England’s sensational 9 wicket Test Match victory in Jamaica, the first against the West Indies for 16 years, took the sporting world by surprise in one of the biggest cricketing upsets of recent times.
Believed to be invincible, the West Indies team was tipped to humiliate England, repeating the terrible ‘blackwash’ bludgeoning of 1986.
It was rumoured that Viv Richards opted to bat first to make the First Test at Sabina Park last more than three days.
But after the bitterness of recent defeats came the sweet champagne taste of victory for an England team given no hope even by its supporters.
In the event, Lamb’s courageous century to tame the awesome four-pronged West Indies pace attack, Fraser’s inspired defensive and attacking bowling, and the thoughtful captaincy of Gooch made the impossible come true, as England outplayed the foe in every department, with the only threat coming from the rainstorms.
The heroic feat was a triumph of modest strength over individual brilliance made complacent by years of unassailable superiority, and a tribute to the teamwork, planning and grit needed to overcome a side whose relentlessly destructive spell has at last been broken and suddenly appear merely mortal.
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