This evening, I watched Will I. Am carrying the Olympic torch through the Taunton throng before entering the County Ground through the Garner Gates. How the current Windies (and indeed Somerset) side could do with the Big Bird in full flight! Kemar Roach fluttered his feathers briefly this morning but ultimately to no avail.
At least it wasn't the slaughter that we might have expected but, for all the West Indies' welcome display of grit and determination, England just had too much quality where it mattered. Alastair Cook and Ian Bell steadied a rocky ship and cruised to a five-wicket victory.
The First Test of the summer will be remembered for Andrew Strauss' first Test century since God knows when and Stuart Broad's eleven wickets, including that first innings 7-72 which is his best for England to date. Anderson, Bresnan and Swann played their part but young Broad busted in from the Nursery End and nabbed the wickets. This was the first 'ten-for' at Lord's by an Englishman since Ian Botham in the '70s, and by anyone at HQ since Courtney Walsh twelve years ago. And the West Indies lost that match as well!
Not only has Broad boosted his own stock at Test level but his performance has again proved how England's attack possesses such variety that anyone could be a matchwinner. Of course, at the moment Bresnan only has to step onto the field to guarantee victory, although that surely can't continue forever. It was a good game for Ian Bell, too. Like Strauss, the knives were being sharpened but, as with Cook just a few years ago, he produced the goods with his back against the wall, if you forgive the muddle of metaphors. Jonny Bairstow had a so-so debut, scoring only 16, taking a catch and running out Edwards for a duck, but deserves another chance, even if Bopara recovers from his injury.
So what about Darren Sammy's team? Marlon Samuels showed some guts in the second innings, Roach threatened to cause an upset towards the end but the rest of the cracks were papered over by the phenomenon that is Shivnarine Chanderpaul. He may not be pretty to watch but his attitude, focus and ability to build an innings should serve as a model for any aspiring young cricketer. Of course, most would prefer to follow not in his footsteps but of Chris Gayle's. However, Chanderpaul is the world's number one Test cricketer, better than Tendulkar, Sehwag, Ponting, Cook, Smith et al. He added 178 runs to his formidable career aggregate and it took a missed sweep off Swann to dismiss him with the 425th ball he faced in the match. Get him out early in the next Test and I bet the rest of the team will fold. I hope not, though, because we need some good entertaining cricket. Or, as Will I Am himself might put it, some Boom Boom Pow!
