England v West Indies, 2nd ODI, Bristol

Collingwood stars in comfortable win

May 24, 2009

England 161 for 4 (Collingwood 47*, Bopara 43) beat West Indies 160 (Bravo 50, Broad 4-46, Collingwood 3-16) by six wickets

	Chris Gayle hit some meaty boundaries before trying one too many against Graeme Swann © Getty Images

England made easy work of a shambolic West Indies side as they coasted to a six-wicket victory at Bristol. A change of format and having the sun on their backs did nothing to improve the visitors' performance as they were shot out for 160. Stuart Broad did the damage at either end of the innings, but Paul Collingwood was the middle-order destroyer with 3 for 16 and Collingwood completed the victory with a sprightly, unbeaten 47.

The only stages that West Indies threatened to make a match where as Chris Gayle briefly flourished before being outdone by a smart piece of captaincy from Andrew Strauss, then when Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Dwayne Bravo added 63 for the fourth wicket. However, when Tim Bresnan removed Chanderpaul the order unravelled rapidly against tight bowling and a sharp fielding. England were impressive, but some of the shot selection and general thinking from West Indies left plenty to be desired as the last seven wickets tumbled for a paltry 53.

Broad was on target straight away after Andrew Strauss won a useful toss and trapped Lendl Simmons - who has suspect technique against the moving ball - leg before as the batsman played across a straight ball. In Broad's next over, as he pushed 90mph, he found the perfect length to bring Ramnaresh Sarwan into a loose push outside off.

Gayle, though, responded to the difficulty of 7 for 2 with typical bravado in his 200th ODI. He began by slashing Broad square then drilled him straight for four having almost picked out mid-off attempting a similar stroke. They were followed by a mighty swing over long-on for six and a slice through backward point and suddenly the momentum was shifting.

Strauss countered with a brave piece of captaincy as he introduced Graeme Swann inside the first Powerplay. The first ball to Gayle disappeared high over long-on for another maximum, but Swann is a confident bowler and didn't panic. He pushed the next delivery through a little quicker, Gayle eyed another boundary but the ball clipped the pad and crashed into the stumps. Strauss had gambled at bowling to Gayle's ego and it paid off.

Chanderpaul is so used to top-order wobbles that fixing them is second nature to him and alongside Bravo he steadied the innings. Bravo, who is coming off a six-week spell at the IPL after being ruled out of the Test series on medical advice, looked in good touch as he profited through his favourite leg-side area and also drove Dimitri Mascarenhas for a sweet straight six.

However, just as the stand with Chanderpaul was building a base for West Indies, Bresnan struck when Chanderpaul top-edged a pull to short third-man and shortly after Bravo reached a 55-ball fifty he missed a slower ball from Collingwood.

Although introduced as the sixth option, Collingwood proved mighty effective as he varied his pace and bowled a wicket-to-wicket line. Denesh Ramdin was trapped on the crease and Kieron Pollard was castled as he tried something expansive during the batting Powerplay. Between those wickets, Jerome Taylor was run out in a horrible mix-up with Pollard as he attempted a non-existent single to Strauss, and Broad wrapped up the innings in ruthless fashion with a short-pitched attack at the tail.

The innings folded so quickly that England started their chase before the interval and they lost Strauss when he got into a tangle against a Taylor short ball. Matt Prior, elevated to No. 3 in Kevin Pietersen's absence, guided a catch to Gayle at slip, who took it at the second attempt, but without the surprisingly rested Fidel Edwards West Indies lack the firepower to create major problems.

Ravi Bopara batted neatly, especially through the leg side, and was playing within himself when he was trapped in front of middle and leg by Bravo. It has been said many times, but West Indies would be a far better team if a few more players showed Bravo's enthusiasm. By most of the outfit it was a hopelessly lethargic effort, typified by a number of pieces of sloppy fielding (and even Bravo wasn't immune from that), although Pollard managed a late direct hit to send Owais Shah back for 38.

Shah, who didn't play at the IPL and has lost his Test place, took 13 balls to get off the mark but became more confident as his innings progressed although will be looking over his shoulder when Pietersen returns. Collingwood hit the ball sweetly to complete a day that couldn't have gone much better for England. However, even they will be secretly hoping that they are tested more than this in the near future.

England v West Indies, 2nd ODI, Bristol

No room for error in short series

May 23, 2009

	Eoin Morgan could be set for his ODI debut at Bristol © Getty Images

Match facts

Sunday May 24
Start time 10.45 (9.45GMT)

Big Picture

This is now a two-match series after the abandonment at Headingley which gives both sides even less room for mistakes. Each team is looking towards these matches as a chance to build some form and momentum before the ICC World Twenty20. West Indies are in desperate need of something to boost their spirits after a miserable few weeks.

The washout on Thursday left officials at Headingley embarrassed and facing a barrage of questions about how wise it was to play the match after the outfield work was delayed over the winter. Bristol, the venue for this game, is another of the six grounds to have used the ECB grant for a new drainage system and have admitted they weren't able to complete the work in time for this season.

