Performance of the Day

The PotD often goes to a player whose work may be overlooked by the headline writers, but the Trumpet makes no excuse for picking the obvious candidate today. Joyful West Indians have been about as rare as Test cricketers from St Lucia, but, as our photo shows (right, Getty Images) Darren Sammy manages to press both those buttons simultaneously.

This writer has long contested (especially during late-night Ashes blogging) that it is a myth to claim that a team has to "take" 20 wickets to win a Test: a minority of wickets are taken; most batsmen get themselves out through errors or recklessness. But building pressure certainly speeds batsmen into such errors, as does putting the ball on the spot. Darren Sammy, on debut, with his Tour captain already back home, even his wicketkeeper off injured and his team ridiculed in the field, ran up and wobbled the ball about there-or-thereabouts. He fully deserved his 7-66 figures, his extravagant bow and his match ball as well as the goodwill of all cricket followers desperate for this totally outclassed West Indies team to compete.

I'll be very surprised if he takes seven wickets in a Test innings again, but, from what we see of the young man's spirit, it won't be for the want of trying. [The Tooting Trumpet]