Cricket in the Caribbean isn’t just a sport; it’s a celebration of life, culture, and community. One of the most iconic stories that encapsulate this spirit is Paul Keens-Douglas’s humorous account, Tanti Merle at de Oval. This tale takes us back to the 1975 Shell Shield match between Trinidad and Tobago and the Combined Islands at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain.
The story begins with the narrator’s wife requesting him to take her Aunt Merle, affectionately known as Tanti Merle, to the match on her 65th birthday. Originally from St. Vincent, Tanti Merle had been living in Trinidad for 15 years but had never attended a live cricket match. Determined to make her birthday special, the narrator reluctantly agrees.
The day starts with Tanti Merle packing a basket filled with food, insisting that no one would starve her in Port of Spain. The narrator, humorously recounting the events, describes how he ends up carrying the heavy basket. Their journey is filled with Tanti Merle’s anecdotes about St. Vincent, much to the amusement (and slight embarrassment) of the narrator.
Upon reaching the Queen’s Park Oval, the atmosphere is electric. The stands are packed, and the crowd is buzzing with excitement. Tanti Merle, ever the enthusiast, immerses herself in the match, cheering passionately for the Combined Islands. Her infectious energy adds to the vibrant ambiance of the game.
The Combined Islands are chasing a challenging target. The tension builds as wickets fall, but the crowd remains hopeful. Tanti Merle, with her unwavering support, becomes a symbol of the undying spirit of Caribbean cricket fans.
By the end of the match, the Combined Islands fall short, but the day is remembered not for the result but for the experience. Tanti Merle’s first live cricket match becomes a cherished memory, filled with laughter, camaraderie, and the essence of Caribbean culture.
Trinidad and Tobago vs. Combined Leeward and Windward Islands – 1974/75 Season
At the Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago set a target of 283 for the Combined Leeward and Windward Islands. The match concluded in a draw, with the Islands reaching 282/9, just one run shy of victory, showcasing the nail-biting finish.
The Game and how it unfolded-A Tanti Merle Moment
| Shell Shield, 1974/75 Trinidad & Tobago v Combined Islands Port of Spain 11,12,13,14 April 1975 (4-day match)Result: Match drawn Umpires: R Gosein and SE ParrisClose of Play:Day 1:Day 2:Day 3: Trinidad & Tobago 1st innings RA Faria c Findlay b Roberts 23 KR Bainey b Willett 20 HA Gomes c Shillingford b Roberts 58 *+DL Murray run out 7 BW McLeod lbw b Roberts 2 BD Julien c Camacho b Gore 50 D Ramkissoon c Richards b Gore 42 PCS Batholemew run out 8 Inshan Ali c sub b Willett 14 Imtiaz Ali c Willett b Gore 0 RR Jumadeen not out 3 Extras (b 11, lb 7, w 1, nb 13) 32 Total (all out, 93.1 overs) 259 FoW: 1-37, 2-50, 3-97, 4-110, 5-124, 6-234, 7-239, 8-239, 9-259, 10-259. Bowling O M R W Roberts 18 3 51 3 Gore 17.1 3 41 3 Willett 29 7 78 2 Coriette 17 2 37 0 Richards 5 1 6 0 Eddy 7 1 14 0 —————————————————————————————————————– Combined Islands 1st innings LC Sebastien c Murray b Inshan Ali 34 MS Camacho c Murray b Inshan Ali 22 JC Allen lbw b Inshan Ali 14 IVA Richards b Imtiaz Ali 14 IT Shillingford b Inshan Ali 0 VA Eddy run out 25 A Coriette st Murray b Imtiaz Ali 73 *+TM Findlay not out 29 ET Willett b Imtiaz Ali 7 AME Roberts c Faria b Imtiaz Ali 4 HIE Gore b Jumadeen 0 Extras (b 4, lb 2, nb 1) 7 Total (all out, 102.3 overs) 229 FoW: 1-42, 2-67, 3-72, 4-82, 5-86, 6-149, 7-189, 8-199, 9-219, 10-229. Bowling O M R W Julien 4 1 10 0 Batholemew 8 1 24 0 Jumadeen 30.3 13 59 1 Inshan Ali 34 11 74 4 Imtiaz Ali 26 9 55 4 —————————————————————————————————————– Trinidad & Tobago 2nd innings RA Faria c Eddy b Willett 37 KR Bainey c Willett b Roberts 6 HA Gomes c Allen b Willett 15 *+DL Murray c Findlay b Willett 10 BW McLeod b Roberts 7 BD Julien c Camacho b Coriette 65 D Ramkissoon not out 64 PCS Batholemew st Findlay b Coriette 19 Inshan Ali c Shillingford b Coriette 9 Imtiaz Ali c Allen b Willett 2 RR Jumadeen b Coriette 4 Extras (b 2, lb 4, nb 8) 14 Total (all out, 116 overs) 252 FoW: 1-37, 2-46, 3-86, 4-103, 5-141, 6-165, 7-184, 8-232, 9-243, 10-252. Bowling O M R W Roberts 20 6 49 2 Gore 14 0 49 0 Willett 43 11 69 4 Coriette 29 8 47 4 Eddy 10 3 24 0 —————————————————————————————————————– Combined Islands 2nd innings (target: 283 runs) LC Sebastien c Bainey b Jumadeen 41 MS Camacho c Imtiaz Ali b Inshan Ali 53 JC Allen st Murray b Jumadeen 96 IVA Richards run out 10 IT Shillingford c McLeod b Imtiaz Ali 14 VA Eddy run out 3 A Coriette c Murray b Imtiaz Ali 6 *+TM Findlay not out 22 AME Roberts c Ramkissoon b Jumadeen 10 ET Willett c Gomes b Imtiaz Ali 1 HIE Gore not out 4 Extras (b 8, lb 11, nb 3) 22 Total (9 wickets, 75 overs) 282 FoW: 1-101, 2-117, 3-140, 4-180, 5-194, 6-220, 7-254, 8-272, 9-276. Bowling O M R W Julien 10 2 34 0 Jumadeen 24 2 75 3 Inshan Ali 15 2 63 1 Imtiaz Ali 21 2 74 3 Faria 3 0 5 0 Ramkissoon 2 0 9 0 |
| Result: Match drawn -A True Tanti Merle Finish. Do you like close finishes and the excitment of game like the Combine Islands vs Trinidad? |
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