A brief update on the WI v Pakistan...

• Gayle gone without troubling the scorers much in the third over for two...
• Sarwan first four in the fourth over... 9/1
• Windies reach their 50 without further trouble... Chanderpaul 16, Sarwan 30 (15th over)
• Chanderpaul out in the 20th over to a snorter from Anjum who's been excellent this morning. 64/2
• Samuels in with Sarwan
• Sarwan out! Anjum again, this fella is bowling with some spirit, although the West Indian Batsmen have certainly been helping the bowlers here at 'New' Sabina Park. One short of his fifty. 77/3, 24th over.
• Not quite the last hope for the Indies, but the great man is in to bat. No, not Alex Tudor - It's Brian Lara.
• Kaneria and Anjum keeing things neat and tidy, giving away little at the end of the 20's...
• Lara and Samuels playing excellent cricket at the end of the 35th over - upping the pace with some HUGE hitting from both men. Each has cleared the fence and the boundary is starting to take a bashing. Run Rate up - classic finish in prospect... 138/3 15 overs to go

A professional summary of what happened at the Opening ceremony...

Here is a link:

http://blogs.cricinfo.com/wc_monitor/archives/2007/03/the_opening_ceremony.php

To Andrew Miller's potted history of last night's events. The fact that he uses the word 'Jerk Chicken' makes it worth the read.

But it is very good and he covers everything that happened.

Sorry about the last post...

Emotions are running high in the office, so I apologise for the brief tirade in the last post :)

I am also fretting about the fact that the SKY man, as yet, hasn't been to put my dish in. I am buying SKY for the simple reason I want to watch as much cricket as my retinas will take over the course of the nest 2 months... I have rung up at least twice inquiring of the whereabouts of said dish... but to no avail: 'SKY is very popular at the moment Mr Burt, but we'll get it to you as soon as we can...' I threatened to move over to Virgin, but that idea was poohpoohed when the woman at the other end of the line sniggered. Defeated by a girly giggle. I'm less of a man than I thought I was.

But enough babble:- To the Cricket.

Last night, we and the world saw the opening of the greatest show on Earth (until Zippo's comes back into town anyway) and damn it was good fun. But then again it was always going to be the case.

As holders of the official title: 'The most fun nation on the planet', the West Indies produced a sonic and visual feast to savour in Montego Bay. 2,000 dancers, a collection of the greatest cricketers of all time, $2,000,000 spent, one of the most awesome singers in the world Jimmy Cliff (with Shaggy... can't have everything I suppose), and party to savour.

If this infectious start continues, we'll not only have one of the best Cricket World Cup's ever, but one of the first truly memorable sporting events of this new Millenia.