Bdos: Here's the shameful report of Windies first innings fall

BATTING lunacy condemned the West Indies to another disappointing total, presenting England with an excellent opportunity to make headway in the third Test match of the 2004 Cable and Wireless series Kensington Oval, yesterday.

The old problems of inconsistency and impatience combined to undermine the West Indies, as Andy Flintoff became the third England fast bowler, in as many Test matches on tour, to secure a five-wicket haul.
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England’s bowlers toiled manfully, with the crowd, which featured thousands of English fans, giving them vocal support. Harmison, the chief wrecker in the first two Test matches, had his way again with the top order, while Flintoff destroyed the middle and lower orders.

Flintoff secured the wickets of Chanderpaul, Jacobs, Tino Best and Fidel Edwards, in a spell of 4.2-1-12-4 after tea, which helped to reduce the West Indies from 167/4 to 224 all out at 4:44 p.m. Flintoff’s effort caused West Indies to lose seven wickets for 57 runs during a session of high drama, as the West Indies failed to build on solid partnerships between first Lara and Sarwan (68) and later Sarwan and Chanderpaul (79).

England’s reply was undermined initially with the dismissal of Marcus Trescothick, bowled off the inside edge by the pacy Fidel Edwards for two. They will resume on 20/1, with their captain Michael Vaughn unbeaten on 12, and Mark Butcher unbeaten on three, as the West Indian bowlers will be aware that they will have a lot of work to do to keep the English reply in check.

English pressure was consistent throughout the day, despite the early presence of Lara whose dismissal came at a crucial time – five overs after lunch. The West Indies captain, in a less than productive run-scoring series, came to the crease at the number three position, after the dismissal of Gayle and had successfully battled his way through to lunch with his vice-captain, Sarwan.

Lara went on the attack after lunch, before his dismissal which shocked the crowd. After pulling a short delivery to the boundary, he went back and tamely edged a full length ball to gully, where Mark Butcher accepted a regulation catch. That ended a 68-run third wicket partnership, which had rescued the West Indies from the uncertainty of 20/2, after the first hour’s play. He made 36, with six fours, in 71 balls and in 110 minutes.

Later, as if disturbed by the accurate bowling of Harmison, or the crescendo of chants from the Barmy Army which emanated from the newly constructed stand at Kensington Oval, Sarwan lost his concentration as he has done several times throughout this series. Trying to drive a delivery from Harmison on the up through the off-side, he edged a regulation catch to Flintoff at second slip. Just when a hundred beckoned, Sarwan departed the scene for 63, which included six fours, off 150 balls in 206 minutes of batting.

Frustrated West Indian fans watched as the West Indian team fell to the same plans of attack as in the two previous matches in the Test series. All of the top six in the West Indian line-up got starts, but could not push on against a disciplined and determined English attack. Ridley Jacobs, yet again was surprised by a quick leg-stump bouncer, which he looped to gully, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, played another loose stroke outside the off-stump to be caught at slip. It looked like something out of a bad movie. Ryan Hinds, back in the side, replacing Dwayne Smith did not last long. After whip- ping Ashley Giles, wide of mid-on for four runs to get off the mark, he was suckered into an ill- advised pull shot against Harmison, only to top-edge a catch to fine-leg for five....

Bring back the good old days when Windies played winning cricket.