All I see - is washed away

PL on how Australia bounces back to have Windies 4-57 after being bowled out for 180 earlier in the day

KENSINGTON OVAL, BRIDGETOWN, DAY ONE

A day as worrisome for Australia’s hopeful inclusions as it was wonderful for the West Indies quicks.

To get into Kensington Oval, you must walk past a trio of magnificent statues celebrating legends of the past. The Right Excellent Sir Garfield Sobers is flanked on either side by Sir Charles Christopher Griffith and the Reverend Sir Wesley Winfield Hall.

Gary caught in full flow, Wes loading up, and Charlie in follow-through.

Inside, the stands, pavilion and ends celebrate the careers of Worrell, Weekes, Walcott, Hall, Griffith, Sobers, Greenidge, Haynes, Garner, Marshall and so on.

Clive Lloyd, Lance Gibbs, Andy Roberts, Alvin Kallicharan, Desmond Haynes, Deryck Murray, Wes Hall and Charlie Griffith were all live and in attendance on the first day. The legends are in town as part of a celebration of the 1975 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup that’s been held in Bridgetown this week.

Saddened, though they must be by the decline in standards of the game in the Caribbean, the men from a better time must have been heartened by the efforts of Jayden Seales and Shamar Joseph, who exploited a difficult pitch and combined for nine wickets to dismiss the visiting Australians for 180 runs.

Of course, the game was far from over; indeed, the day itself wasn’t done. Given 20 overs to reply, the three Australian bowlers who might one day be celebrated outside the SCG as the above trio are at Kensington, had reduced the opposition to 4-57.

Mitchell Starc had openers Kraigg Brathwaite (4) and John Campbell (7) in for an early shower. Pat Cummins produced one of those wonderful deliveries that jump up at a batsman like a dog at a postman, the mailman being, in this case, Keacy Carty (20). The decision by captain Roston Chase to send in Jomel Worrican (0) proved to be a poor one when Josh Hazlewood ducked one through the slow bowler’s defences.

David Bowie, Changes

Still don't know what I was waiting for
And my time was running wild, a million dead-end streets
Every time I thought I'd got it made
It seemed the taste was not so sweet
So I turned myself to face me
But I've never caught a glimpse
Of how the others must see the faker
I'm much too fast to take that test

[Chorus]
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes (Turn and face the strange)

The day dawned fresh and full of promise for the most recent inclusions into the Australian batting line-up. Chastened by his time on the outside, Sam Konstas returned to the opening line-up having been given time to curb his enthusiasm. The new first drop, Cameron Green, was back for his second bite of the cherry in that hallowed position. And, Josh Inglis, a man many have earmarked for great things, had slotted in to where the injured Steve Smith would have been.

The future was at hand.

Sometimes, you open the bedroom curtains in the morning to find the birds singing and the sky blue, but by the time you get off the bus in your summer-est of clothes, things have taken a ghastly turn.

And, so it proved to be for the hopeful trio on the first day of the first Test at Kingston.