"We have still not completed the system," said chief executive Tom Richardson. "Contractors will return at the end of the season to put in sand slits, which will make it more efficient. When everything is bedded in we anticipate that when rain stops the ground will be fit for play within an hour, but we are only halfway towards that situation." The good news, though, is that no rain is forecast for Sunday.

Form guide

England AWWLL
West Indies ALLWW

Watch out for...

James Anderson has been outstanding form early on this season and claimed nine wickets in the second Test victory at Chester-le-Street. He has been a threat with the white ball for a long time now and with Andrew Flintoff out of the side is England's most experienced quick. He is at the peak of his powers and will be aiming to continue his form over the next few weeks of one-day action.

It was a quiet Test series for Shivnarine Chanderpaul who didn't make a half century and struggled against Graeme Swann. However, England would be foolish to underestimate the man who has been the fulcrum of West Indies' batting line-up for years and can switch gears at the drop of a hat.

Team news

England haven't replaced Kevin Pietersen in their squad so are down to 13 players. With an eye on the Twenty20, Eoin Morgan could be given his debut so the selectors can assess his form while Matt Prior will move up to No. 3. The trio of Dimitri Mascarenhas, Tim Bresnan and Ryan Sidebottom are probably fighting for two places.

England (probable) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Ravi Bopara, 3 Matt Prior (wk), 4 Owais Shah, 5 Paul Collingwood 6 Eoin Morgan, 7 Dimitri Mascarenhas, 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 Tim Bresnan, 11 James Anderson

West Indies didn't give many clues as to the way their team selection might have gone before the Headingley washout, but allrounders are likely to place a key role in the middle order. Runako Morton, a late replacement to the squad, and pace bowler Ravi Rampaul are also in the shake-up.

West Indies (probable) 1 Chris Gayle (capt), 2 Lendl Simmons, 3 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 4 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Dwayne Bravo, 7 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 8 Darren Sammy, 9 Jerome Taylor, 10 Sulieman Benn, 10 Fidel Edwards

Pitch and conditions

The forecast is set fair with temperatures set to raise so there shouldn't be any concerns on that front. Previous ODIs at Bristol have produced pitches with pace and bounce, as opposed to the slow surfaces that often greet domestic cricket.

Stats and Trivia

• There have been 11 previous ODIs on this ground and England have lost their last two matches here, against New Zealand in 2008 and India in 2007.
• West Indies have played two ODIs at Bristol, losing to Pakistan by 27 runs during the 1999 World Cup and also being beaten by Zimbabwe in 2000.

Quotes

"We gained some momentum in one-day cricket in the West Indies. We were a little bit Jekyll and Hyde, up and down, but we came through and won the series."
Andrew Strauss wants England to find some consistency in their one-day game.

England v West Indies, 2nd ODI, Bristol

Morgan debuts and England bowl

May 24, 2009

England won the toss and decided to bowl against West Indies

	Eoin Morgan makes his England debut after playing 23 ODIs for Ireland © Getty Images

Eoin Morgan has completed his switch of allegiance from Ireland to England after he was handed his debut in the second one-day international against West Indies at Bristol. The opening match of the series at Headingley was abandoned without a ball bowled on Thursday, when the ground's new drainage failed to cope with heavy rain.

Morgan comes in for Kevin Pietersen, who has been ruled out of the series with an Achilles injury, and is expected to bat at No. 6. Matt Prior has been elevated to Pietersen's spot at No. 3, while Ryan Sidebottom and Ian Bell are the two players omitted from the squad as Tim Bresnan retains his place after the Test series.

However, Morgan will have to wait for his chance after Andrew Strauss won the toss and put West Indies into bat saying he expected a little bit of assistance from the pitch early on. The good news, after the miserable scenes the other day, is that the weather is glorious in Bristol.

The surprising news for West Indies is the omission of Fidel Edwards, who was their player of the series in the Tests, and he is replaced by Ravi Rampaul. Other than that it is the expected line-up with allrounders Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard coming into the middle order.

This match marks Chris Gayle's 200th ODI and it would be the perfect opportunity for him to lead from the front and turn West Indies' fortunes around.

England 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Ravi Bopara, 3 Matt Prior (wk), 4 Owais Shah, 5 Paul Collingwood, 6 Eoin Morgan, 7 Dimitri Mascarenhas, 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 Tim Bresnan, 11 James Anderson

West Indies 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Lendl Simmons, 3 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 4 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 5 Dwayne Bravo, 6 Kieron Pollard, 7 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 8 Darren Sammy, 9 Jerome Taylor, 10 Ravi Rampaul, 11 Sulieman Benn

Today's Live Cricket Match 24 May 2009

Sunday, 24 May 2009

England Vs West Indies Venue :County Ground, Bristol Live action starts from: 09:45 GMT (15:15 IST) ODI West Indies Tour of England 2009 One Day International Match ENG Vs WI

Hyderabad Deccan Chargers Vs Bangalore Royal Challengers Venue :New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg Live action starts from: 14:30 GMT (20:00 IST) T20 IPL 2009 Twenty20 match Match HDC Vs BRC

England v West Indies, 1st ODI, Headingley

England v West Indies, 1st ODI, Headingley

England seek to maintain momentum

May 20, 2009

	Dwayne Bravo's return from the IPL is a major boost for West Indies © Associated Press

Match facts

Thursday May 21
Start time 10.45 (9.45GMT)

Big Picture

England wrapped up the Test series and regained the Wisden Trophy with impressive efficiency in their final five-day action before the Ashes. However, before thoughts can seriously turn to Australia, there is a busy period of limited-overs action, beginning with this three-match series against West Indies.

