West Indies series win over England was a deserved reward for steady progress and those who love cricket can only hope it is a watershed moment rather than a freak result.

The way in which West Indies were frequently tested in reply to mammoth England totals and subsequently reacted showed a steel, resolve and mental toughness that has been missing from their game for too long. Whether this new feistiness has derived from Australian coach John Dyson, skipper Chris Gayle or just slowly developed from feelings of hurt at regular defeat, we don’t know. But it’s great to see and will be tested more when West Indies tour England in the coolness of early May.

Many of us were raised during West Indian cricket dominance when flair and cavalier brilliance were a pleasure to watch as opposed to feelings of boredom at an all-conquering force. It is heart-warming to think that their cricket may again be returning to at least a competitive level after a slump so low that many of its former players became ashamed at the nature and frequency of their losses.

West Indies people demand cricketing success like Brazilians do with football and it has been a painful, pride-denting 14 years for the people of the Caribbean since their world crown was removed by Australia.  

It seems ironic that West Indies upturn has coincided with the departure of their best player of the last generation, possibly ever, Brian Lara. Curiously, Gayle’s astute and typically cool-natured leadership is starting to reap rewards along side a team of very good players rather than world beaters, at least at Test level.

Lara played most of his career during one of West Indies lowest periods in their history in terms of results. While his record-breaking form soared the team’s dipped alarmingly. It does show how the loss of such an influential figure can force others to step up and perform when they might sub-consciously have thought previously ‘Brian will get the runs, Brian will get us through’. 

There are now some comforting comparisons starting to develop between this fledgling side that beat England 1-0 over five Tests (or four and a bit) and the side that ruled the world through the 1970s and 1980s under the captaincy of Clive Lloyd and then Viv Richards.

In Gayle, they have a batsman capable of destroying any bowling attack in the world in the same way that the magnificent Gordon Greenidge often would. Gayle’s ability would suggest he should have scored more hundreds, like in the one-day version, but he is still young and should retire eventually with at least 20 Test centuries. Gayle’s opening partner Devon Smith still has much to do, though, before he can even come close to mirroring Desmond Haynes, who opened for 12 years with Greenidge.

Gayle’s predecessor as skipper Ramnaresh Sarwan is certainly no Viv Richards in the middle order but his grace and increasing dependability would certainly compare to the likes of his Guyanese compatriot Alvin Kallicharran, or Larry Gomes. Sarwan is already more prolific in terms of runs scored, by a long way.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul, again, is no destroyer of attacks like Gayle is and Richards was but his consistency over the last two or three years would be as good as any West Indies batsman. Maybe his excellent professionalism, quiet nature and ability to dig his team out of trouble would come closer to the game of Lloyd, who was obviously a heavyweight compared to the featherweight Chanderpaul but batting and Guyanese citizenship is what joins them.

Current wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin enjoyed a breakthrough series against England and although he will have to bat on more challenging batting surfaces than the feather-beds prepared throughout the recent series, he has the game to cope. His keeping was also tidy on bumpy and uneven grounds. He clearly has the potential to emulate Jeff Dujon and countryman Deryck Murray from the golden era.

Meanwhile in the 70s and 80s quality bowling craftsmanship blended with frightening pace often flattened oppositions match after match and Gayle can only dream that he will one day inherit such an embarrassment of riches in terms of fast bowling talent. Realistically it will never happen again as the likes of Joel Garner, Michael Holding, Andy Roberts, Malcolm Marshall, Colin Croft, Winston Davis and later Courtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose and Ian Bishop made for a freakishly successful assembly line.

But what Gayle does have, though, is possibly the fastest bowler in the world right now in Fidel Edwards, who showed England’s often lacklustre bowling that you can trouble batsmen even on flat wickets. He was unlucky not to have taken more wickets. Jerome Taylor’s spell played a huge part in West Indies’ sole win and if he can add more pace to his accuracy and ability to move the ball, he will be very successful for years at the top level. Gayle needs his selectors to unearth another one or two quicks to ensure Edwards and Taylor are not worked too hard. Left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn also showed in the win at Jamaica, when he took eight wickets, that he can perform a Roger Harper-type role but needs to score more runs to go the whole way.  

The lack of a dominant number four continues to trouble Dyson's side. There won't be another Viv Richards but maybe the like of the promising Kieran Powell or the eventual return of the richly talented Marlon Samuels can add a knock-out punch to their jabs in their middle-order. 

It is always cruel to any current West Indies team to make these comparisons because their predecessors were so great, so disciplined and so professional in every way from practice and fitness to being fine ambassdors and role models. 

Conclusively, though, it is a great hurdle cleared by Gayle’s men. But it is the first of many more and they need to keep jumping.

Richard Sydenham is Managing Editor and Owner of Bigstarcricket.com

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