Ramdin stunt mars Best record
WEST Indies fast bowler Tino Best smashed his way to the highest score by a No11 batsman in the history of Test cricket yesterday, yet the visitors’ strong performance was marred by a public dispute sparked by his batting partner Denesh Ramdin at Edgbaston.
England were left trailing 221-5 in the first innings, after West Indies took several late wickets on a fourth day of the final Test that was often stopped for bad light. They are 205 behind after Ramdin and Best helped the visitors to 426 all out in their first innings.
Ramdin’s antics, however, threatened to overshadow the score. Upon reaching his century, Ramdin held up a note hitting out at legendary batsman Sir Viv Richards. Richards, now a media pundit, had recently commented that the wicketkeeper’s game has “deteriorated in a big way”.
Michael Holding, a colleague of Richards’ from West Indies’ glory era in the 1970s and 1980s, was left unimpressed by Ramdin’s note, which read: “Yea Viv talk nah”.
“If I was the manager of the team I would be having a word with that player, and he would be getting a fine,” Holden argued.
Richards responded by urging Ramdin to be more humble and to “set standards a bit higher”.
Ramdin and Best had put on a stand of 143 runs to frustrate England, with Best hitting 95 runs.