After the win at Chester-le-Street, Andrew Strauss said that it was important England focussed on their one-day cricket and not think too far ahead. They came back to steal the series in the Caribbean 3-2 with Andrew Flintoff taking a hat-trick in the final match, but yet again Flintoff is injured and on the sidelines. So too is Kevin Pietersen, who has been withdrawn with an Achilles injury, leaving the door open for a possible debut for Eoin Morgan

West Indies are always a dangerous one-day team with a batting line-up packed with explosive hitters, none more so than their captain, Chris Gayle, who found top gear in the second innings at Durham with 54 off 43 balls. He might not have much time for Test cricket, but the one-day variety is much more up his street. Dwayne Bravo's return to the squad adds depth with bat and ball, so although England have been comfortably superior in recent weeks that might change in the coming days.

Form guide

England WWLLW
West Indies LLWWL

Watch out for...

Ravi Bopara has solved England's Test No. 3 position for the foreseeable future and now he needs to cement his position at the top of the one-day order. He was promoted to open in India and retained the role in West Indies with a modicum of success, but England are still searching for the ideal combination. His approach is refreshingly simple - "you just attack more balls in one-day cricket" - and with his confidence riding high this is Bopara's chance to make another position his own.

How West Indies could have done with Dwayne Bravo during the Test series, but he was controversially omitted after medical advice said his ankle hadn't recovered sufficiently. He has spent the last six weeks batting, bowling and diving around at the IPL and his return brings so much to the tourists' side. He can bat anyway, but favours the 'finishers' role, is a brilliant death bowler and is one of best fielders in the world.

Team news

Alastair Cook and Graham Onions are the two players who drop out from the Test side and their places are likely to be taken by Owais Shah and Dimitri Mascarenhas. Shah has a point to prove after losing his Test place and failing to break into the Delhi Daredevils side during the IPL and could be joined in the middle-order by Morgan, who has played 23 ODIs for Ireland, or Ian Bell. Matt Prior and Ravi Bopara have recovered from the knocks that kept them off the field on the final day of the Test match.

England (probable) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Ravi Bopara, 3 Owais Shah, 4 Eoin Morgan, 5 Paul Collingwood, 6 Matt Prior (wk), 7 Dimitri Mascarenhas, 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 Tim Bresnan, 11 James Anderson

West Indies are likely to draft in a number of allrounders with Bravo's return topping the bill. Kieron Pollard, who played against England in the Caribbean, could join him in the middle order while Darren Sammy is a valuable player in one-day cricket with his tight wicket-to-wicket bowling. Lendl Simmons will resume opening alongside Chris Gayle.

West Indies (probable) 1 Chris Gayle (capt), 2 Lendl Simmons, 3 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 4 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Dwayne Bravo, 7 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 8 Darren Sammy, 9 Jerome Taylor, 10 Sulieman Benn, 10 Fidel Edwards

Pitch and conditions

The ground still resembles a building site with two cranes in position behind the stands, but the pitch and relayed outfield look in good condition. The forecast is for showers and it hasn't warmed up much yet for the West Indians.

Stats and Trivia

• England and West Indies have met each other four times in one-day internationals at Headingley, with England leading the head-to-head 3-1. West Indies' only victory came in 1988 when Gordon Greenidge made 78 and Malcolm Marshall took 3 for 28.
• The last meeting on this ground was in 2004 when England came out on top by seven wickets with Steve Harmison claiming the Man-of-the-Match award for his 3 for 31.

Quotes

"The one-day series coming up and the Twenty20 are two very important series for us as a developing side. Hopefully we can win there and build up more momentum."
Andrew Strauss tries to stops thoughts drifting too much towards the Ashes.

"We have the guys to do the job. We are representing West Indies so have to give our best."
Chris Gayle comes as close as he ever does to motivational speaking.

England v West Indies, 2nd npower Test, Chester-le-Street, 5th day

England v West Indies, 2nd npower Test, Chester-le-Street, 5th day

Bresnan and Anderson swing through Windies

May 18, 2009

England 569 for 6 dec (Cook 160, Bopara 108) beat West Indies 310 (Sarwan 100, Anderson 5-87) and 176 (Chanderpaul 47, Anderson 4-38) by an innings and 83 runs

	Tim Bresnan ends his long wait for a Test wicket, as England closed in on victory

James Anderson completed the superb match figures of 9 for 125, and Tim Bresnan finally picked up his maiden Test wickets, as West Indies were hustled to defeat by an innings and 83 runs shortly after lunch on the final day at Chester-le-Street. After resuming on 115 for 3 in the follow-on, West Indies found no way to deal with perfect swinging conditions on a showery day, and the only man who showed any real resistance was Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who endured in typical fashion for 47 from 82 balls.

