Windies v Poms - ODI series

[Donny]

England steal a thrilling two-wicket victory

The Wisden Bulletin by Freddie Auld


Chris Read helped England to snatch an unlikely and exciting two-wicket victory in the opening one-dayer against West Indies at Bourda. After Shivnarine Chanderpaul guided his side to 156 for 5 from their 30 overs, Read smashed England to victory with 17 runs off the penultimate over when they seemed dead and buried.

The start was delayed by four hours while the groundstaff, with the help of an army helicopter, mopped up the soggy outfield. As a result, the game was reduced to 30 overs a side on a slow, sluggish pitch difficult for batsmen, and the drama which unfolded was well worth the wait.

After a middle-order collapse, England still required 21 from the final two overs, with only three wickets left. Read and Darren Gough were at the crease and you could have bet your house on a Windies win – the packed crowd at Georgetown certainly thought so anyway. However, they were stunned into silence as the batsmen stole victory in the fading light. Corey Collymore was the man entrusted with that penultimate over, and unlike his younger, less experienced team-mates, he couldn't keep things tight when it mattered.

Read smashed the third ball over mid-off for six, sliced the next delivery for four over point, and then completed the set with a towering blow over midwicket. England then needed three from the final over. In keeping with the drama, Read was bowled by Chris Gayle, but Gough held his nerve to hit the winning runs in his comeback game. It was a cruel ending for West Indies, especially after the local hero, Chanderpaul, had got the joint jumping early on.

The only batsmen to master the conditions, Chanderpaul's innings was a tale of two parts. The first half was boring, the second breathtaking. He isn't the most prolific runscorer at the best of times, and at his worst he's a stonewaller supreme – as he was for 17 overs today. Out of synch in the Test series, he laboured to 9 from 50 balls - all in singles – with little feet movement and no timing.

However, he hit Stephen Harmison over midwicket for his first four, and then smacked the next ball over mid-on and into the Rohan Kanhai stand. That shot was the kiss of life he and his side desperately needed after their rocky start.

The boundaries started to flow like champagne. He thrilled the crowd with a remarkable flick-sweep for six, the first of three successive boundaries off the expensive Paul Collingwood. He passed his half-century off 72 balls, and the momentum had suddenly swung West Indies' way as Chanderpaul improvised in his own impish way.

In all, Michael Vaughan used seven bowlers, and it was his most experienced, Gough, who finally got Chanderpaul, who chipped him to Rikki Clarke at extra cover in the penultimate over (151 for 5).

It was an amazing turnaround and that innings gave West Indies a sporting chance of winning the game – especially after their nightmare start in which they slumped to 64 for 4. The top order – bar Chanderpaul – all fell cheaply, and at that stage, West Indies were drowning fast. However, Sylvester Joseph steadied the ship with a sensible 23 not out and gave Chanderpaul vital support.

England's reply got off to shaky start, when Vaughan fell in the first over nibbling at a pearler from Merv Dillon. The ball landed on a perfect length, held its line, and Vaughan nicked it through high to Ridley Jacobs for a duck (1 for 1). Andrew Strauss, in only his second one-dayer, impressed from the start. He scored five stylish boundaries until he spoilt all his hard work when, instead of playing straight, he tried to whip the debutant Dwayne Bravo through the onside and was clean bowled for 29 (60 for 2).

Trescothick was less assured, and just when England needed him to see them home after Flintoff's departure, he was bowled by Bravo. The ball kept a little low, but Trescothick played a horrible swipe across the line (75 for 4). Flintoff started with a bang, clipping Ravi Rampaul over square-leg for six. However, he again gave his wicket away when he tried to pull a quicker ball from Gayle and bottom-edged to Jacobs (75 for 3).

Collingwood and Ian Blackwell were immediately thrown in at the deep end with England requiring over eight an over. Collingwood was dunked under the surface by a sparkling catch by Dwayne Smith, running from deep midwicket to take a sliding catch (108 for 5).

Blackwell struck two meaty blows off Dillon and Rampaul, the second of which hit someone in the stands, before he was bowled by Rampaul trying to launch another bruising boundary (119 for 6). Clarke was then run out by a mile after a gormless mix-up with Read (120 for 7), and just when England seemed down and out, Read, likely to be the forgotten man of the Test side, took centre stage to see England home.