The Hindu : Sport : West Indies draws level with a big win scoreboard

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Thursday, Jul 05, 2007
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Sport

West Indies draws level with a big win scoreboard

Ted Corbett

Chanderpaul, Samuels and Rampaul shine

BIRMINGHAM: So far in summer 2007 there has been no skill in making forecasts. Rain, England beats the West Indies by a distance, more rain, Shivnarine Chanderpaul bats forever, England still wins; what is to prophesy?

The Shiv was at it again on Wednesday with an undefeated 116, his seventh ODI century as West Indies made 278 for five.

This time England never got to grips with the chase in rain and bad light. West Indies won by 61 runs making the third match at Trent Bridge on Saturday the decider. Ravi Rampaul claimed four for 41 for the tourist.

Chanderpaul was promoted to No.3, noted how England had gone about winning the first one-day international and set himself to guide West Indies through the second match so that it put together a total that made life difficult, and maybe impossible for an England side that seemed strangely diffident after its comprehensive win at Lord’s.

No slip could be seen by the tenth over and the fielding became ragged.

Wise old Chanderpaul received his support from a source no-one would have forecast. Marlon Samuels is short of admirers because he often gets out when there is no need.

On Wednesday luck was with him that fine fielder Paul Collingwood dropped a caught and bowled, Ian Bell could only get a finger tip to a rocket shot and Matt Prior took the bails off at the only moment when Samuels’ foot was on the ground and he displayed a patience his denigrators would not believe.

Chanderpaul was his usual inelegant self. He claims to have no interest in style and only crabs speak highly of him; there is no reason for David Gower to fear he will lose marks for grace to Chanderpaul; dinosaurs will return sooner.

Putting runs on the board, fighting his corner, showing how the ball can be placed; that is the Chanderpaul style.

Chris Gayle began with three sixes in a 40-ball 36, and lost a ball high in the gutter. After the openers had both gone for 67 we feared that there might be a typical unnecessary collapse.

Instead the Chanderpaul-Samuels third wicket stand lasted from the 13th over to the 46th while they broke the Edgbaston record for the wicket at 156.

Collingwood, captain for ten days, swore to me in the morning that it has been all right so far but as 62 came off five overs Samuels stood in shadow while Chanderpaul sliced and slashed and tapped the ball to the oddest corners of the ground.

When England replied Matt Prior might have been run out in the second over and Alastair Cook was caught after an adventurous 23 balls for 19 out of 23.

Dubious decision

At 30 Ian Bell was adjudged lbw and left the field complaining. No wonder.

This time there was no question about the replays; they showed the ball heading over the stumps. Pietersen began badly but appeared to have recovered when he was bowled by Rampaul.

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