In the end, however, Chanderpaul's efforts were emphatically trumped by Anderson and Bresnan, who bowled clean through the day's play, booming the ball both ways at will, as the Wisden Trophy was reclaimed after just a two-month hiatus. Bresnan, who had begun to believe he would never claim that memorable first scalp, eventually returned the creditable figures of 3 for 45 in 14 overs, while Anderson once again showed how he has matured as a cricketer in recent months, as he located a full length, zipped the ball off the seam and through the air, and ripped West Indies to shreds in a final-day spell of 11-3-18-4.

England began the day with high expectations, but at first they were thwarted by a combination of Chanderpaul, Lendl Simmons and the skittish Durham weather, which forced two brief breaks in play inside the first hour. They took the field as they had left it the previous evening, without the services of Matt Prior who had injured his ring finger and was rested on medical advice, and Paul Collingwood deputised ably as wicketkeeper, as England strove for the breakthrough.

Understandably enough, Strauss opened with his main man, Anderson, but at the other end he sprung a surprise by calling upon the hitherto anonymous Bresnan, who had been overshadowed by his fellow newcomer, Graham Onions, both here and at Lord's, and must have wondered if his chance to impress had been and gone.

Bresnan began with a tidy but unthreatening line outside off stump, but it was in the second hour of the session, after the second of two 15-minute showers had freshened up the pitch that he and Anderson really began to make the ball talk. Anderson was the first to strike, when Simmons once again gave his innings away when well set, as he hung his bat out to a wide long-hop, and patted a tame chance to the substitute fielder, Scott Borthwick at point.

Then, at last, it was over to Bresnan. In an excellent over, he deceived Brendan Nash with a series of outswingers before flipping the shiny side around, bending a big inducker into his pads, and Borthwick once again was on hand at midwicket to complete a very memorable moment. The breakthrough came with the final ball of Bresnan's 25th over in Test cricket, but it must have felt like a lot, lot longer than that.

He didn't have to wait quite so long for his next intercession, however. Denesh Ramdin had batted with great stoicism for his 55 in the first innings, but Bresnan nailed him only two deliveries later, as he flirted outside off at a booming outswinger, and edged low to Anderson at second slip. Anderson then detonated Jerome Taylor's off stump with a superb late inswinger, and then - with the very last ball of the morning session - produced a similar trick from round the wicket to the left-handed Sulieman Benn.

At 167 for 8 at lunch, there was little prospect of West Indies extending the game deep into the second session, although while Chanderpaul remained, England could not celebrate too soon. In the course of his innings, he put daylight between himself and Sir Vivian Richards in second place on the list of West Indies' all-time runscorers, but he was able to extend that lead by a single run after the break, as Anderson located a perfect length, again from round the wicket, nicked the edge of Chanderpaul's bat, and Collingwood capped his brief stint with the gloves with a very coolly taken catch.

The final catch of the innings was also claimed by a deputy, this time the Durham youngster, Karl Turner, who steadied himself impressively under a swirler at fine leg, as Fidel Edwards slapped Bresnan high and hard but straight up in the air. West Indies' last seven wickets had tumbled inside 14 overs, a sad but apt conclusion. They simply have not been at the races in this series, as England set their sights on stiffer challenges later in the summer.

England v West Indies, 2nd npower Test,

England v West Indies, 2nd npower Test, Chester-le-Street, 4th day

Windies fight against rising tide

May 17, 2009

West Indies 310 (Sarwan 100, Anderson 5-87) and 115 for 3 (Chanderpaul 18*, Simmons 3*) trail England 569 for 6 dec (Cook 160, Bopara 108) by 144 runs

	Stuart Broad produced a superb over to remove Ramnaresh Sarwan for 100 and push West Indies towards the follow-on

England closed in on a 2-0 series clean sweep on the fourth day against West Indies at Chester-le-Street, as West Indies slumped to 115 for 3 in their second innings, having been asked to follow on, 266 runs in arrears, shortly after tea. By the close, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Lendl Simmons were fighting hard to stave off the innings defeat, but their hopes of the draw were dealt a huge blow when their first-innings centurion, Ramnaresh Sarwan, and their captain, Chris Gayle, were dismissed in the space of three deliveries from Graham Onions - Gayle having rampaged to 54 from 43 balls in an innings of massive intent.

Despite the one-sided nature of the scoreline, England were made to fight hard on what was comfortably the most entertaining day of the series so far. In addition to Sarwan and Gayle, West Indies' stand-out batsman was Denesh Ramdin, whose 55 from 82 balls helped rescue his side from a flaky 216 for 7 in the first innings, the bulk of those runs coming during a sparky eighth-wicket partnership of 70 with Sulieman Benn. For England, James Anderson wrapped up a richly deserved five-wicket haul, but their main man of the day was Stuart Broad, who bowled with thuggish intent and set England on course for victory with the pre-lunch scalps of Chanderpaul and Sarwan

Up until the moment that Broad had Chanderpaul caught behind for 27 with a well-disguised offcutter, England had toiled with little luck or reward for an hour and a half of the morning session. Under clear blue skies, West Indies' fourth-wicket pair extended their partnership to 99, with the only real moment of discomfort coming when Sarwan, on 58, was struck a painful blow in the nether-regions. He upped his ante after Chanderpaul's departure, however, and rushed to his hundred with a blazing straight drive off Broad followed by a cracking pull in front of square.

