SAM MORSHEAD IN BARBADOS: For many, this is their first visit. Until now, Barbados’ famous old stadium has been a prop in a TV drama thousands of miles from their living rooms, the place legends called home. Now, suddenly, it’s very real...
Barbados. 7am. The sun rises hot above a line of palm trees along the island’s southern coast; the stunning sight underscored by the patter, patter, thud of early-morning runners’ feet on the boardwalk.
Today is the first day of a mammoth six months for England’s white-ball cricketers.
It is 9.30am. The crowds are building outside the Kensington Oval. Traffic is stuck. Throngs of English fans queue like sheep through wire mesh pens to pass security and get the first glimpse of the ground.
For many, this is their first visit. Until now, Barbados’ famous old stadium has been a prop in a TV drama thousands of miles from their living rooms, the place legends called home. Now, suddenly, it’s very real.
Barbados. 7am. Today is a good day. pic.twitter.com/9If1GZyH6k
— Sam Morshead (@SamMorshead_) February 20, 2019
There is history seeped into every brick and every peeling roof tile; the names of great men printed onto the side of stands: Garner, Marshall, Hall, Griffith, Greenidge, Cozier, Weekes, Worrell.
It is worth taking a minute to pause and breathe it all in, to think of the great things that have happened in this iconic arena. It is a bucket list place, after all.
10.30am. The toss. Jason Holder, the West Indies captain, wins and chooses to bat. There is excitement among the locals – most of them crammed into the cheaper seats in the Greenidge & Haynes Stand square of the wicket – at the prospect of Chris Gayle taking England to task.
In much of the rest of the stadium, travelling supporters have planted their flags. Quite literally. A patchwork quilt of St George’s Crosses layers one half of the ground, pinned to railings with wire, string and cable ties. It feels invasive, even if well-intentioned.
Great #stfc representation at the Kensington Oval today. Who's responsible? pic.twitter.com/EQWSq8bnNq
— Sam Morshead (@SamMorshead_) February 20, 2019
Kensington Oval is close to capacity. It is a wonderful collection of hodge-podge construction; the modern Three Ws standing tall above the cauldron of the Greenidge-Haynes. Between them sits the old reliable Hall-Griffith, its winding stone staircase taking patrons to a raised platform at wide long-on where a heavy-duty PA system pumps out high-decibel appeals for drivers to return to abandoned cars.
The announcer’s words rumble through green plastic seats and into the bones.
"Would the driver of WA5761 please move their vehicle from the area of the Esso filling station."
Windies start well, John Campbell and Shai Hope making up for Gayle’s timid start. The sun is high in the sky, there is barely a cloud. A happy breeze whips in off the Caribbean to cool burning skin, as the faces of the tourists begin to mirror the colour and pattern of their flags.
Shai Hope scored an impressive half-century
At noon, another gust gathers up the smells from the Caribbean comfort food stalls in the concourse and ferries them around the stadium. Curries and jerk chicken and fish cakes and rice and peas… somewhat different to the burgers back home.
ECB chief executive Tom Harrison is tempted, too, and joins the scrum for chicken and chips with his wife and daughters.
Bars sell bottles of Red Stripe and miniature cans of Heineken, and the bright orange rum punch – sweet and toxic - is popular with English fans. Queuing is wonderfully haphazard.
It is coming up to 2pm and Gayle is into his stride, clearing the roofs of the Media Centre and Greenidge-Haynes with extraordinary ease.
Chris Gayle watches another ball disappear over the stands
The locals delight, England fans gawp in awe. West Indies hit their highest ever total in the Caribbean and the most sixes by any side in an ODI innings. Gayle now has the most maximums in international cricket, too. It is an historic knock.
Still, the sense is that the hosts are only just over par, with one short boundary made even shorter by the substantial backwind.
By 4pm, with Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy having laid the foundations for a remarkably simple chase, there is little doubt among travelling supporters that England will go on to win.
Roy is at his bullish best, swiping and swinging his way to a 65-ball century. He plays a defensive shot to just one of those deliveries.
"Why isn’t he opening in Tests?" asks one fan. Most seem to agree. Watch this space.
Jason Roy scored a 65-ball century
It is 5.30pm and Roy has his century. An American family, investigating cricket for the first time on a holiday to Barbados, stop at the top of the Hall-Griffith for a family photo. They could not have been blessed with a more entertaining introduction to our sport; it only gets worse from here, folks.
Roy is livid with himself when eventually he skews up a catch off Devendra Bishoo but he has put England into a position from which victory is almost inevitable. The stadium stands for the Surrey man on his walk off. It seems like Roy is fighting between swallowing the adulation and focusing on the disappointment of his dismissal.
At 7.10pm, with the floodlights in full effect, Jos Buttler squirts his first ball through midwicket for four. England have won, it is their highest ever ODI run chase; a piece of history in a place of history.
Punters file out into the night, past empty vats of lamb stew and bare fridges, and along warm concrete into the centre of Bridgetown, indelible memories complete.
FIRST ODI TALKING POINTS