LONDON — Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Marlon Samuels launched a rearguard action as they battled to prevent the West Indies going down to defeat by England in the first Test at Lord’s Saturday.
West Indies, in dire straits after losing three wickets on 36, had recovered to 120 for four in their second innings at stumps on the third day.
That still left it 35 runs behind England’s first innings 398.
Chanderpaul, officially the world’s best Test batsman, dug-in to be 34 not out in two-and-a-half hours of typical defiance.<
br>Meanwhile, Samuels offered sound support in an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 55 in 113 balls to be 26 not out at the close.
Shortly before stumps, England thought they had Chanderpaul lbw for 22.
First-change Tim Bresnan, from around the wicket, had his appeal rejected by South African umpire Marais Erasmus but England captain Andrew Strauss called for a review. However, replays indicated the ball would have missed leg stump.
The West Indies, 155 behind on first innings, saw openers Adrian Barath and Kieran Powell put on 36 for the first wicket.
But in sight of getting through a tricky pre-tea session, Barath (24) was undone by Bresnan’s fifth ball of the innings, an excellent leg-cutter he could only edge to wicketkeeper Matt Prior.
Powell was far more culpable in his dismissal for eight, languidly top-edging a pull off Stuart Broad to Ian Bell, running round from deep square leg.
And worse followed when Kirk Edwards was run out for nought.
Darren Bravo nudged the ball and non-striker Edwards sprinted half-way down the pitch for a single that was never on.
England debutant Jonathan Bairstow, as Edwards turned back, threw down the stumps at the bowler’s end from cover-point.
West Indies had lost three wickets for no runs in nine balls, with Bravo nought not out at tea.
Chanderpaul, who seems to have spent the bulk of his Test career conducting salvage operations came in after the interval.
The left-hander might have gone for two when he tried to uppercut Bresnan and leaping third slip James Anderson failed to hold a tough left-handed chance.
West Indies kept England at bay with a fourth-wicket stand of 29 between Bravo and Chanderpaul.
But Bravo went for 21 when off-spinner Graeme Swann, from around the wicket, clean bowled the left-hander, who inexplicably played no stroke to leave the West Indies 65 for four.
Earlier, an improved West Indies bowling display saw four England wickets fall in the day’s first session after the host resumed on 259 for three. Strauss was then 121 not out, having ended his 18-month wait for a Test century Friday. But the opener added just one run before being caught behind off an inside-edge against Kemar Roach.
However, a ninth-wicket partnership of 55 in 47 balls after lunch between Bell and Swann, whose exuberant 30 featured six fours, strengthened England’s position.
Bell was last man out for a patient 61 when he pulled debutant fast bowler Shannon Gabriel to Powell at deep backward square leg. — AFP
Print
Post Comment 
