ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC - West Indies captain Brian Lara, and Englishmen Graham Thorpe and Steve Harmison boast impressive statistics at the end of the Cable & Wireless Test series.
Lara’s world record 400 not out in the 4th Test at the ARG this week propelled him to a series-best 500 runs while Thorpe had the best average -- 91.33.
Fast bowler Harmison, the man-of-the-series, claimed 23 wickets, by far the most by any bowler in the four-match series.
Lara, who rebounded after meagre returns in the first three Tests, easily led the West Indies batting while averaging 83.33.
Ridley Jacobs, who helped facilitate Lara’s world record effort with a solid century, was the next highest scorer for the West Indies with 277 runs, at an average of 46.16.
Devon Smith, confined to only two Tests because of injury, gathered 172 runs for his team’s third-best average of 43.00.
Frontline batsmen Ramnaresh Sarwan (27.42), Chris Gayle (26.00), Shivnarine Chanderpaul (16.83) and Darren Ganga (10.66) all produced poor averages.
Pacer Tino Best was the top West Indies wicket-taker with 12 victims at 25.08 runs apiece, ahead of Pedro Collins (11) and Fidel Edwards (10), although part-time leg-spinner Sarwan had the best average -- 17.66 apiece for his three wickets.
Thorpe stroked 274 runs including a century for his 90-plus average, while Mark Butcher got most runs for England -- 296, for an average of 59.20.
Andy Flintoff (50.00) was one of only four players in the series to achieve a batting average of 50 or better.
Harmison’s 23 wickets came at a remarkable average of 14.86, as he led pace partner Matthew Hoggard, with 13 wickets at 25.07.