ENGLAND are sure to test the mettle of West Indies’ inexperienced top order this summer, but may just discover the tourists’ vice-captain is a tough nut to crack. Kirk Edwards was elevated last month to be Darren Sammy’s deputy before the start of the three-Test series at home to Australia, and less than a year after marking his debut with a second-innings century.
The steely-eyed number three has added another hundred in his seven Tests to date, at an average a shade above 50.
“Wherever you go is a test, different places provide different challenges. It’s just about adjusting to the conditions, and being tough mentally out there,” he said.
“England have built themselves into the number one team in the world – give credit to them for that.
“But whoever you play against, as a batsman, you have to play the ball; you’re not playing opposition, in that sense. My focus is on just that, getting into good positions and playing the cricket ball.”
The 27-year-old’s reason and strategy hint strongly at a batsman of substance, unlike perhaps some of his recent predecessors who have fleetingly demonstrated the shot-making prowess of West Indies yore – without any of the durability.
That, of course, is a charge no-one could ever lay at middle-order limpet Shivnarine Chanderpaul – who has scored a fair chunk of his 10 000-plus runs against England and, two tours back, was the one batsman they simply could not shift.
Chanderpaul’s best was not enough even then to keep the Windies competitive in England. But coach Ottis Gibson was at pains to stress the diminutive world number one batsman’s value to his team, not just in terms of runs but the advice he is prepared to impart as he enters the veteran stage.
“Shiv’s a guy who, obviously if you go over, he’ll talk to you and give you some advice,” said Edwards. “But he’s a bit ‘in his head’, and that’s the strength of his game. I’m pretty much like that as well.
“Everybody’s experience with another person is going to be different. But he’s a guy I enjoy playing cricket with, and obviously I admire the way he goes about his work. So hats off to Shiv on achieving everything he has so far.” (PA Sport)