A video that I had been waiting to get my hands on did not disappoint. For someone who grew up listening to heroic achievements of West Indian greats, and idolised their top performers, this movie was a Godsend. I had read about West Indian history and followed their cricket for years, but the movie claimed to provide me with something that I had never quite seen- rare footage of classic match-action and interviews with the best players of a bygone era. The story itself is woven around the tale of how prevalent racism was in the early days of Caribbean cricket, and how important it was for the natives to reclaim their identity. Although it is not clear how many players shared these sentiments, it becomes quite easy to understand that most of them wished to make the cricket field a platform where they could perform and demonstrate to the 'masters' (whites) that they could compete and surpass the best around. The movie traces the roots of cricket in the Caribbean back to the early days of Headley and Constantine till the 1960 series against Australia when Frank Worrell was appointed captain and in effect became the first black captain to lead the West Indies. Cricket remains the only sport where players from all islands, so disparate in nature and way of life, come together and the first instance of this unity was seen under Worrell. Perhaps, more importantly, the West Indies became a far more competitive side intent on erasing the tag of 'Calypso entertainers' who mostly enjoyed the game and did not care much about victory.
The 1960-61 series in Australia was played to full houses and the quality was top-class. Worrell's team was given a ticker-tape farewell in Melbourne and this was the start of an era in which West Indies would go on to become a genuine competitor. However, the form tapered off in the early 1970s and in 1975-76, the West Indians were humiliated 5-1 in Australia. They were stunned by the wild crowds and aggressive fast bowling of Lillee and Thomson. Racist taunts added to the embarrassment. Following a 1-1 draw in the home series against India, Clive Lloyd, who was perilously close to losing his captaincy, embarked on a move that was to revolutionise the game. He chose to pack his side with four fast bowlers who would relentlessly pummel and pepper the opposition with hostile pace and bounce. Tony Greig's unfortunate grovel' remark touched a raw nerve, and West Indies, led by Viv Richards' batting and Michael Holding's blinding pace annihilated England. Packer's World Series Cricket came and went but had a positive effect on the West Indies team who seemed to discover the joy of playing together and winning. England stood no chance any more but the big challenge lay in winning in Australia, something no West Indian team had ever achieved previously. They duly went on to crush Australia unleashing a barrage of short-pitched bowling. The press tried to curtail the use of bouncers and devise tactics to nullify the threat posed by the Caribbean pace bowlers. It was, however, not hostile bowling alone, but a brilliant combination of aggressive bowling and batting which led the West Indies to the top of the world. The icing on the cake came when Lloyd' team won 5-0 in England, an unprecedented achievement. Despite the protests against the bowling, very few had answers to the quality of the West Indies. The film beautifully portrays the rise and provides a strong emphasis on the background of racism and torture that proved to be a motivation for most members of the great team, especially Richards.
For cricket fans in this generation who have grown up wishing to know more about the era when the Caribbean Kings lorded over the cricketing world, the movie is perfect. The DVD is a must-own for a cricket aficionado. It is packed with extra features including interviews with batsmen who faced up to the bowling and an interview with David Frith, the former editor of Wisden, who does not quite approve of the nature of the bowling. Overall, but for a few glitches in the footage, and for the fact that there could have been some more emphasis on the 1960s team, the movie is a great one and one to add to the collection.
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From the Ashes: the story of Ian Botham masterminding England's remarkable comeback in the Ashes 1981
There are very few stories in sport that transcend eras and occupy a place in the list of immortal achievements. One such is the story of Ian Botham's outstanding performances in the Ashes series in 1981 when he, almost singlehandedly, took England to the promised land from a position where they stood no chance whatsoever.
The movie considers the political situation in England and talks about the unrest prevalent at that time. Innumerable strikes and violence were rife in England in the first few months of 1981 and there was very little that could be done to improve the mood of the nation. The focus shifts to the cricket where the picture was gloomy too. Botham, who had been offered captaincy at the young age of 24, struggled for impact against the powerful West Indies and his captaincy was hanging by a thread as England took on Australia in the series that mattered. Dropped catches and ordinary bowling led to a defeat in the first Test and in the second Test (Botham's last chance to redeem himself), Australia were denied victory by the rain. Botham's form, however, was in the doldrums as he was dismissed for a pair, lasting just three balls in the match. Onto the third Test and Botham was replaced as captain by the scholarly Mike Brearley, who was described by the opposition as someone who could not bat, bowl or field. But lead he could! Brearley seemed to strike a chord perfectly with his beleaguered team mates and when Botham and Willis were chosen to play, England had hope. Quickly, the hope disappeared when Australia racked up over 400 and shot England out for just 174 with only Botham scoring a half-century. Australia enforced the follow on and England were on the ropes at 105/5 when Botham walked in. The movie packs the sequence with excellent interviews. Gideon Haigh, Kim Hughes (the Australian captain), Rodney Marsh among others have painted a picture which seems to bring the series to life. Botham, joined by Graham Dilley at 135/7, decided to enjoy himself, and with nothing to lose, swung away merrily at the bowling. Soon, the situation turned grim for Australia, and they were left chasing 130 for a 2-0 win. Botham's extraordinary 149* was indeed the stuff of dreams, and Bob Willis, who until the start of the game, was hardly a certainty to play, lit up the stage with a superb display of 8/43 to bowl Australia out for 111. England had won after following on and the nation was on its feet.
In the next Test at Edgbaston, Botham was central to a heist as he picked up five wickets for one run to snuff out Australia's chase when they seemed well on course for an easy win. Australia never recovered and Botham cracked another hundred at Old Trafford to crush Australia 3-1. The movie is narrated superbly and the story has been presented interestingly. After hearing for years about the drama of July-August 1981 and Botham's greatness, it is time to see it for real. Another great DVD to add to the colelction!
