RAMNARESH Sarwan tosses the coin in his first outing as West Indies captain in yesterday’s first Cable & Wireless One-day International at Bourda. England skipper Michael Vaughn and Match Referee Jeff Crowe look on.
WICKET-keeper Chris Read produced a cameo 15-ball innings of 27 to propel England to a dramatic two-wicket victory over West Indies in the first Cable & Wireless One-day International at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) ground, Bourda yesterday.
With defeat staring the visitors in the face, Read launched a blistering attack on fast bowler Corey Collymore, clobbing him for 17 runs in the penultimate over as England reached 157 for eight, after the home side had ended on156 for five in the reduced 30-over game.
Read’s effort earned him the man-of-the-match award which looked to be firmly in the grasp of Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who had earlier slammed a scintillating 84 when West Indies were inserted by England captain Michael Vaughn. Ironically, both players were discarded by their respective sides for the fourth and final Cable & Wireless Test, played at the Antigua Recreation Ground (ARG) and apparently chose the occasion to vent their feelings.
When play finally started at 13:00 hrs after the authorities had allowed the ground to dry out following the drenching it took from more than two days rain, the England captain had no hesitation in asking West Indies to take first strike, a decision which seemed justified with both Chanderpaul and Chris Gayle struggling to find their touch.
Gayle (two) eventually lost his off-stump to the experienced Darren Gough while West Indies slipped to 25 for three after all-rounder Andrew Flintoff struck a double blow, removing Ricardo Powell (10) and skipper Ramnaresh Sarwan (0), the former going caught and bowled and Sarwan, in his first game as West Indies captain, trapped lbw to the second delivery he received.
SHIVNARINE Chanderpaul acknowledges the cheers of the spectators after reaching an entertaining half-century. (Pictures by Winston Oudkerk).
Flintoff was again in the action when he took a sharp catch at mid-off to send the aggressive Dwayne Smith (16) back to the pavilion in medium pacer Rikki Clarke’s first over.
A change of bat, saw a complete change in the attitude of Chanderpaul who was joined by Sylvester Joseph. Like he did against Australia in the first Test at the same venue last year, Chanderpaul took command of the situation in an enthralling batting display, much to the delight of his home fans.
After plodding around for sometime, Chanderpaul upped the tempo with consecutive boundaries off Steve Harmison, the second over the long-on boundary for the first of his two sixes.
Medium pacer Paul Collingwood also came in for some rough treatment in his only over which cost 17 runs as the rampant Chanderpaul swept him over long leg for six, drove him exquisitely through backward square while a back-foot drive left the fans spell bound.
Looking well set for his fourth One-day century, Chanderpaul was denied same when he skied the returning Gough to Clarke at short extra cover, his 84 coming off 96 balls with 11 fours and two sixes.
In the end, Joseph was left undefeated on 23 and wicket-keeper Ridley Jacobs two.
Gough, England’s leading One-day bowler, finished with two for 22, the same as Flintoff, both completing their quota of six overs.
England started rather disastrously, losing their captain Vaughn (0) in the first over, the tall right-hander edging fast bowler Mervyn Dillon to wicket-keeper Jacobs with the score on one.
His partner Marcus Trescothick was also lucky to survive after attempting a suicidal single off the first delivery.
Despite not looking at his best, Trescothick and fellow left-hander Andrew Strauss brought England back into the picture by adding 59 in 14 overs for the second wicket before debutant Dwayne Bravo comprehensively bowled Strauss for 29.
With off-spinner Gayle finding the outside edge of Flintoff (eight), who had looked dangerous with an effortless six off Ravi Rampaul and Bravo knocking back the stumps of a struggling Trescothick (26), England had slid from 60 for one to 75 for four.
The hard-hitting Ian Blackwell with two massive sixes over long-on and a four in a quick-fire 27 and Paul Collingwood (10) again stalled the West Indies progress, adding a valuable 33 for the fifth wicket but once they departed within 11 runs of each other, the excitement was at fever pitch.
Collingwood was dismissed by a marvelous running catch by Smith on the deep mid-wicket boundary as he tried to hoist Gayle out of the ground while Blackwood, who had hit Rampaul over long-on for six, had his stumps shattered in the same over by the teenage fast bowler.
A terrible mix-up between Clarke and Read, saw the former being left stranded down the pitch as Jacobs whipped the ball to bowler Gayle. It was then 120 for seven in the 26th over and West Indies looked in the driver’s seat.
Read had however made his intentions quite clear with a few lusty blows but neither the fans on hand nor Collymore had catered for what was to unfold.
With England needing 21 in the final two overs, Read sent the Bourda spectators into almost complete silence as he hammered Collymore for six, four, six and a single and with Gough getting a single off the first ball, it meant that 18 runs had come from the over.
The rest was a formality as Gough (nine not out) and Harmison (0 not out) ensured there were no further alarms as England took a one-nil lead in the seven-match series.
Gayle finished with three for 20 from 5.3 overs while Bravo took two for 31 from six.
The victory marked England’s fifth triumph in 23 games in the Caribbean and follows on the heels of their historic three-nil whipping in the Test series.
The first of the back-to-back One-dayers is set for the Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago on Saturday.