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BY BRYAN DAVIS

IN 1970, Trinidad and Tobago won the cricket championship of the West Indies. It was the fourth year that the Shell Oil Company had sponsored the event, which was the first-class competition of the West Indian territorial teams. In 1966, Shell began their sponsorship that became known as the Shell Shield, the trophy for which the teams were competing. There was no competition in 1968 because England visited the Caribbean and the logistics of the combination of the newly established regional league, plus the international Test series, posed enormous practical problems.
Before this, first-class cricket in the WI took place on an invitational basis between two territories or in an otherwise quadrangular or triangular knockout series, usually played in Guyana (then known as British Guiana). The reason for the choice of this territory for the competition was to hold it late in the year, October for instance, when the weather was favourable in the South American country. Additionally, it was before the start of the Caribbean cricket season between January and May, when players, therefore, could be tuned into form for visiting international teams early the following year. However, it proved to be inadequate for preparation and not ideal for the development of young cricketers.
In 1964, an experiment was carried out to have a league competition. This proved to be successful for the purpose intended, ergo, the idea was sold to Shell who came on board. Thus, the birth of organised first-class cricket in the WI.
After 1970, TT repeated the following year. Joey Carew was the captain both years. The next success was in 1976 under Prince Bartholomew, a fine cricketer. It was a strange occurrence. Barbados and TT were tied on points at the top of the standings, with the Bajans having one match left; TT had completed their schedule.
When Barbados arrived in Guyana for their game, one of their team members, Geoff Greenidge, was refused entry because he had played cricket in apartheid South Africa. The Barbados management refused to enter without their full squad and went back home, thereby forfeiting the match.
It meant that Barbados was left tied with TT and shared the trophy.
It took another nine years for the cricketers of TT to be champions. Rangy Nanan, the off-spinning bowling all-rounder, led his team to a convincing championship win that was brilliant in its execution, with some outstanding individual performances, while he excelled. The captain was marvellous in his leadership skills, his strategies and his tactical acumen. The year was 1985, yet, it was another twenty-one years, in 2006, before TT’s cricketers could earn another championship win. By this time it was no longer the Shell Shield, but the Carib Beer Cup and Daren Ganga was the captain.
It is now sixteen years since. However, there has been an improvement recently, though the movement was halted by the march of the pandemic. This affected everyone.
The new coach, David Furlonge, has been accustomed to winning as coach of Queen’s Park Cricket Club, therefore, I guess his influence could have a positive effect on the team. Although his work was curtailed by the dangerous virus, still, it must be remembered that every territory went through the same problem, hence, the strongest would survive. Also, TT were off to a confident start in the first half of the tournament, so there’s no reason why they shouldn’t capitalise on it. TT have won the regional tournament outright a mere four times and shared it once in over 50 years of competition and twice in the past 35 years. This is a ridiculously poor effort from a territory that won twice in the first five years and a supposedly leading light in West Indian cricket.
The success attained in white-ball cricket doesn’t matter, the real proof of a first-class team is in their performances in two-inning cricket.
There are many elements in play before, during and after a two-inning cricket match that makes it the true test of cricket strength and ability.
For the genuine development of young cricketers to succeed in any format, they must have a grounding in red-ball cricket.
For one team to be regarded as superior to another in a cricket match, they ought to have the ability to remove that team twice for fewer runs. A game where bowlers are not restricted in overs; and batsmen must employ various methods to conquer any type of pitch.
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