Bdos: Fighting off the Brits with the help of Henry V

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more The West Indies go into the Third Test Match on Thursday at Kensington against England. The title above sounds and seems apt, but it feels like sacrilege. How can I, the most unrepentant of West Indians quote Shakespeare, the most British of writers, to head a column when the West Indians are going to take on the Poms within the week?

The words that form the headline were attributed to King Henry V of England as he stood before his troops on the way to the Battle of Agincourt. The king had decided to invade France. He lured the French into premature attack and inflicted on them the most staggering of defeats. What does this portend for Lara and his men? Shakespeare is as much part of our colonial culture as he is that of our imperial masters. And Kensington cannot be our Agincourt. We have already suffered the most staggering of our defeats at Sabina Park less than a month ago.