Openers finally find range to give England hope
Wednesday, April 14, 2004
ST. JOHNS, Antigua (AFP): Following on 466
runs behind on first innings, England were battling hard to save the fourth
and final cricket Test against West Indies on Tuesday.
With West Indies hunting wickets and a victory, opening batsmen Marcus
Trescothick and captain Michael Vaughan gave England a sound platform for the
first time in the series as the visitors reached 145 without loss in their
second innings when stumps were drawn on the fourth and penultimate day.
Trescothick was unbeaten on 74 and Vaughan was undefeated on 61, after Andrew
Flintoff gave the visitors hope of avoiding a crushing defeat when he
completed his third Test hundred. Flintoff
struck 13 fours and one six from 224 balls in an undefeated 102 that lasted
5-1/2 hours, as England were dismissed for 285, replying to West Indies first
innings total of 751 for five declared. The
tall, rugged Flintoff remained unflappable, despite being dropped twice before
lunch to bring some respectability to the England innings and land his third
test century. Let-off the previous evening by
West Indies captain Brian Lara at slip off Ramnaresh Sarwan, the England
all-rounder gained a reprieve when Ricardo Powell floored him on 56 at gully
off Pedro Collins, who later failed to hold a return chance when the batsman
was 67. Collins was the pick of the West
Indies bowlers with four wickets for 76 runs from 26 overs, and gained
essential support from Tino Best with three for 37 from 10.3 overs and Fidel
Edwards two for 70 from 18. Recognising the
easy nature of the pitch and this was their last opportunity to make amends
for their poor form, Vaughan and Trescothick batted confidently for their
biggest partnership of the series in Englands second innings.
Fortune favoured Trescothick twice. Umpire
Darrell Hair gave him the benefit of the doubt early in his knock when West
Indies appealed for a catch off the glove to the keeper down the leg side off
Best, and on 55, Chris Gayle at slip muffed a chance when he late cut Ryan
Hinds. Trescothick hit eight fours from 158
balls and Vaughan struck half-dozen fours from 137 balls in the 3-1/4 hours
they batted together before the close.
Earlier, England continued from their overnight position of 171 for five, but
the West Indies struck early when Fidel Edwards bowled Geraint Jones for 38 in
the first half-hour to leave the visitors 182 for six.
For just over an hour, Flintoff and Gareth Batty defied the West Indies
attack. Runs were at a premium, but the two batsmen wore the bowlers down on
the hard, easy-paced Antigua Recreation Ground pitch.
West Indies captain Brian Lara introduced Collins from the Factory Road End
and he produced two wickets in the final half-hour before lunch.
Batty was caught at first slip for eight and
Matthew Hoggard became Ridley Jacobs 201st victim in Tests when he edged
playing defensively forward and was caught behind for one.
England reached 231 for eight at lunch and, after the interval, attention
turned to Flintoff to see if he could take advantage of the pitch to hit a
hundred. He eventually reached the landmark
thanks to tailenders Simon Jones and Steve Harmison with whom he gathered 57
valuable runs towards the end. Scoreboard at
stumps on the fourth day of the fourth and final cricket Test:
West Indies 1st Innings 751 for five decld (B. Lara 400 not out, R. Jacobs 107
not out; G. Batty 2-185) England 1st Innings
(overnight 171 for five)
M. Trescothick c Jacobs b Best 16
M. Vaughan c Jacobs b Collins 7
M. Butcher b Collins 52
N. Hussain b Best 3
G. Thorpe c Collins b Edwards 10
A. Flintoff not out 102
G. Jones b Edwards 38
G. Batty c Gayle b Collins 8
M. Hoggard c Jacobs b Collins 1
S. Jones lbw b Hinds 11
S. Harmison b Best 5
Extras (b1, lb5, w4, nb22) 32
Total (all out) 285 Fall of wickets: 1-8,
2-45, 3-54, 4-98, 5-98, 6-182, 7-205, 8-228, 9-283. NB: S. Jones retired hurt
on 11 from 8-277 to 9-283.
Bowling: Collins 26-4-76-4 (nb14, w3); Edwards 18-3-70-2 (nb5, w1); Collymore
19-5-45-0 (nb1); Best 10.3-3-37-3 (nb1); Hinds 17.3-7-29-1 (nb1); Sarwan
7-0-18-0; Gayle 1-0-4-0.
Overs: 99 England 2nd Innings (following on)
M. Trescothick not out 74
M. Vaughan not out 61
Extras (lb1, w2, nb7) 10
Total (without loss) 145 Bowling: Best
8-1-20-0 (w1); Edwards 9-2-29-0 (nb3, w1); Collymore 7-2-22-0; Powell
3-0-17-0; Hinds 13-1-37-0 (nb2); Gayle 7-1-19-0 (nb2); Sarwan 1-1-0-0.
Overs: 48 Position: England trail West Indies
by 321 runs with all second innings wickets standing.
Umpires: D. Hair, Aleem Dar, TV Replays: B. Doctrove, Reserve: C. Mack.
Match Referee: M. Procter.
Back...
Most popular
articles: viewed, printed and e-mailed
Printable
version
| 
