Close your eyes, if you will, and imagine the scenes at Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln on Wednesday when a New Zealand XI meets what can only loosely be described as a 'West Indies XI'.
The three-dayer will not have first-class status because Aaron Redmond and Jeet Raval will be opening the batting for the 'visitors'. West Indies test openers Chris Gayle and Kieran Powell were scheduled to finish a one-day series in India - such is the 'planning' of the future tours programme. Another opener will also have to be manufactured for at least the first test as Gayle recovers from a hamstring injury.
The New Zealand Cricket staff member who assumes the organising mantle will no doubt get Redmond and Raval together for a rousing pre-match chat.
NZC staff: "Now Aaron, we want you to impersonate Gayle, mon, presuming he recovers for the second test. You're both 34, born two days apart, so do your darnedest, you know, sunglasses indoors, uber-cool Jamaican swagger, sixes off the first ball of the match, that sort of shenanigans. Get a few and we might offer you a test spot.
"Jeet, today you're Kieran Powell. You're both left-handers, I know he's got three test centuries in 17 matches but get jiggy with it and give it a nudge."