But those strokes merely stoked Broad's ire, and in a brilliant response he blasted Sarwan from the crease with a trio of vicious lifters, the third of which ballooned off his glove to Tim Bresnan at slip as he attempted to ride the bounce. England were jubilant, an opening had been forged, and when lunch was taken ten minutes later, West Indies were rocking on 188 for 5.

But Brendan Nash and Ramdin dug in as best they could during an attritional post-lunch session, during which time England's seamers made a point of banging the ball in short, to test both the surface and the mettle of their opponents, but perhaps most of all, their own stamina levels. The policy eventually forced the breakthrough - but only as a side-effect - when Nash, hanging back in his crease in anticipation of another short ball, failed to transfer his weight into a front-foot drive, and under-edged Anderson onto his leg stump for 10.

Jerome Taylor then came and went in a flurry of adventurous swipes, as Onions pinned him with an arrow-straight lbw, and at 216 for 7, the stage was set for another West Indian capitulation. Ramdin and Benn, however, had other ideas, and frustrated England for an hour during an enterprising 70-run stand for the eighth wicket.

Ramdin was the principle aggressor, particularly against Swann, who produced one of the least effective spells of his brief Test career as he was mowed over the top for five fours and a six in 15 deliveries. At the other end, Benn took a while to get going, perhaps assuming that England were aiming for his helmet every ball, but he took his chance when the luckless Bresnan was brought into the attack. On 4, he feathered an excellent delivery from round the wicket, but Prior behind the stumps didn't flinch as the ball zipped through the gap with first slip.

It's not impossible that that was Bresnan's best chance of claiming a Test wicket this summer. Hard though he tried, he was unable to produce the breakthrough delivery, and Benn was really beginning to enjoy himself when his demise was engineered in somewhat farcical circumstances. Another slog against Swann looped down towards Pietersen at long-on, who declined to go for the catch but instead pinged down the non-striker's stumps with Benn well short of his ground.

With three balls to go until the new ball, that paved the way for the confrontation that the entire crowd had been waiting for. In came Edwards and back came Anderson, armed and dangerous after the peppering he had received while batting on the third day. Edwards was unbothered, however, and a visibly wound-up Anderson had the worst of the battle in their solitary over before the break, as he conceded two boundaries and earned a contemptuous pat of the pitch from Edwards as a misdirected bouncer whistled down the leg-side.

On the stroke of the break, however, Broad clanged Edwards on the grille with a well-directed bouncer, and he claimed his wicket with the very next ball he faced, as Andrew Strauss did well to keep his eyes on the ball at first slip as Edwards climbed into a swipe across the line. His removal allowed Anderson to get his focus back to what he does best, and he needed only three more deliveries before Ramdin fenced outside off to complete superb figures of 5 for 87.

By this stage, England's wicketkeeping duties were being carried out by Collingwood, after Prior was sent to hospital for an X-ray after taking a blow on his right ring finger. The injury was not serious, and he will resume his duties after a night's rest, but England were off the pace as they began the second innings. Gayle took full toll with a remarkable cameo that went some way towards silencing his critics.

Gayle slapped his second ball, from Anderson, down the ground for six, and didn't look back after that. Anything too short or too full got the treatment, as he smoked six fours and two sixes in total, with Onions in particular getting some tap as he failed to locate his optimum length. At the other end, Devon Smith continued his woeful run against Swann as he was trapped lbw by the second ball he faced, but Sarwan began with intent, racing to 15 from 10 balls as England were made to work for their wickets.

But their policy of banging the ball in short continued to pay dividends, and Onions - still fresh from the memory of his four wickets in seven balls at Lord's - showed a timely ability to repeat that sort of form. Sarwan had been pushed back into his crease when he was pinned lbw for 22 by a full-length ball, and then, one leg-bye later, came the big one. Gayle misjudged a back-of-a-length delivery, Strauss at slip pouched the chance off the shoulder of the bat, and England were left needing seven more wickets on the final day.

England v West Indies, 2nd npower Test,

England v West Indies, 2nd npower Test, Chester-le-Street, 3rd day

England declare on 569 for 6

May 16, 2009

Tea England 569 for 6 dec (Collingwood 60*, Broad 28*) v West Indies
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary

	Matt Prior batted with increasing freedom in a free-flowing 63 from 83 balls © Getty Images

Matt Prior hit a quickfire 63 from 83 balls, and added 94 for the sixth wicket with Paul Collingwood, as England made up for lost time after the second-day wash-out at Chester-le-Street. By tea, they had marched on from their overnight 302 for 2 to reach 569 for 6, with all eyes on the England captain, Andrew Strauss, who confirmed the declaration during the interval.

