Cricket: England end the second day on top against West Indies

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CRICKET

RST NPOWER TEST, LORD'S, London

Second Day of the First Test - England VS West Indies

By Oliver Brett

It's the end of the 2nd day of the game between England and the West Indies at Lord's, with England in a dominant position.

England also achieved something that they haven't achieved since 1938 - having 4 players to score 100 or more runs each in the same innings.


At the end of Thursday's play they were 200-3. At the end of today's play, they reached the impressive score of 553-5. They could, of course, add to their score when play resumes tomorrow, but may decide to end it there by declaring overnight, and putting in West Indies to bat in the morning.

It's also England's first game with new manager Peter Moores in charge.

Ian Bell congratulates Matt Prior on his maiden Test century


END OF THE SECOND DAY OF THE FIRST TEST, England VS West Indies


1ST INNINGS

England: 553-5

Matt Prior became the first England wicket-keeper ever to hit a century on his Test debut as England made West Indies toil on the second day at Lord's.

Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood also made tons after Alastair Cook's on Thursday.

It was the first time since 1938 that four Englishmen had reached three figures in one innings of a Test.

Eventually, England reached 553-5 when, having turned down the offer of bad light, Bell and Prior had to walk off when the umpires ruled against them.

Prior's innings was a superbly confident display and vindicated his debatable selection for the side.

Many had felt he was elevated above other candidates having been a disciple of new coach Peter Moores when Moores had been at Sussex.

Although he came in with England in a strong position at 363-5, it was his clean hitting all the way through his innings that caught the eye.

Bell was on 56 when Prior came to the wicket, but the debutant was the first of the two to reach three figures in a stand of 190.

He pulled all the seamers, who were intent on testing him with bouncers, and looked equally at ease against the spinners.

Prior's front-foot cover-driving also looked in good order as he cruised past Jack Russell's 94 against Sri Lanka in 1984, eventually hitting his 105th ball faced, off Chris Gayle, for the four that brought him his century.

The first period of the day, played under cloudless skies, featured some impressive bowling by West Indies.

Cook adding just three runs to his overnight 102 in England's 200-3 did not last long, cutting Jerome Taylor to point.

But Taylor was also at the centre of three incidents - all of which should have ended Collingwood's innings in the 30s.

First he edged a drive to off Taylor to Daren Ganga at gully. The chance came at head height, but the West Indies vice-captain parried it onto the turf.

Umpire Asad Rauf was Collingwood's next saviour, declining a Taylor lbw appeal off a ball that would have sent off-stump cartwheeling.

Finally, Collingwood attempted a pull shot off Corey Collymore which ballooned down to Taylor at fine leg.

The fielder made a complete mess of the chance, barely getting his fingertips to the ball, and Collingwood finally dispensed with any further favours.

Collingwood profited from two dropped catches early on Friday


Bell took 17 balls to get off the mark but eventually put on 144 with Collingwood for the fourth wicket.

The afternoon session, even with the new ball taken, provided easy pickings for the two right-handers.

Bell brought up the 300 with a cover drive for four off Collymore, before Collingwood moved into the 70s by cutting Daren Powell to the point fence.

The hundred partnership came courtesy of another Collingwood off-side four off Powell before Taylor provided both batsmen with boundary opportunities which they did not spurn.

Collingwood reached his century with a controlled steer through the slips, just trickling up the slope in front of the MCC members.

The Durham man finally succumbed when Bravo found a bit of extra pace from somewhere to hit the corner of his off-stump.

Bell played second fiddle to the electric Prior in the final session, reaching his century in almost muted style with a gentle push through midwicket for one.

He ended the day on 109, Prior rattling past him to be 126. But their fun may well be cut short by an overnight declaration.

England: A J Strauss, A N Cook, I R Bell, K P Pietersen, P D Collingwood, O A Shah, M J Prior, L E Plunkett, S J Harmison, M J Hoggard, M S Panesar

West Indies: C H Gayle, D Ganga, D S Smith, R R Sarwan, S Chanderpaul, R S Morton, D J Bravo, D Ramdin, D B Powell, C D Collymore, J E Taylor

