On Debut. Poem by Michael Walker

('Can't recreate the past? Why of course you can'. 'The Great Gatsby'
(1925) , by F. Scott Fitzgerald) .

Mathew Sinclair made his test debut at last,
scoring 123 by the end of the first day,
then going on and on to 214, bowled by King.
I listened to this on a radio at Muriwai Beach.

Sinclair was strong on cutting and driving,
scoring eighteen fours between third man and cover.
The commentator who gave Sinclair most credit
was Fred Trueman, who noted every record set.

Chasing 518, the West Indies batsmen hit in the air
often, five of them caught in the total of 179, well in arrears
Chris Cairns took five for 44, bowling with pace and fire.
The West Indies' follow-on resulted in a total of 234, little better.

New Zealand had won by an innings inside four days;
and Mathew Sinclair ruled the the Wellington daze.

- July,2015.