Early wickets spark West Indies hope
Published: Tuesday | March 10, 2009
Left: West Indies' Shivnarine Chanderpaul (right) kisses the ground after scoring a century on the fourth day of the fifth and final Digicel Test match against England at Queen's Park Oval in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, yesterday. At left is West Indies' Ryan Hinds. Right: West Indies middle-order batsman, Brendan Nash, celebrates scoring a century on the fourth day of the fifth and final Digicel Test cricket match against England, at Queen's Park Oval, Trinidad, yesterday. - Dellmar photo
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):
West Indies collected three late wickets to wobble England in their second innings after Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Brendan Nash struck hundreds that helped limit the visitors' first innings lead to just two runs in the fifth and final Test yesterday.
West Indies snared Andrew Strauss, Owais Shah and Alastair Cook cheaply to put England under early pressure and leave them on 80 for three in their second innings, at the close on the penultimate day of the Test at Queen's Park Oval.
This followed Chanderpaul's 21st Test hundred, a typically dogged, undefeated 147, and Nash's maiden Test hundred of 109, as West Indies were dismissed for 544, replying to England's first innings total of 546 for six declared.
But there were murmurs around the ground when Chris Gayle astonishingly brought himself into the attack after four overs when England batted a second time.
The West Indies captain had suffered a hamstring strain when batting the previous afternoon and was forced to retire hurt.
The sight of him leading the side on to the field was surprising enough, but when he chose to bowl, many could not believe their eyes.
He, however, struck with his fifth ball when he held an easy return catch to dismiss Strauss for 14.
Lionel Baker had shared the new ball with Fidel Edwards and scalped Shah for one. He had missed the England No.3, on one, when he offered a return chance off the leading edge, but the fast bowler could not react quickly enough to grab the catch.
Baker need not have worried too much. Two balls later, he delivered a wide half volley and Shah chased it, got a thin under edge and was caught behind without addition to his score.
West Indies might have had another wicket had Gayle asked for a referral, when Cook, on 11, played defensively forward, failed to touch his arm-ball and was struck on the pad.
Television replays showed had he referred, umpire Aleem Dar should have needed little convincing to inform Russell Tiffin that his 'not-out' verdict was incorrect.
But West Indies did not have to wait long to remove Cook. The England vice-captain played defensively forward to Ryan Hinds and was adjudged caught behind for 24 after he lost his appeal to the video umpire.
The late wickets have opened the way for West Indies to sneak an unexpected victory, but England will resume today's last day with the talismanic Kevin Pietersen not out on 34 and Paul Collingwood, a century-maker in their first innings, not out on one.
RECORD-EQUALLING TONS
Earlier, Nash and Chanderpaul carried the number of century-makers for West Indies to three, in the match to a record-equalling six and in the series to 16.
Before lunch, the Australia-born Nash, whose parents hail from Jamaica, reached his milestone from 234 balls when he flicked Monty Panesar through square leg for a deuce in a pretty uneventful morning.
The most excitement came when a frustrated Stuart Broad got into the face of umpire Daryl Harper, after he called wide, when the beanpole England fast bowler dug in a short delivery at Nash and it sailed high over the batsman's head.
After lunch, Chanderpaul crossed the threshold in style when he languidly straight drove his 288th ball from off-spinner Graeme Swann for the 10th of his one dozen fours.
But things did not all go West Indies' way. They also lost the wickets of Nash, fellow left-hander Ryan Hinds for 23 and Denesh Ramdin for 15 to reach 519 for seven at tea.
Nash fell in the first half-hour after lunch when he was caught at second slip off Stuart Broad edging a flat-footed drive to his well-pitched 257th ball outside the off-stump.
He and Chanderpaul shared a ground record-breaking stand of 234 for the fifth wicket to eclipse the mark set 56 years ago when Sir Everton Weekes and Bruce Pairaudeau put on 219 against India.
There was token resistance from the rest of the batting, as West Indies lost their last four wickets for 25 runs before more drama unfolded.
West Indies, who are leading 1-0, need only a draw to secure a series victory over England for the first time in 11 years and their first series victory over a side above them in the world rankings for six years.
ENGLAND 1st Innings
(P. Collingwood 161, A. Strauss 142, M. Prior 131 not out)
WEST INDIES 1st Innings
(overnight 349 for four)
| C. Gayle cStrauss b Swann | 102 |
| D.S. Smith b Panesar | 28 |
| D. Powell c Pietersen b Broad | 0 |
| R. Sarwan lbw b Khan | 14 |
| L. Simmons lbw b Panesar | 24 |
| S. Chanderpaul not out | 147 |
| B. Nash c Collingwood b Broad | 109 |
| R. Hinds st Prior b Swann | 23 |
| +D. Ramdin lbw b Anderson | 15 |
| F. Edwards c wkpr Prior b Broad | 8 |
| L. Baker lbw b Swann | 0 |
| Extras (b35, lb12, w11, nb16) | 74 |
| TOTAL (all out, 178.4 overs) | 544 |
Fall of wickets: 1-90 (Smith), 2-96 (Powell), 3-118 (Sarwan), 4-203 (Simmons), 5-437 (Nash), 6-482 (Hinds), 7-519 (+Ramdin), 8-526 (Strauss), 9-543 (Edwards). NB: C. Gayle retired hurt at 3-195 and returned at 7-519. Bowling: Anderson 32-7-70-1; Broad 30-11-67-3 (w1); Khan 25-1-111-1 (nb15, w10); Swann 45.4-12-130-3; Panesar 43-6-114-2; Pietersen 3-0-5-0. ENGLAND 2nd Innings A. Strauss c and bGayle | 14 |
| A. Cook c wkpr Ramdin b Hinds | 24 |
| O. Shah c wkpr Ramdin b Baker | 1 |
| K. Pietersen not out | 34 |
| P. Collingwood not out | 1 |
| Extras (b2, nb4) | 6 |
| TOTAL (3 wkts, 15 overs) | 80 |
Fall of wickets: 1-26 (Strauss), 2-27 (Shah), 3-72 (Cook). Bowling: Edwards 5-1-29-0 (nb4); Baker 5-1-21-1;Gayle 3-0-16-1; Hinds 2-0-12-1. Position: England lead by 82 runs with seven second innings wickets standing. Umpires: D. Harper, R. Tiffin, TV Replays: Aleem Dar, Reserve: Clyde Duncan. Match Referee: A. Hurst.
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