The Hindu : Harmison scythes through Windies

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 16, 2004

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Sport - Cricket

Harmison scythes through Windies

By Ted Corbett

West Indies 311 & 47; -- England 339 & 20 for no loss

KINGSTON, MARCH 15. Steve Harmison, the England fast bowler, shot out West Indies for the lowest total in its history at Sabina Park on Sunday in two hours that will forever bring shame to a side that used to be the greatest anywhere on earth. It managed just 47, which wiped out some of the bad memories of England's 46 at Port of Spain, Trinidad, ten years and a new mark compared with the Windies' 51 against Australia five years ago.

Harmison had seven for 12 and England scored the 20 runs it needed in three overs to win the first Test of four by ten wickets.

Graham Gooch's side won at Sabina in 1990 and almost won the series, a feat that now seems open to England after 36 years. It was a staggering performance by Harmison, the lad who claims he does not like travelling but who has improved as a bowler by leaps and bounds in the last two years.

His 6ft 6in, sparely built frame in spindly legs, reminds everyone of a clown on stilts and his two wickets for 69 in the West Indies first innings brought criticism from the locals who expect their pacemen to be able to bowl 25 overs in the heat as well as taking wickets at 20 runs each.

There was a feeling that wickets might fall on this pitch and 20 minutes after the early start — an attempt to get back some of 45 overs lost to rain and bad light — West Indies lost Chris Gayle who reached for a ball from Steve Harmison, edged it to second slip where Graham Thorpe held on to the ball even though the force of the shot knocked him backwards.

With the ball keeping low at times there was ample chance for Harmison to prove his ability and in his next over he trapped Ramnaresh Sarwan lbw for nought, playing back and a touch unlucky for the ball looked high.

It has been a miserable match for Sarwan, out twice without scoring and mocked for his captaincy when Brian Lara was off the field. Lara did not bat at No. 4 but sent in Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

Chanderpaul did not last long, bowled between bat and pad by another sharp ball from Harmison.

Now Lara had to come to the wicket, to an acclamation fit for a prince, but with West Indies 15 for three and needing around 300 to make a match of it on the last day no-one envied him his task, especially as he still in pain from his dislocated right little finger.

Harmison had three wickets for one run in 14 balls; the matchstick man was on fire. The England players ran to touch him at the end of each over, partly to convey good wishes, partly to share his good luck.

One more run and Matthew Hoggard joined in the fun. He got a ball to rear away from Lara who edged it to Andrew Flintoff at second slip. At 18 for four West Indies had lost its stars leaving young Devon Smith, a spectator at this earthquake, to guide an insubstantial lower order towards a respectable total.

Three runs later we were beginning to think of a wipe-out when Smith drove hard at Hoggard and was caught and bowled. Half the side out and still seven behind, West Indies seemed a lost cause and significantly the disco was silent and the Barmy Army jubilant.

West Indians streaming in from Matins at their local church stood open-mouthed at the gates; divine intervention was an absolute necessity now or the match would finish before tonight's Evensong.

A couple of robust strokes from the wicket-keeper Ridley Jacobs gave West Indies the lead but Paul Collingwood, the substitute for Mark Butcher, dropped him in the gully off Harmison on 15.

In the next over Harmison made the ball rap his gloves and Hussain snapped up the chance at short leg. Tino Best lasted two balls before he gloved a rising ball to Chris Read and Thorpe, the third of six slips, dropped Adam Sanford first ball.

At 43 for eight Harmison mopped up the last two wickets to complete match figures of 33.3-14-73-9. West Indies was out for the 15th lowest Test score by any side. A scare story that England might be kidnap victims in Trinidad were treated with some scorn by its management but it will take the precaution of obtaining local advice and warn the players not to go out alone.

It is more likely that, after Sunday's mugging, Trinidad's villains may ask England's advice about kidnapping!

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