After an entertaining morning session, in which a fired-up Fidel Edwards provided the impetus for his team in an 11-over spell, the second session was more a case of waiting for the inevitable. With the honourable exception of Sulieman Benn, who bowled with flight and variety and added the prize scalp of Kevin Pietersen to his earlier extraction of Alastair Cook, West Indies were once again bereft of attacking intent, and any pre-tea declaration would have been a mercy.

All of England's batsmen made starts, even the nightwatchman, James Anderson, whose mere presence coaxed Edwards into his most hostile spells of the innings, late on Monday night and again when play resumed this morning. Edwards eventually got his man after he had been gifted two lives - one via a bad drop down the leg-side from Denesh Ramdin, the other from a no-ball that was fenced to second slip - but instead of carrying that intent forward for the rest of the innings, Edwards and his team-mates rather shrunk from view once Pietersen got into his stride.

Pietersen got off the mark second-ball with a clip through midwicket off Edwards, but it was the next over he faced, from Jerome Taylor, that really set him up for his innings. Taylor has been woefully short of form and confidence since his five-wicket heroics in Jamaica three months ago, and Pietersen was gifted three fours in five balls - plus four byes down the leg-side - as he struggled to locate his line, length and optimum pace.

By lunch, Pietersen had added six further fours, all of them from the pace of Edwards, who aimed full in an attempt to find some swing, but was met more often that not by a full and flashing blade. The one man who did stifle Pietersen's attacking intentions was Benn, in a continuation of his strange weakness against left-arm spin. Locating a hint of extravagant turn from an otherwise blameless surface, Benn suckered Pietersen soon after the break when - on 49 and with another milestone in his sights - he swished wildly outside off, and skied a leading edge straight into the hands of backward point.

By this stage Benn had already accounted for Cook, who had progressed with utter anonymity during the morning session. He began the day on 126 not out, and while Anderson and Pietersen attracted the attention at the other end, he ground onwards and upwards with a range of clips into the leg-side. He duly posted the first 150 of his Test career and looked set for a massive total when, with lunch looming, he played around his front pad to Benn, and chipped a leading edge to a fumbling Chris Gayle at mid-off.

At 419 for 5, the stage was set for Prior to play his shots. Paul Collingwood, in front of his home fans, accompanied him diligently, and his penchant for leg-side shots, coupled with Prior's off-side repertoire, caused West Indies' radar to become totally scrambled. By the break they had sent down a total of 61 extras, 14 of which were Edwards no-balls.

Prior's eventual dismissal meant regular glances towards the England dressing-room, where Andrew Strauss must have been contemplating an early declaration. Instead he decided to push onwards and upwards, with Collingwood adding a half-century of his own, and Stuart Broad enjoying more valuable time (and luck) in the middle with a 25-ball 28.

England v West Indies, 2nd npower Test,1st day

England v West Indies, 2nd npower Test, Chester-le-Street, 1st day

Gayle bags Strauss to settle war of words

May 14, 2009

England 85 for 1 (Cook 39*, Bopara 9*) v West Indies

	Chris Gayle and Andrew Strauss shake hands at the toss. But it was Gayle who enjoyed the last laugh

After his pre-match war of words with Andrew Strauss, Chris Gayle enjoyed a moment to savour on the first morning at Chester-le-Street, as he brought himself on to bowl with half-an-hour to go until lunch, and emerged with the scalp of none other than the England captain, strangled down the leg-side for 26 to end an unflustered stand of 69 with Alastair Cook.

By lunch, England had overcome that minor setback to move along to 85 for 1, with Cook reaching the break on 39 not out and Ravi Bopara unbeaten on 9. But Gayle's intercession in his second over, one ball after being carved for four past point, was the undoubted highlight of the session. Spearing down his off-darts on another sluggish surface, he tempted Strauss into a full-blooded slog-sweep, and a thin deflection off the gloves ended up in the gloves of Denesh Ramdin.

Up until that point, England's progress had been serene, going on soporific. After winning a useful toss under improbably clear-blue skies, Cook and Strauss progressed at barely three runs an over as West Indies' pacemen plugged away outside off stump with barely a trace of seam, swing or generous bounce. Strauss swatted a rare short ball from Fidel Edwards in front of square for four.

At the other end, Cook enjoyed a measure of good fortune when he inside-edged Lionel Baker past his off stump and away to the boundary, and he later fenced Gayle just short of Devon Smith at slip. But in between whiles his driving was shown to be in fine order, as he punched four fours in the arc from long-on to extra cover, and picked off a well-timed steer through the vacant third man.

Bopara, fresh from his 143 in the first Test at Lord's, bedded in comfortably for half-an-hour before the break. He had a moment of alarm in the final over before lunch when he almost yorked himself while coming forward to Sulieman Benn, whom he had just carved off the back foot for his first boundary of the morning.

