that has become a trademark of his, punched through the on-side with back foot in the air and called the “Flamingo”. This time, the only things flying through the air were his off-stump, the joyous bowler, ten other West Indians on the field and a few thousand beyond it.
Next on the agenda was Paul Collingwood, a cricketer renowned for his doggedness.
To the first ball of Taylor’s next over, he was so deceived by an off-cutter – for the Jamaican was, throughout, mixing finger-spun off-cutters with seam-up outswingers – that he ran through for one to fine leg off the inside edge. He was completing what he reckoned would be a second when fielders had to draw to his attention that the leg-bail was dislodged and he had, in fact, been bowled. Enter Matt Prior at 23 for five. The feisty wicket-keeper’s first innings 64 was confident batting that spoke of a batsman in form. It would take something special to dislodge him and Taylor had it for him, as he had done for Pietersen. But there was a different twist.
Prior carefully kept out his first three balls. For his fourth, Taylor dragged his fingers down on the ball on delivery and the off-cutter landed just where he wanted it to.
The batsman’s forward defence was copy-book perfect except the ball was not where he was defending. It passed to uproot the off-stump.
By now, Sabina was in an uproar. The last time it had seen such mayhem, five years ago, it was cause for tears and despondency. Now the tormentors then, were themselves being tormented. The joy was unrestrained. The incredible outcome was only a matter of time and, with the second Test starting on Friday, Gayle paid heed to Taylor’s delicate calf muscle, gave him his leave and allowed the others to complete the job.
Benn collected three of the remaining four wickets to finish with four in the innings and eight in the match. It is eons since any West Indian spinner has claimed as many in a Test, not least because none has had the chance.
It was another significant factor in a match in which Taylor’s was simply a fantastic finale to an outstanding team performance.
