“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”
Sometimes in sport, my dear old thing Aristotle, it jolly well has to be.
The West Indies side that rocked up at Trent Bridge to face England in 1984 were the powerhouse of the world game; 23 matches unbeaten with a sparkling – not to mention physically domineering – roster to match.
As a mere example, take the upper echelons of their order.
Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes (pictured below) were hooking, pulling, swashbuckling and, quite frankly, flat foot bullying everything in plain sight at the top of the order.
Richie Richardson (pictured below) was a stylish captain in waiting. Vivian Richards could play a bit too.
But, on this day, after losing the toss and being inserted by Lord Gower, none of that illustrious contingent passed 20.
Rare as that may be, they were having an ‘erf day’.
What Derek Pringle (pictured below) and Bob Dylan Willis lacked in West Indian flair, they more than made up for in the stereotypically English characteristics of blood, sweat and tactics brainstormed over last night’s beers.
Combined figures of 19.3-3-47-5. Genius.
Speaking of quintessentially, ish, English, Ian Botham and Geoff Miller chipped in with wickets too.
Batting at six for the Windies, however, was Clive Lloyd - by now aged 39 and towering like a grand grandfather clock over the team he’d lovingly nurtured seemingly since time began.
Unsurprisingly, he was rarely required to bat.
Nevertheless, an afternoon of snoozing in the big dressing room chair was interrupted and Lloyd dragged himself to the middle.
He top-scored with 52 and – with the help of splendidly titled gloveman Jeffrey Dujon (21) – dragged the tourists from 43-4 to 179 all out.
“Jolly well bowled old boys, well done,” was the articulate cry of the members as they doffed their chequered flat caps to their English heroes.
The hat doffing members, however, would not have to face Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding (pictured below) and Joel Garner.
The proverbial Trent Bridge green top lay in wait for this trio of deathly destroyers. It was going to be brutal.
Not that Lord Gower was the type to be flustered by such minor inconvenience.
The Grace Road aristocrat eased, caressed and languidly persuaded his way to a pristine 36 batting at number three.
True to his form as England’s most leisurely of left-handers, Gower was cashing-in on the true St Georgian grit of his opening duo.
Graeme ‘Foxy’ Fowler needed every bit of his glib Lancastrian humour, taking ample punishment from the fast bowling bruisers brigade.
Tim Lloyd, in his second ODI appearance, was similarly discovering that cricket at the highest level isn’t fun.
The 75 they posted wasn’t pretty, but it was pretty important, as the Caribbean firing squad were about to find their form.
Garner, the beanpole, could have cleaned Gatt’s upstairs window without a ladder. He settled on bowling him for half-a-dozen.
Holding, whispering death as he was coined, adequately snuck up on Botham and David Bairstow too.
And Malcolm Marshall, so skiddy and slippery from five foot 11 that short balls – and there were plenty – could seldom be ducked… he trapped gracious Gower bang in-front for 36.
With Eldine Baptiste also among the poles, England’s ascent to glory was reduced to more of a wobbling stagger – but glory it was, by three wickets. Rule Britannia.
With the series tied at 1-1 - on their merry way the English made for Lord’s, the venue of cricketing dreams, of history, of hope and of glory.
The English public, however, have been here before. They’ve come to treasure a gallant failure every bit as keenly as glory.
And well they might.
The Windies never broke sweat at the MCC, winning with eight unclaimed wickets and a firmly reclined Clive Lloyd to spare.
Still, at least there was the win at Trent Bridge.
England return to Nottingham in 2017 to face South Africa and the West Indies.
With tickets for days one and two of the South Africa Test having already been snaffled, don't miss the chance to see some of the most exciting sides in world cricket go toe-to-toe in the unique surroundings of Trent Bridge.