The forgotten masterpiece
From 23A The Caribbean season
Lara’s monumental achievements between 18th April and 23rd June overshadowed the fact that there had been a first class season in the Caribbean where his record-breaking exploits were just as historic. After their disappointing 1993 Red Stripe Cup season, when they finished bottom of the table with four losses and one draw in five matches, Lara was reinstated as captain of Trinidad and Tobago, after having been replaced in 1991.
In the opening fixture against the Windward Islands, 7 – 10, January, at Mindoo Phillip Park in Castries, St Lucia, Lara’s contributions were minuscule, five and 28, as Trinidad limped home by one wicket. In the second round, 14 – 16 January, at Sturge Park, Montserrat, Trinidad was humiliated by the Leeward Islands by an innings and 110 runs within three days, with Lara scoring two and 84. Back home, Trinidad beat Jamaica by three wickets in the next round, 21 – 24, January, at the Queen’s Park Oval. Scores: Jamaica, 206 & 217; Trinidad, 257 & 167 for seven. Lara, 180 and 23. Fourth round, Trinidad defeated Guyana by 78 runs, 28 – 31 January, at Guaracara Park, Pointe-aPierre. Scores: Trinidad, 178 & 302; Guyana, 282 & 200. Lara, 18 & 169. Final round, Trinidad hosted Barbados, 4 – 7, February, at the Queen’s Park Oval. Scores: Trinidad, 435; Lara, 206.
Barbados, 198 & 240 for five. Match drawn.
With Lara securing the Man-of-theMatch award in the final three matches, Trinidad ended in the runner-up position with 56 points, behind the Leewards’ 61 points for the Red Stripe Trophy. With an aggregate of 715 runs, Lara regained the region’s annual first class tournament’s record, which he had previously held for a week in 1991, before Barbadian Desmond Haynes had surpassed it with an aggregate of 654. On 13th April, as West Indies slumped to defeat in the Fourth Test at the Kensington Oval (In Search of West Indies Cricket, 17th September, 2023 – The Fall of Kensington Fortress), when Lara reached 44 in the second innings, he surpassed Lawrence Rowe’s 1974 record aggregate of 1,117 runs in a first class season in the West Indies. Lara, thanks to his stroke-filled 375, pushed the final tally to an astronomical 1, 513 at an average of 89.00.
The masterpiece
As had earlier been predicted by the pundits and former great players, Sir Garry included, Lara ascended to unprecedented heights in 1994, somewhat sooner than expected. The 501-run innings was a mind-boggling achievement in terms of the sheer mental and physical energy and concentration required. However, there was another innings which ranks right up there, as regards the heights Lara ascended to a generation ago. Unlike the well documented – there is a host of books, audio and video recordings – England v West Indies Test series and the English County Championship season, only a single archive (beyond newspaper reports) in this instance, survives for posterity, the scorekeeper’s scorecard.
It was the third round of the Red Stripe Cup, Trinidad and Tobago hosting Jamaica at the Queen’s Park Oval. In hindsight, it was probably the earliest sign of things to come. I
t was the height of Carnival Season in Trinidad and Tobago, Carnival Monday, which coincided with Valentine’s Day that year, was exactly three weeks away from the first day’s play, 21st January. Just a few hundred spectators showed up, there were no television cameras, and for the first time in living memory no radio station relayed live commentary of the match.
Lara arrived at the wicket at seven minutes past four on the second day of the match, with his side in trouble at 38 for two, replying to Jamaica’s first innings score of 206. By the close, Trinidad was in dire straits at 106 for six, with Lara, 49 not out. Any hope Trinidad had rested on Lara’s tiny shoulders, as their other West Indies’ player, Phil Simmons was out with an injury, as were two other experienced members of the side, batsman Ken Williams, and fast bowler Eugene Antoine.
The next day, Lara dominated the proceedings whilst shielding the tail. Of the 219 runs scored whilst Lara was at the wicket, 180 came from his bat, 70.03 percent of the overall total of 257. One has to resort to the annals of the previous century in West Indies first class cricket history, when E F Wright scored 123 out of Demerara’s total of 168 against Barbados at the Parade Ground, Georgetown, in September, 1882 to find a comparison.
Lara faced 249 balls before his innings ended when he holed out to long-off, attempting a second successive six off West Indies ODI representative, leg spinner Robert Haynes. Lara’s eight partners all together faced 120 deliveries, as he farmed the bowling, chipping the ball like a golfer over the heads of the drawn in fieldsmen trying to prevent the single at the end of the over.
The five other batsmen on the second day contributed 12, whilst Lara garnered another 131 runs. Jamaican Captain Jimmy Adams was at his wit’s end to contain his fellow West Indies middle-order batsman, despite having Courtney Walsh, up and coming West Indies fast bowler Franklyn Rose, and offspinner Nehemiah Perry at his disposal. An inspired Trinidad team rallied around Lara, who only managed 23 in the second innings, to win by three wickets.
All we have is a scorecard to stare at like a piece of art painted by one of the old masters, shades of Picasso and Rembrandt. Like an artist stretching his canvas, Lara took his time to get off the mark. No rush, 19 balls. Like the hallowed, time-honoured steps they followed: Imprimatura (the ‘first paint layer’ in Italian), transferring the drawing, underpainting, dead colour layer, colour layer, glazing and varnish, Lara wielded his bat like a brush; slowly, purposefully building an innings amidst the rubble. It was akin to being in the presence of a maestro. There were shapes everywhere and blinding colour. There were hues, tones and shadows. There were layers. There was light.
There was harmony in the flash of Lara’s Gray-Nicolls blade, as the ball bisected the well-placed field on the way to the boundary ropes 24 times. Morale rose in the Trinidad dressing room, as the players were lifted on the wings of Lara’s Pegasus. It was the dawn of a new era.
David Holford, former West Indies allrounder, first cousin of Sir Garry, and at the time Chairman of the Selectors was on hand to witness the match and described it as an “incredible performance. He reduced the game to a farce. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Aftermath
Lara was robbed at gun-point on 17th February when he returned to Port-ofSpain for his brother-in-law’s funeral in between the first ODI and the First Test versus England. Lara, and his former Fatima College Captain, and Trinidad and Tobago teammate, Michael Carew, were returning to Joey Carew’s home in the Port-of-Spain suburb of Woodbrook, when they were held up. Lara’s gear, which was in the boot of the car, was later returned.