Those who tuned on to watch Test cricket must, at least for a while longer, be content to watch helicopters being used like giant overhead fans, and another machine that goes around the ground punching holes in the turf -- to assist in the drainage, is the explanation for this phenomenon.

So while waiting for the real business to start, here is a story -- 'time pass', as we call it.

It dates back to July 1969. A strong West Indies outfit, in England for a Test series, travelled over to Northern Ireland for a one day game against the locals. Skipper Clive Lloyd won the toss, and opted for first strike on a wet, green wicket.

Regulars Carew and Camacho opened. Foster was one down. Basil Butcher was number four, Clive Lloyd number five, the great Clyde Walcott number six...

Here is the fall of wickets: 1/1, 2/1, 3/3, 4/6, 5/6, 6/8... Actually, Shillingford, batting at 9, proved their highest scorer -- with 9. Walcott came next, with 6. The West Indies were all out for 25. The Irish knocked off the runs for the loss of just one wicket -- then collaborated with the Windies to play on, so the crowd could have some value for its money...

The above comes courtesy the book, Cricket's Strangest Matches, compiled by Andrew Ward and published by Robson Books of London. It's a great book to have beside you -- when the team you support goes out and does something bizarre, take a deep breath, pick up the book, flip through the pages...

As someone once said, there really is nothing new under the sun -- not even inexplicable batting collapses. 

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