Pall of gloom descends on the World Cup

A pall of gloom descended on the World Cup in the West Indies even before the first ball was bowled when it was announced that John Woodroffe, son of the fearsome fast bowling great Wesley Hall had drowned.

Obviously Woodroffe would have arrived in Barbados from Toronto to take in the World Cup action. He had arrived with his family and gone for a swim when the tragedy occurred.

Incidentally Woodroffe's father Wesley Hall was one, if not the finest pace ace produced by the West Indies. Hall fired his thunderbolts at all opposing batsmen in the late fifties and early sixties and many were the batsmen who had scars to show.

With a dream action, top shirt button open and a cross dangling and shining from his neck he had a long run up and with a final jump at the wicket he would deliver well directed deliveries at jet speed and not many batsmen wanted to face him.

Hall is now an evangelical church leader and is involved in the Organising of the World Cup 2007.Earlier as President of the West Indies Cricket Board, he did an admirable job.

Sri Lankans had the rare opportunity of watching Hall's heroics when he played with a few West Indian cricketers on their way back after that glorious series against Richie Benaud's Australians in 1960/61.

Hall is best remembered for the catch he dropped which nearly cost the Windies the Test, but fortunately for them the game ended in the first tie in Test cricket at the Gabba. Our sympathies go out to Wesley Hall, Woodroffe's wife and son.

B'desh serve notice

The gutty Bangladesh cricketers served notice of what to expect from them when they beat New Zealand and then Scotland quite convincingly.

New Zealand also in the running for the Cup, had arrived in the Caribbean with high hopes after dumping the reigning champions Australians 3-nil in the Hadlee/Chappell trophy at home.

Bangladesh have been drawn in Group 'B' with Sri Lanka, India and Bermuda. With this win against the Kiwis, the Bangladeshis showed what they are capable of and warned the Lankans and the Indians that they would not be easy meat.

Bangladesh have cricketers, who if they perform true to form can upset the best in the world. Their crowning moment was when they beat the Aussies some time back.

This win against the strong Kiwis, is just what they needed to keep going and it would be interesting to see how the Sri Lankans and Indians would fare against them. I would not be surprised if the Bangladeshis negotiate the first round and move on.