Dyson hopes win can lift region's spirits

John Dyson is hopeful West Indies' drought-breaking series victory over England will go far towards reviving the game in the region. Four years have passed since West Indies last raised a Test trophy, and not since April, 2002 have they won a series comprising four or more Tests.

Dwindling crowds, declining participation rates and a poor first-class structure were among the many factors contributing to a decade-long malaise for cricket in the Caribbean. Add to that a faltering international team - which, at one stage, managed to defeat only Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and an undermanned Pakistan side over a 40-Test span - and many observers were left to ponder whether the game would ever recover in a region once considered the world's best cricketing nursery.

Speaking a day after his batsmen held on for a tense draw in Trinidad, Dyson observed that West Indies' stunning 1-0 victory over England had already had a positive impact on the region's long-suffering supporters. A similar result in the return series in May would not only be self-affirming for the players, he said, but also prove to West Indian fans that the dark days of the past decade were safely behind them.

"I have really noticed a lift in the mood of the people in the last month," Dyson said. "People keep coming up to tell me they are just happy to see their boys out there taking the fight to teams. No one liked the easy-beat tag, and people are going out of their way to tell us that they like our fighting spirit.

"Even on our bus route to the ground in Trinidad, there were people standing along the streets cheering and waving. That gave the boys a lift. I think it just goes to show that there is still a great passion for the game here and, if we can build on this result, it can only lift the spirit and the game around the region."

West Indies have amassed a record of three wins, seven draws and five losses since Dyson joined the team in December, 2007, and are undefeated in their last seven Tests. That tally stands in stark contrast to their previous 20 matches, of which the West Indies lost 14 and drew six. In all, five members of the XI from Trinidad had never before experienced a Test series victory prior to this week. Among them were Daren Powell and Denesh Ramdin, each of whom has played more than 30 Tests.

Notable in many of West Indies' recent performances - even in defeats to Australia last year - has been a steely edge absent since their decline began a decade ago. That resolve and a talented playing group have convinced Dyson that an elevation in the ICC rankings is not far away.

"You can see the players growing in self-confidence," he said. "They are now starting to believe in their ability. Those were really hard-fought matches, and it is a great credit to the players that they fought it out to make sure the final result went our way.

"If you look at a guy like Denesh Ramdin, he's played over 30 Tests dating back three or so years and that is his first series victory. The same goes for all the young guys. We've just seen the likes of him and Brendan Nash score their first Test centuries, which are very significant milestones, and the big boys were again in magnificent form. This is a good team, and they are only going to build in confidence after this result."