The first Test Match that I ever saw live was at Bourda in 1968. That, rather than revolution, was what excited me most that year
My excitement was intense. We had to get to the ground early to secure a seat. The weather was gorgeous
My first shock was the wicket. It looked like a sheet of glass shining under the sun. Up until that moment I had truly thought - without ever really thinking about it - that cricket fields were green all over
But up till then my only experiences of watching first class cricket were via grainy 425 line black & white tv or Pathe newsreels at the cinema
So many memories of that match. But the most enduring was & is Clive Lloyd
Funnily enough I cant remember him batting in that match
What I do remember is his fielding in the covers. With his long reach & lithe form, he made me think of a panther. He didnt seem to even have to move much from the spot, just pounced
In truth, I didnt know very much about cricket then. I understood 4s & 6s & fast bowlers running in, but that was it. Didnt even usually know where the ball had gone to without the camera to guide me. But watching Clive Lloyd made me really understand for the first time that there really was a lot more to this game, a lot that would provide hours of absorbing entertainment. Even a tussle between Lance Gibbs & Geoffrey Boycott
Of course that was before Clives knees went. In later years I came to think of him more as Paddington Bear, with his hat & glasses & rather shambling gait when walking to the wicket
And what a batsman. I shall certainly never forget his innings at the World Cup Final in 1975
