It was as refreshing as the cool easterly breeze wafting across from the refinery. And at times, when Dennis Rampersad got it just right, it was even riveting.
But a glance at the brightly-coloured Petrotrin scoreboard at the end of the first ever day of Busta Cup regional cricket against defending joint champions Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago had tallied 273 for 4, which represented not the rewards of being calypso cavalier but plain old rock steady.
Their 'music' did not rock the radio, fiscal neatness being far more important than ``Our Game.''
But Ian Bishop's hard ``Work Song'' seemed to be playing over and over in his batsmen's minds.
From debutant Leon Romero and his carefully compiled three-hour 48, to Dennis Rampersad's regional best two-and-a-half-hour 81, to Phil Simmons's dogged 62, there was application and industry aplenty.
Perhaps there was not quite the sparkle that a lightning-fast Guaracara Park outfield and friendly Guyana attack seem to permit.
The rhythm that the appreciative crowd warmed to was not built by technical superiority and sheer, ball-beating domination. It was instead influenced by a shared sense of purpose. The plan was aided by Bishop's winning of the toss on a flat batting pitch.
And when Romero's promising opening stand of 46 with Anil Balliram was ended by Balliram's crazy run-out, there was consolidation, not collapse.
Bishop, watching the bristling ``Bally'' beat an indignant retreat on the hour after he and Romero nearly ended up in the same crease, would have been worried as Rampersad, a 'veteran' of two matches, joined the new boy, in through the injury-enforced absence of Suruj Ragoonath.
But another 90 would be added before the pair were parted.
Romero, (48, six fours), more accomplished when playing forward and straight, showed the same appetite for batting that marked his North/South Classic displays.
He played within his limitations, first against the somewhat wayward new ball pair of Kevin Darlington and Colin Stuart and then the more confining, nagging spin of Mahendra Nagamootoo (leg) and Garvin Nedd (off).
Rampersad, more certain against the spin but struggling for fluency, was no less controlled as the pair took the total to 87 at lunch.
After the break, however, the more attacking Rampersad (eight fours) blossomed. A supremely placed stroke that ran the point fielder right down to the boundary in vain, another spanking backfoot blow off Darlington and a rasping cut past point off Nedd further brightened the already brilliant afternoon.
And the applause was generous, when a single to midwicket brought the Wanderers man his maiden 50.
Rampersad by then had overtaken the wavering Romero. And he was soon gone, drawn out of his ground by the persistent Nagamootoo for his wicketkeeping brother Vishal to do the rest. That left the prodding opener to rue a job not completely done.
Rampersad too would have been livid when his careless, miscued pull gave Stuart, in a new spell from the northern end, a return catch that left the batsman 19 short of the first Busta Cup century.
Struggling Simmons, seeking simply to survive early on, had by then added 65 with Rampersad.
Experience, some good fortune outside off-stump, and some sloppy footwork from tired fielders kept him going, one typically meaty pulled six that brought up the T&T 200 being his most striking indulgence.
And before another steadying stand of 66 with Smith was ended by a an edged drive off Darlington that the keeper caught, 'Simmo' had earned himself another regional 50 in this his 65th match in national service. It is a new national record.
But this was an innings where quantity-(173 minutes) was of far greater importance than quality.
Steady Smith (22 not out, 94 minutes) was still facing the music at the end with nightwatchman Mukesh Persad.
And he will return this morning to keep the groove going.
Day 2: Game Guyana show grit
There were grey skies and sprinkling showers where once they were blue. West Indian frustration was plumbing new depths around Guaracara Park by way of Centurion. The sole consolation for those waiting out the rain was that Ian Bishop's luck was not Brian Lara's.
Still, where a sparkling Busta Cup Day One for Trinidad and Tobago yielded many runs-273-Day 2 saw eight wickets fall for 160.
By gloomy 5.25 on the second evening with Guyana 79 for 2, the glitter had gone, although the game was still in grip.
Bishop's opposite number Nicholas deGroot would have no complaints with the way his side competed, coming from behind.
But the disappointment for the T&T skipper would not have been the current Guyana total, nor that he himself has not yet opened his Busta Cup bowling account.
However, like Lara after Boucher's battering, the local captain had to reluctantly lower his expectations.
A huge first innings total, like a steady West Indies display, was but a dream.
Reverting frustratingly to type, the T&T middle order failed to build on the solid overnight position. Indiscipline, assisted by determined, sensible Guyanese bowling, by pacer Colin Stuart (4/81) principally, short-circuited any hope the locals had of pushing their total beyond 400.
