Is the corner in sight?

West Indies have turned the corner!

How many times have we heard this statement before, only to realise one match later, that the corner was still some distance away?

Deservingly, kudos have been pouring in for Jason Holder’s team and its committed performance that saw a four-wicket win in the first Test at Southampton, which ended on Sunday.

Mercifully, the critics and analysts have desisted from the oft-repeated promise that the fortunes of West Indies cricket are about to return to the glory days of the 80s and 90s when winning a Test series was almost a foregone conclusion under the successive leadership of Clive Lloyd and Sir Viv Richards.

Yet there is enough in that victory over the weekend to suggest that West Indians should feel a sense of optimism heading into the next two matches, the first starting at the famed Old Trafford ground in Manchester on Thursday.

There were outstanding individual performances, of course, from Gabriel and Holder with the ball, and of course, the batting of Blackwood in the second innings, all of which deserve the praise that has been heaped on them.

But the singular most important sign emerging from the just over four days of cricket played, in my humble view was the team effort – the spirit of understanding that suggested that each individual knew exactly what his role was and performed according to the situation.

Although Holder and Gabriel shared the ten first-innings wickets, both Roach and Joseph did what was required of them when given the ball.

And when West Indies batted in the first innings, one sensed that the plan was to ensure a lead of at least 100, with every batsman supporting the cause.

We have grown accustomed to watching our team throw away situations of ascendency with lack of thought or simply bad cricket, and although there were moments when things got tough in the England second innings, there was a calmness of approach that always suggested that West Indies would prevail.

That attitude was definitely needed after our first four batsmen were in the pavilion with less than 50 on the board in the run chase. To be honest, our recent records did not inspire confidence.

But Chase continues to prove that he understands his role. He is a level headed young man who is already proving invaluable to this team.

His partnership with Blackwood was decisive, and although his dismissal would have put some butterflies in many stomachs, Dowrich and Blackwood showed no fear of the English attack. 

Blackwood appears to have a love for English bowling, averaging 55 against them. He has scored 605 in 14 innings with a century and three fifties. Against all the other teams combined, he has averaged just 24 in 22 Tests. He has faced an average of 68.42 balls per innings against England compared to just 41.24 against other teams. He averages 42 in England, his best in any country.

His dismissal in the same manner in both innings, particularly in the second, was regrettable but he will definitely learn from his mistakes and I expect him to reach three figures before this series is over.

One cannot help but feel that the team management has a lot to do with the outcome of this first Test. The Simmons/Holder combination will only get stronger so those looking for the corner may not have too long to wait to see and experience it. 

The West Indies will have a tougher fight on their hands in the second Test with Joe Root, the inspirational England captain returning to lead his team and provide the backbone of their batting.

Before the series started, it was largely felt that both teams possessed excellent bowling attacks, and the team that batted best, would obviously prevail.

The West Indies batsmen have shown that they can handle the English bowling. They need to show that capacity again in the next two Tests, where I am sure Anderson, Archer and company will only get better.

England appear to have a bogey in first Test matches. They have lost the first Test in eight of their last 10 multi-match series. Since 2019, they lost the first Test in Bridgetown, then the first Test of home Ashes at Edgbaston, first Test at Mount Maunganui and in Centurion before the defeat in the first Test of this series.

Can they bounce back? I am going to be bold enough to suggest that even if they do, it will not be against a West Indies team that will lie down and die.

Commitment and fight were the qualities that were on display in this first Test. That would have brought on confidence and the Holder/Simmons combination, I am sure will not let go of that lightly.

Ironically if the DRS was not in place, the possibility of the West Indies winning this match would have almost been nil. 

Shamelessly there were nine, yes nine umpire decisions that were overturned by the use of the DRS. West Indies overturned seven of them, out of the 14 times they appealed for the DRS. England were successful only twice in eight attempts. Five of Richard Illingworth’s decisions were overturned and four of Richard Kettleborough’s. Both were challenged by the DRS 11 times each.

It would appear that as far as the umpires go, the benefit of the doubt belongs to England.

I don’t expect an easy match in Manchester but I do expect a competitive game in which the West Indies as a team will show fight, commitment and emerge with enough rewards to firmly suggest that the corner is indeed, a stone’s throw away.