The Hindu : Sport : Gritty Chanderpaul leads West Indies's fightback

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Monday, Jun 11, 2007
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Gritty Chanderpaul leads West Indies's fightback

Ted Corbett

An exciting climax to the match is on the cards

MANCHESTER: The big news from Old Trafford is that all is right with the world; Steve Harmison has bowled 11 successive balls in the same spot, delivered eight overs for 12 runs and led England's attempt to wrap up the third Test against West Indies and take the series 2-0. Even his second spell, nothing like as impressive as his first, still had none of the horrors of his recent wide-filled spells.

Allan Donald, the new bowling coach, seems to have revived the old Harmy but neither the bowlers nor their new mentor could get rid of Chanderpaul who made 81 not out of West Indies' score of 301 for five, way beyond its expectations when Harmison bowled that shock early spell.

Tight spell

Harmison's eight overs in the first session were as tight as any of the legendary old-timers: 8-5-12-1 would have been proud figures for Kapil Dev, Curtly Ambrose than his revved up 90 miles an hour, might have had a wicket and when he completed his first over, a maiden, I swear the crowd was on the point of giving him a standing ovation. Michael Vaughan left him on instead of taking him off after six overs so that the big, shy man could feel the confidence oozing back.

Perhaps it was something Donald said, perhaps it was the presence of his pal Andrew Flintoff in the crowd, perhaps it was a magic potion, or maybe the sight of his brother Ben, also a Durham first team player, as 12th man.

A tonic

Whatever it was it would be a tonic to Harmison and the team, which will be a formidable force again if he can be expected to deliver spells of that sort from time to time. He had Daren Ganga leg-before overnight and the enigma that is Chris Gayle caught in the slips by Paul Collingwood in his third over.

Devon Smith battled with a purpose until twenty minutes before lunch at 99 for three with Panesar, who had Smith caught for 42. After lunch Vaughan brought on Kevin Pietersen instead of Panesar and in the following over Panesar dropped a catch at mid-on off Chanderpaul on 18 that should have been taken. Chanderpaul has played 103 Tests and needed no second invitation to improve his batting average.

He had to endure an appeal every other ball, screams of anguish as the ball fell short of a fielder. England on top is as excitable as any side from the sub-continent and at the other end it worked as Panesar persuaded Morton to leave a ball that moved in.

Bravo lends support

Dwayne Bravo was almost run out in the same over but supported Chanderpaul until he hit his second fifty of the match with successive fours so that at tea West Indies was 199 for four, 256 away from the most unlikely victory in the last 130 years.

Immediately afterwards the umpires turned down an appeal for a catch off Bravo by Paul Collingwood in the slips. Clearly Aleem Dar thought it had hit the ground and refused to budge.

Ten overs later Bravo who had batted with gusto was caught off Panesar for 49 with 206 needed but the new ball was wasted, the extras total was the second highest and as darkness spread across the ground the truth appeared to strike England; that West Indies, led by the magnificent limping Chanderpaul was in danger of winning this match.

Only 154 more are needed and the climax of this match ought to be superb.

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