England 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Alastair Cook, 3 Ravi Bopara, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Paul Collingwood, 6 Matt Prior (wk), 7 Stuart Broad, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 James Anderson, 11 Graham Onions

West Indies 1 Chris Gayle (capt), 2 Devon Smith, 3 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 4 Lendl Simmons, 5 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 6 Brendan Nash, 7 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 8 Jerome Taylor, 9 Sulieman Benn, 10 Fidel Edwards, 11 Lionel Bake

Today's Live Match 14 May 2009

Bangalore Royal Challengers Vs Chennai Super Kings

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Mumbai Indians Vs Jaipur Rajasthan Royals

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England Vs West Indies

Venue :Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street Live action starts from: 10:00 GMT (15:30 IST) Test West Indies Tour of England 2009 Test Match Match

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England v West Indies, 2nd npower Test, Durham

England v West Indies, 2nd npower Test, Durham

Amber lights at the Riverside

May 13, 2009
Chris Gayle has claimed he was misquoted, but has not denied that Test cricket is not his priority .
Although ticket sales for the opening day of the second Test have improved since yesterday's figure of 3000, Chester-le-Street won't be bursting at the seams when the action starts on Thursday. The punters are clearly beginning to pick and choose which matches they attend and, if Chris Gayle's comments are anything to go by, some players will soon be following a similar path.
His interview with a UK national newspaper has set another warning light flashing about the future and primacy of Test cricket. Although he attempted to downgrade his view that he "wouldn't be so sad" if Tests vanished in favour of Twenty20s, by saying his comments were meant from his personal point of view, it is another damaging blow for a sport that is battling to maintain a relevance.
The fact that Gayle has had to leave his IPL deal to play in cold, early-season English conditions, in a Test series shoe-horned into the calender, has clearly not gone down well, despite his latest effort to convince otherwise. "I'm happy to be here right now to try and retain the trophy," a rather weary-looking Gayle said as he responded to his comments.
He claimed the interview in The Guardian had been "misquoted and misinterpreted" which is the usual response from a sportsman who wants to back himself out of a corner. However, he didn't try to alter his comments, rather just clarify that he was talking about himself and not Test cricket as a whole.
"I don't see myself playing Tests for any long period of time, but I think Test cricket will always be there. Twenty20 has come on board and it's made a huge impact on the world, it's brilliant, games have been sold out and it has taken the place by storm. I look at Test cricket differently, I don't see it as long term for me, just for me, I'm just speaking about myself."
What should come as a concern for those running the game and trying to cram in endless international fixtures to justify television deals is Gayle's reasoning. "There's a lot of cricket being played and I've started to develop a lot of injuries," he said. "It takes a toll on your body and your mental strength so at some stage you aren't going to go on forever. You have to choose what you are going to do as a person.
"It's something I've discussed before, maybe not in the media, but I've talked to friends and players about it. It's not like I've just thought about it overnight."
However, as one of nine current Test captains in the world game, Gayle needs to remember that his role goes beyond the personal. It shouldn't just be about the here and now for him, but also the bigger picture. Not everyone is going to make it as a millionaire Twenty20 star and Gayle, as one of the most flamboyant batsman of his generation, should be able to play a role in promoting the five-day game.
Andrew Strauss is one such player who is likely to miss the Twenty20 revolution and made comments before the Lord's Test that he wouldn't allow an England player to arrive 48 hours before a match. Gayle hit back in the newspaper interview, but tried to ease any potential tensions by saying no disrespect was meant.


"There's a lot of cricket being played and I've started to develop a lot of injuries. It takes a toll on your body and your mental strength so at some stage you aren't going to go on forever. You have to choose what you are going to do as a person." Chris Gayle ponders his Test future

"It wasn't his concern," Gayle said. "I respect Strauss, I would never have any conflict with him. I just find it a bit strange that he touched on that sort of point and he should leave it alone. "Maybe he's under a lot of pressure. The Ashes series is huge.
"Maybe he tried to put the pressure on me to try to take a bit of pressure off him. I have respect for Strauss it's not like I'm trying to degrade him, I would never do that. Sometimes you just have to stand up for your rights."
Strauss maintained there were no tensions and suggested that any problems the West Indies captain had were not his problem, but admitted he had concerns about the health of Test cricket. "We haven't been sitting in the bar telling tales of our lives but our relationship has been pretty good. I've had no problems with him up until now. If he is uncomfortable with what's gone on in the last couple of weeks that's an issue for him rather than myself.
"It [Test cricket] is under pressure," he added. "I think it is important we play good Test cricket to make people aware of what a good format it is and how entertaining it can be. It's the only game that really tests out your temperament, your technique, your hunger, your bravery, all those aspects of the game."
That seems an opportune moment to bring this back to the actual game; a Test match, the ultimate format. West Indies' game fell away so rapidly at Lord's that it was difficult to recognise the team that fought so hard in the Caribbean. Now with Gayle's comments ringing in their ears it's hardly the motivational stand they needed from their captain. "The guys know the situation. It won't affect us, we are all big men," he said.
Strauss, however, was hoping the furore will take Gayle's mind off the serious matter in hand. "He is always dangerous. He always plays the same way, hopefully he'll be slightly distracted tomorrow."
Gayle clearly won't be playing Test cricket much longer, although he laughed off the idea that this would be his final game. He said he still had a job to do in rebuilding this West Indies side and now would be a good time to show he really means it. At the moment Gayle's opinions appear the minority view, but the game needs to work out what it wants to be in the future. If players don't want to play, and people don't want to watch, then there really is trouble ahead.

