Shivnarine Chanderpaul re-turned to the West Indies team with a bang yesterday as he slammed 84 off 96 deliveries in a vain cause as England defeated the West Indies by two wickets in a thriller at Bourda.

Left out of the team controversially for the last test match in Antigua, the Guyanese proved his class after starting slowly in the match that was reduced to 30 overs because of a rainstorm on Friday that left the Bourda sward wet until midday yesterday.

Scores in the match, West Indies 156-5 in 30 overs. England 157-8 in 29.3 overs.

Chanderpaul spent 136 minutes at the wicket for his 84 which included 11 boundaries and two towering sixes.

Sylvester Joseph was left unbeaten on 23. He faced 32 deliveries and spent 51 minutes at the wicket.
England's Chris Reid smashes Cory Collymore for a boundary during his Man-of-the-Match knock of 27 off 15 deliveries at the GCC ground, Bourda yesterday (Photo by Lawrence Fanfair).

The other not out batsman was Ridley Jacobs (2).

After being in trouble of loosing the match at 119-6, Chris Read, later named man-of-the match by adjudicator Clyde Butts, joined Ricky Clarke at the wicket with four overs remaining and 28 runs needed.

England sunk further into trouble when Gayle ran out Clarke two deliveries into the 27th over.

Read played down to a delivery from Gayle, Clarke went scampering down the wicket for a single but Read did not respond and Jacobs picked up the ball and threw it to Gayle who effected the run out at the non-striker's end.

Collymore then replaced Ravi Rampaul at the southern end and Read went on the onslaught by playing through the line and hitting him (Collymore) for a towering six.

With three overs remaining and 26 runs required, Rampaul was switched to the northern end and managed to restrict the hard hitting Read although five runs came off the over.

In Collymore's next over, Read smashed him over long off for six, then gave himself room for the next delivery and sent Collymore's delivery past Sarwan at backward point for four. He then stroked the next delivery effortlessly over the long-on boundary for another six to take 16 runs of the over.

With six deliveries remaining and four runs required, Gayle removed Read who was going for a big hit outside off stump and wicket keeper Jacobs removed his bails.

Daren Gough then saw his team to victory by taking two quick runs off the third delivery of the final over which was bowled by Gayle.

Earlier, the West Indies lost the toss and was invited to bat first. They lost opener Chris Gayle (2) bowled by Gough with an in-swinger that rocked back his off-stump.

Ricardo Powell (10) joined Chanderpaul and clipped Steve Harmison off his legs for a boundary at 14-1.

Three deliveries later, Powell straight drove Harmison for another boundary. However, Flintoff took a good return catch from Powell with the second delivery of his next over to put the West Indies in early trouble at 2-25.

Sarwan (00) joined Chanderpaul but after facing only two deliveries, the West Indies captain went marching back to the pavilion, LBW to Flintoff.

Dwayne Smith joined Chanderpaul and came off the mark with a square cut. He then survived a confident lbw appeal off Kirtley's bowling then got an outside edge to the third man boundary for another four.

He was subsequently caught at cover off Clarke's bowling with the score at 64.

Joseph joined Chanderpaul who started to get into his game and the two posted an 87-run partnersship for the fifth wicket.

Chanderpaul hooked Flintoff for a four, then found the gap through extra cover for another four.

He subsequently swept Collingwood to fine leg for the first of his two sixes, then put him (Collingwood) past backward square leg and straight drove him for two more boundaries.

In the 23rd over, Chanderpaul struck Flintoff through mid-on for four then sent two deliveries from Kirtley for two boundaries. One came backward of square and the other was a cover drive.

He subsequently sent Flintoff backward of point for four and played a cover drive off Gough for another four.