Lives in Cricket No 30 - MJK Smith

60 for six, of which Parks helped himself to 183. For the final Test West Indies added an extra fast bowler to their attack, awarding a first cap to Charlie Griffith, who had caused Mike so much distress in the Barbados match. Acting skipper Colin Cowdrey led from the front with 119. He was well supported with 76 from Dexter, and useful contributions from Barrington and Parks helped England reach 393. Needing to win the match to square the series, West Indies were held up by rain and their efforts to cut loose were frustrated by tight bowling and fielding before Alexander chose to declare at 338 for eight on the fourth evening. His enterprise was immediately rewarded with the wicket of Cowdrey for a duck. With two days remaining, England closed on 18 for one, the match still far from safe. Nightwatchman Allen and Pullar extended their stand to 66, but after Pullar was out for 54 at 102, there was a struggle against the spin of Ramadhin and Sobers. Subba Row and Barrington both fell cheaply, bringing Mike in to join Dexter at 145 for five. Only three runs later he saw his partner, who had already been dropped twice, embark on what proved to be a suicidal run. When Parks joined Mike, England had only four wickets to fall and led by just 203. Since his 108 in the first match at Port of Spain Mike had achieved little in the Tests. With scores of 12, 0, 10, 0, 23 and 20, he was far from cementing a place in the side, the two ducks, both bowled Hall, providing further evidence of his vulnerability to the early yorker. Fortuitously Hall had now strained his left side and was virtually unable to bowl, but this still left Watson and the debutant Griffith to test the incoming batsman. Both were widely believed to have suspect actions, and Mike felt he had faced balls of questionable legality when Griffith had undone him in the match against Barbados. He now reflects on the problems this kind of bowling posed: ‘Basically you have less indication of what is coming from a chucker. When someone pinged it at you, you picked it up later than was otherwise the case. So, as far as I was concerned, it was faster.’ Illegal actions had been a problem in Australia and remained so in the Caribbean. Wes Hall’s action was impeccable, but many of the other fast bowlers MCC encountered in the Caribbean, such as Charlie Stayers of British Guiana, were branded chuckers by the tourists. Perhaps Alexander missed a trick in not reverting to pace as soon as Mike came in, but the spinners had given West Indies their advantage and they continued to pose problems. Ironically it was only when the new ball was taken, with both batsmen well set, In the glare of the Caribbean