Cricket can be a harsh mistress

You do have to feel for some of the West Indians at the moment. Take, for example, Darren Ganga. Captain and opening batsman of a fairly lacklustre West Indian side, that currently is getting rather used to losing. They’ve already lost this series and have one more game to play. Accordingly, the game doesn’t mean a lot, so it’s a chance for everyone to just enjoy themselves a bit. Unfortunately, the rain comes, and everyone is forced to sit around for a day and a half. The covers finally come off after lunch on day 2 and after Vaughan won the toss and inserted the West Indians, Ganga would have been keen to get in and graft out an innings.

Except he got a golden duck, finding himself trudging off the pitch after just one delivery, planting his first ball squarely in the hands of Alistair Cook at silly mid-on.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul could similarly sympathise. For the second time in two innings, he found himself without batting partners, and left the field with a not out century. Great for his average, but not so good for the team.

Fortunately for England, Andrew Strauss who has felt the full force of the ‘mistress’ in recent times was able to leave her at home for this game, scoring a much needed half century in England’s first innings.

It is a funny old game.