Tanti at de Oval Think Piece

Think Piece: Tanti at de Oval by Paul Keens-Douglas

Malini Tasha Ramsamooj

The University of the West Indies

Tanti at the Oval by Paul Keens-Douglas was based on the famous ‘tie’ match of the 1975 Shell Series between Trinidad and the Combined Islands, according to Google Groups. The poem was written and performed in the Caribbean creole language, so it could be easily relatable to Caribbean people. Also being based on the popular game, cricket Caribbean people can also understand the frustration felt by the author in his piece since most are passionate about the game. Cricket has a rich history in the Caribbean which we must understand in order to explain that passion experienced at a cricket match today.

Cricket was developed in all countries by historical events that occurred in that country, however none was as predominant as the West Indies. This was not only because of colonialism but also where slavery shaped its society. According to The Free Encylopedia, Wikipedia, “Cricket originally spread to the West Indies via the British Military, and that these Military officials established clubs including St. Anne’s Garrison Clubs.” The site also stated that, “The first known reference to cricket in the West Indies was believed to be from June 1806, in the Barbados Mercury and Bridgetown Gazzette. Supporting this, there were known to be cricket pitches located in many garrisons all around the Caribbean.”

With the West Indies still being colonized by the British Monarch many African slaves adopted many of the British activities and lifestyle habits including cricket. The Military usually played cricket with themselves with the slaves either preparing the wickets before the match, retrieving bats and even bowling for them. When the slaves were granted permission to play cricket some got the opportunity to play with white clubs while others were forced to form their own club which was exclusively for blacks. According to Wikipedia, “The first inter-island...