Alastair Cook resumes on 102 as England look to build on their overnight score of 200-3 against West Indies at Lord's
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Daren Ganga misses an early chance to make a breakthrough when he spills a Paul Collingwood slice at gully
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Collingwood then survives a plumb lbw shout before Jerome Taylor tempts Cook to slap one to Dwayne Bravo at gully
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But another chance goes begging when Collingwood pulls Daren Powell to midwicket and Taylor misjudges a sitter
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Collingwood makes the most of his fortune to reach his half century and he and Ian Bell take the score to 280-4 at lunch
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The duo bring up a century partnership after lunch and Bell completes his half century as England move on to 331-4
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Collingwood goes on to complete his fourth Test century with consecutive boundaries off Taylor as England move past 350
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But the Durham all-rounder's luck finally runs out on 111 when Bravo gets one to nip back and hit the top of off stump
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Sussex wicketkeeper Matt Prior is the new batsman and the debutant comfortably helps England through to tea on 372-5
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Prior races to his half century to become the first England wicketkeeper to reach the milestone on debut
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Bell plays a quieter role and scores just 25 runs to Prior's 72 as the sixth-wicket partnership moves past 100 runs
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And Prior cuts Chris Gayle through backward point to become the first English keeper to score a century on debut
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Moments later Bell becomes the fourth centurion of the innings - a feat achieved just once before by England in 1938
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The duo then refuse to go off for bad light and push the score on to 553-5 before the umpires bring an end to the day's play

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[Blackleaf]

It's the end of the Third Day of the First Test between England and the West Indies and England are still on top in the game at Lord's.


1st Innnings

England 553-5 declared
West Indies 363-7

England lead by 190 runs

England's Monty Panesar was in fine form and took four wickets as England lead the West Indies by 190 runs at the end of the Third Day


Spinner Monty Panesar took four wickets for England but West Indies fought back bravely on day three of the first Test.

Panesar bowled Devon Smith and trapped Ramnaresh Sarwan (35), Daren Ganga (49) and Runako Morton lbw as they slumped to 187-5 replying to 553-5 at Lord's.

But Dwayne Bravo (56), Shiv Chanderpaul (63no) and Denesh Ramdin (60) feasted on bad bowling as they closed on 363-7.

England were hampered by the absence of Matthew Hoggard, who did not bowl after suffering a thigh strain before lunch.

He could be available on Sunday after having a scan and England will need to polish the Windies off quickly and bat positively to prevent this game drifting towards a draw on a surface which has flattened considerably.

The home side's bowling was anything but inspired and Steve Harmison looked more like the man who endured an Ashes nightmare last winter than the one who was on top of the world in the Caribbean three years ago.

Indeed, the visitors, all of whom got starts, would have been in an even healthier position had they shown better judgement against slow left-armer Panesar, even though he bowled with great control.

After England declared on their overnight total, Chris Gayle and Ganga coped well with the movement through the air that Hoggard generated and the brisk opening spell delivered by Harmison at around the 90mph mark.

A change brought almost instant rewards when Liam Plunkett's second ball, a full delivery, beat a leaden-footed effort from Gayle (30) and knocked back off-stump.

Smith rode his luck to take over the role of aggressor from Gayle, cracking Plunkett and Hoggard on the up through the covers for three sumptuous boundaries with lunch approaching.

With Hoggard going off wincing in considerable pain, the home side were running out of ideas until Smith played for turn that was not there and Panesar had his first victim with his first ball.

Sarwan began positively but was never really comfortable against the spinner, although life was easier against Harmison, who sent a succession of deliveries down the leg-side.

Plunkett's accuracy also suffered when he replaced him and England were desperate for a lift.

Up stepped Panesar to deceive Sarwan (35), Ganga (49) and Morton - who saw Paul Collingwood drop a chance high at second slip when a Plunkett delivery reared up - with straightish deliveries, which umpire Asad Rauf bravely ruled would have gone on to hit the stumps.

However, Bravo successfully knocked Panesar out of his stride after tea by coming down the track to drive him twice through long-on.

Dwayne played fluently before giving his wicket away when well set


With no great turn on offer, other than occasionally from the rough patches, there was a bit of immunity for the talented all-rounder and successive heaves over mid-wicket and long-on brought him 10 runs which took him past 50 off 50 balls.

Stand-in skipper Andrew Strauss was again short of options and shuffled his bowlers around to force a breakthrough.

Even the dogged Collingwood had no answer to Bravo's impeccable timing and placement until, inexplicably, the Trinidadian tried to launch him into the crowd and succeeded only in finding Alastair Cook at deep mid-wicket.

England had a window of opportunity and Chanderpaul, who began cautiously, could have fallen soon after when he offered no shot to Panesar, but this time Rauf rejected a strong lbw appeal.

Ramdin could equally have been given out by Rauf when he pushed forward uncertainly - it was no different to the three successful shouts.

But the duo survived those scares to play a succession of handsome shots, none better than the two late cuts the wicket-keeper launched off Panesar.

Chanderpaul flicked Collingwood off his hips to take the score up to 300 and then edged wide of the keeper to bring up his fifty, and the runs continued to flow after the new ball was taken.

Harmison's confidence was shot by the end with the big Durham man finding it almost impossible to bowl anything straight, and when he did it was usually too full.