The bald figures say it all.
The last six T&T wickets added just 81, the highest individual total on the second morning being Lincoln Roberts's 23. Roberts was one of four batsmen-Richard Smith and Bishop got 22, David Williams 20-who reached the twenties but no further.
The example, or lack of it, was set at the rain-delayed start of the overcast day, from the third ball, when Smith drove ambitiously at a swinging Stuart delivery that struck his off-stump.
In his next over, Stuart removed the other overnight batsman, Mukesh Persad who, having just picked up a pulled boundary, edged a delivery that left him to wicketkeeper Vishal Nagamootoo.
The nightwatchman, however, would have been less bothered by his dismissal than Roberts with his.
He and Williams were rebuilding capably, putting on 31 runs marked by several sweetly-timed, cleanly struck Roberts strokes. But after 55 minutes, Roberts had a lapse, touching a Kevin Darlington delivery outside off-stump to deGroot at first slip.
As they watched him go from around the drinks cart, the visitors had the satisfaction of having removed three wickets for 39 runs inside the first hour.
By lunch, they had also picked up Williams, deceived into giving Stuart a return catch. Guyana could have had Bishop too, had Garvin Nedd held his pull off Darlington before the captain had scored.
After the rain-delayed resumption, deGroot led by example, taking a fine catch, at full stretch above his head at extra-cover, when Bishop cut at the tireless leg-spinner Mahendra Nagamootoo.
That left the total at 354 for nine, with rain coming down again. Bishop decided there was no advantage to be gained by prolonging the innings, and opted for more time bowling at Guyana.
At 55 without loss, Bishop would have welcomed the extra time. Marlon Black and himself had not made the early breakthrough.
And deGroot had already been put down twice by Anil Balliram in an uncertain 20.
But Persad finally prised him out.
His tight control and variety had troubled the Guyana captain and finally he fell bat and pad to a quicker ball-to the relief of Balliram at silly-midoff.
Concerted Trini pressure earned another quick wicket, Lennox Cush edging wily Phil Simmons low down to wicketkeeper Williams.
The six bowlers used, however, could not remove neat Azeemul Haniff, the opener going to the close on a solid 32. With him is teenaged Windies hopeful Ramnaresh Sarwan.
Opportunity knocks for him, he and Haniff intent on guiding their team out of the dark. But Bishop's boys will be out to bring the sunshine back.
Day 3: T&T make Cronje connection
Just for a day, the fans at Guaracara Park were able to drown their South African sorrows in a Trini celebration.
While Guyana captain Nicholas deGroot, his side wobbling on 110 for seven in their second innings, was forced to share the lamentations of Lara yesterday, Trinidad and Tobago skipper Ian Bishop was thinking ``two-to-one.''
A ``whitewash'' is not possible for them in this Busta Cup encounter. But as he retired to his dressing room at the end of the third evening, deGroot would have been forgiven for feeling ``Cronjed.''
Beginning the day in hope at 79 for two, Guyana ended it in despair, still needing another 53 runs to avoid an innings defeat.
In that period, they were outdone by a team whose execution of their game plan was admirable ... and by themselves.
The real pressure applied by off-spinner Mukesh Persad (4/42, first innings) and pacer Marlon Black (4/13, second innings), two fine bat/pad Leon Romero catches and a brilliant Anil Balliram effort in the covers, undermined the effort of the defending champions.
But sadly deGroot's depleted side were too West Indian in their handling of their troubles.
Disturbingly, the second innings capitulation that saw them reduced in a jiffy to 50 for 6 when burly Balliram breathtakingly caught Andre Percival in the covers, was too akin to the example set by their international ``exemplars'' hours earlier at Centurion Park.
Disspirited and lacking the discipline required at this level, they fell easily into the Bishop trap. Mahendra Nagamootoo, on a career-best 41 not out, was a determined exception.
In all, the visitors totalled 222 for the loss of 15 wickets. On a pitch still good for batting, none of the visitors has yet crossed 50.
Left-handed opener Azeemul Haniff, 32 not out overnight, would have been hopeful of getting there.
But he had added just seven when Phil Simmons, going round the wicket to change the angle, induced a snick to wicketkeeper David Williams.
Haniff's overnight partner, sound Ramnaresh Sarwan (31), also failed to fulfil his promise after two hours of batting. After Romero's first diving one-handed effort at forward short-leg had accounted for Travis Dowlin off Persad, Sarwan, facing Black's first over of the day, carelessly cut him to second slip.
