The Hindu : Caribbeans cruise into final

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 03, 2004

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Caribbeans cruise into final

By Sanjay Rajan

DHAKA, MARCH 2. It probably has something to do with the Guyanese connection. Assad Fudadin has Shivnarine Chanderpaul's touch, and thankfully for the colts in maroon the latter's cool disposition too.

West Indies skipper Denesh Ramdin did his side a huge favour by calling correctly. But a bad start to the innings in the day/night semifinal against

England at the Banganandhu National Stadium on Tuesday nullified a chunk of the advantage of batting first.

Fudadin walked in with the score at 30 for two in the 10th over, fully aware that on his shoulders rested the side's aspirations of a place in the final of the ICC under-19 cricket World Cup, and he didn't let his side down.

West Indies won by 94 runs and will lock horns with Pakistan on March 5. It is now certain that the 2004 edition will have a new champion.

West Indies needed to score around 240 to have a fair chance, and that seemed a distant dream when Fudadin walked in.

Meanwhile, things were working according to plan for England skipper Alastair Cook. His new-ball attack of Tim Bresnan and Adam Harrison had bowled accurate first spells. It was left to mediumpacer David Stiff, left-arm spinner Samit Patel and the rest to keep things tight, which they did for a while.

The left-handed Fudadin (51, 70b, 7x4) settled down, allowing opener Xavier Marshall, who took his chances, to dominate the 39-run stand before Marshall mistimed a lofted drive off mediumpacer Luke Wright to be caught by Lawson, who ran to his left from mid-off to hold on. The fourth-wicket stand of 68 between Fudadin and wicketkeeper-bat Ramdin

(72, 85b, 7x4) put the side on the road to recovery. This phase saw the aggressive streak in Fudadin, who drove Wright and leg-spinner Mark Lawson with aplomb before playing-on to Harrison, in the first over of the bowler's second spell. This was in the 32nd over with the score at 137 for four. But by then he had done his job.

Jonathan Augustus' stay was short, but the sixth-wicket pair of Ramdin and Zamal Khan (60 not out, 49b, 7x4, 1x6), another southpaw from Guyana, put on 87 in 12 overs, which saw the side race past 200 and well towards its eventual tally.

Much depended on a good start for England and, of course, Cook had to lead the way. The left-hander put on 32 with Ravinder Bopara before the latter's exit — top-edging speedster Ravi Rampaul — set off a collapse that saw two more wickets fall in quick time.

England promoted hard-hitter Bresnan to the No. 5 slot in the hope of getting quick runs. He used the long-handle to good effect, cracking a 40-ball 41 with six boundaries and a six. But Cook's exit at that point, bowled by Rampaul in the first over of the bowler's second spell, put the skids on England. Rampaul was impressive, both incisive and tight.

Bresnan's dismissal, run out to his bad call while in the company of Patel, made matters worse. And when Patel, the last recognised batsman, departed, failing to keep his ondrive down, it was well and truly over for the 1998 champion. Ramdin was adjudged the Man of the Match.

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