Date-stamped : 17 Jun95 - 10:25
Tour match: Scotland v West Indies 
Raeburn Place, Edinburgh, 15 June 1995

Report by Bill Lothian

The mighty West Indies came ready and willing  to  beat  Scotland
into the ground on a glorious day for cricket in Edinburgh.

But anything patronising was OUT - as speed bowler Courtney Walsh
now knows to his cost.

The 6ft 6in seamer, third highest  wicket-taker  in  West  Indian
Test  history,  fired  down  18  balls and one APPLE during three
lively overs which cost 20 runs and was removed from  the  attack
soon after.

Walsh`s attempt at skylarking didn`t go down well in every corner
of a Grange ground packed with around 5000 spectators.

Team-mate Jimmy Adams  has  a  particular  respect  for  Scottish
cricketers since a season in the East League with Royal High back
in 1988 figured in his development and  it  was obvious  in   the
all-rounder`s  remarks afterwards that apples are extras for Wil-
liam Tell films  and  that  these  Windies are  no  Harlem   Glo-
betrotters.

In an exclusive interview, Adams told the  Evening  News  that  a
high-scoring  match,  which the West Indies won by a surprisingly
close margin of 47 runs, had a significance in the grander scheme
of things.

Adams said: "Every cricketer likes to  make  their  mark  on  any
match. Nobody likes to be hit.

"Courtney (Walsh) was not up to it mentally, so he was taken off.
It would have been better not to bowl him."

The apple incident stunned batsman  Mike  Smith,  who  said:  "It
might  have been a jest but it was certainly the most frightening
moment of my career.

"He certainly looked as if he meant business and I really got the
jitters when he ran right past the crease before he let go.

"I had no idea what was going on."

Adams explained how most, if not all, his side had got a buzz out
of the proceedings for more conventional reasons -- like bolster-
ing their bid to completet a Test series win against England.

He added: "The wicket was good enough, the  opposition  was  good
enough,  the weather was good and it was nice to get a break out-
side England. But with some cricket.

"Every professional wants a crowd, we love to play  in  front  of
people and we got that.

"We could go to Durham before the Lord`s Test and be washed out.

"If that were the case, our last point of reference is  Edinburgh
which we have good memories of."

Adams, who has played all round the  world  since  leaving  Royal
High, then laughed: "I`ve now played at Grange -- the last time I
was here it was raining."

But former Royal High president Doug Lawrence has never been slow
to  remind  Adams that he left a rainy Edinburgh to return to the
sun-kissed Caribbean only to walk straight into a hurricane!

Scotland, who scored 258-5 chasing 308-9, did better than survive
the  cricketing  hurricane to emerge with pride and honour intact
when stumps were drawn two balls early after a pitch invasion.

"Ah, ha" grinned Scotland boss Jim Love up on the  balcony  "some
of our lads can claim a draw from an abandoned match!"

Not quite.  But some have stories to tell their grandchildren.

Source :: Edinburgh Evening News
<END> Contributed by Jon.Skullerud (jonivar@festival.ed.ac.uk)