The score was then 133 for 5. And only 58 had been added by the lower order when Roberts caught last man Kevin Darlington off Avidesh Samaroo. Nagamootoo was stranded on 26 not out after 85 minutes.
As he watched the openers pad up a second time, the leg-spinner might well have thought he would not be needed again for the day. But he was quickly disabused thanks to Black.
It is only his third regional match in about five years. But the soft-spoken paceman has made the most of his belated recall. With two wickets in the first innings, he took his tally to a well-earned six, ripping apart the Guyana top order.
After Bishop trapped the half-forward Haniff lbw with the score on eight, Marlon made himself a menace.
Keeping the ball up on a tight off-stump line, he tested and broke the Guyanese patience. At 16, DeGroot was deceived into driving to extra-cover. At 30, Sarwan followed suit, again to Rampersad. Then, 13 runs later, enterprising Lennox Cush, having attacked for 20 (three fours), flicked firmly but straight to Samaroo at square-leg.
Dowlin too was on the go. But Black bowled him with one that cut back and kept a trifle low. Centurion Park had, it seemed, come South.
That notion was lessened none when the left-handed Percival's zooming drive was plucked two-handed out of the air by the flying ``Bally.''
``Yuh doh need to see any WI highlights,'' crowed a mischievous watcher. ``We seein dem already!'' The live action held little joy for DeGroot, however, although Nagamootoo's (M) second, hour-long effort would have pleased him.
Responsible but no plodder, the leg-spinner shared a stand of 43 with his brother before Vishal fell to Samaroo.
This morning he and Colin Stuart (1 not out) will return hoping to stop the ``wash.'' But Bishop intends to complete the ``Cronje connection''.
Day 4: Trinidad and Tobago wrap it up
By Shammi Kowlessar
The inevitable took just 35 minutes at Guaracara Park, Pointe-a-Pierre, yesterday morning.
And after Trinidad and Tobago completed a commanding innings and 37-run victory over defending champions Guyana in their opening Busta Cup match, skipper Ian Bishop stated that his team ``could go very far'' in the regional four--day cricket competition.
The former West Indies fast bowler said it was too early to predict overall triumph but feels that ``we have enough experience and variety in the team to reach at least the semifinals.''
Bishop conceded that Guyana was severely weakened by the absence of five of their players called up for the seven one-dayers ahead of the West Indies team in South Africa. However, he praised his outfit for a very good all-round performance.
Starting the final day at 110 for the loss of seven second innings wickets, Guyana needed another 53 runs to avoid an innings defeat ... or an entire day of adverse weather to save them.
But the players from the Mudland, much more used to rain than people from any other territory in the Caribbean, saw nothing but clear blue sky.
In as early as the third over, the mountainous climb got even steeper when Colin Stuart was caught by wicketkeeper David Williams off a Marlon Black beauty before he had added to his overnight score of one.
In the very next over, with the score still on 116, the hosts moved closer to the finish line when Garvin Nedd attempted an impossible single off Bishop. So far out of his crease was he that Lincoln Roberts, fielding at short extra- cover, held on to the ball and had sufficient time to run in and complete the dismissal himself before Nedd could make his ground.
Kevin Darlington looked much better than a number 11 in adding 10 with Mahendra Naga-mootoo, including a cut to the cover-point boundary off Black that would do any number three proud.
But with the score on 126, Guyana were put out of their misery when Nagamootoo was finally dismissed for the first time in the match. The former champion youth leg-spinner, who had scored a fighting undefeated 26 in his team's first innings of 191, edged a wide delivery to Williams to become Black's sixth victim of the innings.
However, the slim but powerful left-hander, who had started the day on 41, had already reached a well-deserved half-century by hooking Bishop to the backward square-leg boundary for his seventh four.
Nagamootoo also hit a six in the 81 balls he faced in 95 minutes at the crease. But he could not do it alone.
The Guyanese squad, which has an average age of just 21, only last week suffered a serious setback to their hopes of defending at least the half of the regional title they won last year when Reon King, Keith Semple and Neil McGarrell were called to South Africa to represent the region in the second half of the three and a half month tour.
There will be no Man-of-the-Match award in this tournament but if there was such a prize, Black, who added a career-best six for 26 in the second innings to the two he claimed in the first, would have been the leading contender.
The same 13-member T&T squad-Vishal Persad-Maharaj and Asif Jan were the two left out-has been retained for the next fixture, an away game against the Windward Islands. That match starts in St Lucia on Friday and the T&T squad will fly out on Wednesday.