Ramdin three times collected pairs of boundaries off him, driving and cutting with real aplomb to emphatically record his fifth Test fifty and erase any doubts about whether the follow-on could be avoided. Even though he edged Plunkett to second slip minutes before the close, just as they were on the tortuous tour of Australia, all the demons were once more causing disarray in English minds.

England declare on their overnight score of 553-5 and Steve Harmison shares the new ball with Matthew Hoggard
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But it is Liam Plunkett who makes the breakthrough with his second ball - Chris Gayle departs to leave the Windies 38-1
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Windies vice-captain Daren Ganga is going along at a more sedate pace having made only five in the opening partnership
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Bad news for England though when Hoggard breaks down just before lunch with a thigh injury and has to leave the field
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However, there is time for an over from Monty Panesar and he strikes first ball to remove Devon Smith with a straight one
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Ramnaresh Sarwan comes in and rather than playing for lunch, he hits three glorious boundaries as the Windies reach 97-2
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151-3 becomes 165-4 when Panesar claims his third scalp - Ganga is out lbw, ending his steady 131-ball knock on 49

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Panesar is soon jumping for joy again when Runako Morton becomes his third lbw victim of the afternoon session
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Plunkett is all over the place though and Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Dwayne Bravo reach tea on 217-5
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Harmison helps Matt Prior work off his tea with a succession of leg-side deliveries as the tourists move past 250
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With Harmison and Plunkett mis-firing, Paul Collingwood is brought into the attack and he tempts Bravo into a pull shot
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But the Trinidadian only succeeds in picking out Alastair Cook at mid-wicket and the sixth-wicket partnership ends on 92
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bbc.co.uk/sport

 

[Blackleaf]

It's the end of the Fourth Day of the First Test, and England are heading for victory against the Windies.

1st Innings

England 553-5 declared
West Indies 437

2nd Innings

England 284-8 declared
West Indies 7-0

England lead by 393 runs




Pietersen puts England on front foot

20th May 2007

Kevin Pietersen's seventh Test hundred ensured England overcame the inconvenience of losing three wickets to Corey Collymore on day four of the first Test against West Indies at Lord's.



Pietersen (100no) shared a third-wicket stand of 88 with Alastair Cook (65) and then dominated Paul Collingwood in another unbroken 92-run partnership as England reached 231 for three - and an overall lead of 347 - with 21 overs left until stumps.

Strauss edged Collymore to Morton in the slips for 24





A declaration was therefore beginning to loom, once Pietersen had completed a 122-ball hundred - of which his first 50 was untypically circumspect, before he branched out with a series of drives either side of the wicket for the majority of his 12 boundaries.

He gave just one half-chance, on 94, when a thin edge down the leg side off Chris Gayle sneaked through Denesh Ramdin's gloves.

Cook's opening partner Andrew Strauss was the first to try to put some pace to England's innings when he played slightly across and nicked a good ball from Collymore, slanted across the left-hander to have him caught in the slips.

The wicketkeeper was on the card in Collymore's next over, Owais Shah an unlucky victim - pushing forward to a delivery which appeared to loop off his glove high and slowly enough for Ramdin to run round to leg and collect the catch. Shah's double failure in this match leaves him vulnerable to missing out at Headingley next week, should captain Michael Vaughan be fit again after his broken finger.

Cook will be in Leeds, however, and continued systematically to add to his first-innings century on a slow pitch which has favoured the batsmen throughout.

A vicious cut for four off Jerome Taylor was one of the left-handed opener's more memorable shots among eight boundaries in a 72-ball 50.

It was after tea by the time he became Collymore's third victim - a near action replay of Strauss' departure, but caught behind this time.

Cook had taken 53 balls over his last 15 runs, and Pietersen operated pretty conservatively too in an hour-long passage of play either side of tea which contained no boundaries.

England had been kept waiting until shortly before lunch to bat a second time while West Indies turned their overnight 363 for seven into 437 all out.

The tourists' tail wagged significantly this morning - despite only minor help from frontline batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul, and two more wickets from Monty Panesar towards a career-best six for 129.

Numbers nine and 10 Daren Powell and Taylor also broke new ground on their personal records, with handy innings of 36 not out and 21 respectively. Before then, Chanderpaul shouldered arms to some Panesar turn to give the slow left-armer the fourth of his five lbw successes - the middle-order man having added only 11 to his overnight 63.

Chanderpaul's 193-ball stay over, Powell and Taylor engaged in a sensible stand - taking what was on offer as Liam Plunkett and then Steve Harmison continued to err too often. The return of Harmison finally saw off Taylor, although hardly in the manner expected - the tailender crashing a Caribbean drive to square cover, where substitute fielder Lee Hodgson held a low catch.
Powell climbed into Harmison a couple more times, before last man Collymore became Panesar's final lbw victim - and only the second batsman, after Shah, to be dismissed for a single-figure score in this match.

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