Gayle wants to give up captaincy

West Indies in England 2009

Gayle wants to give up captaincy

May 13, 2009
Chris Gayle doesn't want to lead West Indies in the long term © Getty Images
Chris Gayle has said that he doesn't want to captain West Indies for much longer because of the pressure the job entailed.
Gayle also said that he "wouldn't be so sad" if Test cricket eventually gave way to the Twenty20 version and hit back at Andrew Strauss, who had criticised the West Indies captain for arriving from the IPL just two days before the start of the Lord's Test, asking the England captain to "stay out of [other] people's business".
"To be honest with you there's a possibility I might give it [captaincy] up - I will be giving it up shortly," Gayle told the Guardian. "It's definitely not something I'm looking to hang on to. I need some time for myself, to be honest with you, it's a lot of travelling. There's always something you have to go and do, you know, extra. Lunch or dinner, some other thing, there's always something for the captain. I'm not that type of person. I can't take on too much. So soon I will be handing over this captaincy. I [will] soon finish with it."
Gayle, who took over the captaincy from Ramnaresh Sarwan in 2007, said he was looking for potential successors. "We're still looking at quite a few," he said. "So we just have to wait and see when the selectors decide - or whosoever decides. Then I'm ready. The chairman pointed out to me they want me to actually be the captain for right now. We have to see how it goes. I said, 'Don't be too long, though'."
Gayle took over the captaincy in the absence of Sarwan who was injured for the ODI series against England in 2007. The West Indies board initially rejected the selectors' move to appoint Gayle before reversing its decision. Gayle was then preferred as captain over Sarwan for the 2007-08 tour of South Africa. He resigned at a West Indies directors' meeting last July following the home series against Australia due to disagreements over selection but was persuaded to stay on by WICB president Julian Hunte.
Gayle was the subject of much criticism for extending his IPL stint with the Kolkata Knight Riders and joining his West Indies team-mates only 48 hours before the first Test at Lord's, a match which they lost inside three days. Strauss had said that "we wouldn't want our players to arrive two days before" a Test. He added that it was important for Test cricket to get the attention it deserved and that it shouldn't be devalued in "any way, shape or form".
Gayle, however, responded to Strauss's comments by saying that the matter "doesn't concern him". "Focus on his team, don't worry about West Indies, don't worry about me. Tell him don't sleep with Chris on his mind, tell him get Chris off his mind," Gayle said.
While Gayle said he wouldn't be worried if the primacy of Test cricket were to be reduced, he said Strauss ought to be because the England captain may not be able to adapt to the shorter format. Strauss, who is England's Test and ODI captain, isn't part of the squad for the World Twenty20 in June.
"I wouldn't be so sad [about the demise of Test cricket]," Gayle said. "Some other players would be. Maybe Andrew Strauss would be sad. Maybe he will be sad if Test cricket dies and Twenty20 comes in. Because there is no way he can make the change. So tough luck. I like Twenty20. Who doesn't? Maybe a couple of the Englishmen wouldn't like to play Twenty20."

England v West Indies, 1st npower Test, Lord's

England v West Indies, 1st npower Test, Lord's

New-look England target momentum

May 5, 2009
Graham Onions is set for his Test debut at Lord's as England try to force a result at the home of cricket after six consecutive draws. © Getty Images
Match factsWednesday May 6 - Sunday May 10Start time 11.00 (10.00GMT)
Big PictureThese two teams have been apart for barely a month but lock horns again as England's international season makes its earliest ever start. Some players, most notably Chris Gayle, have only just made it back from the IPL as Test cricket struggles to show it still remains a top priority. This short series certainly feels unloved at the moment, as everyone waits for the main action of the summer to begin.
Yet, for England it is a vitally important contest as they search for that elusive momentum to carry forward. They start favourites but it shouldn't be forgotten that they handed back the Wisden Trophy with their 1-0 defeat in the Caribbean. A fresh-looking team will take the field with a new No. 3 and the possibility of two debutant seamers for the first time since 1993 as Andy Flower makes his presence felt. But after the upheavals of the last 12 months England are still playing catch-up as they try to work out their best combination.
West Indies, though, have struggled in the early stages of the tour and head into the Test on the back of a 10-wicket warm-up defeat against England Lions. The batting has been especially unconvincing and it still isn't clear who Gayle will open with. At least in Jerome Taylor and Fidel Edwards they have two quicks who can seriously trouble England, although they will have to shed some of their sweaters to bowl at full speed.
Form guideEngland DDDDLWest Indies DDDDW
Watch out for...
Ravi Bopara is the latest candidate to be thrown into the No. 3 spot and the most exciting option the selectors could have taken. Everyone expected it to be Michael Vaughan, Ian Bell or Owais Shah, but Flower had other ideas. It is a gamble from the selectors as Bopara has rarely batted at three for Essex, but he isn't short on confidence. His previous Test innings was a maiden century in Barbados and, unlike some of his team-mates, he showed form at the IPL. This, though, is a huge challenge for him. Two good Tests and the Australians await.
Stuart Broad has been the least talked about of England's quicks leading up to this Test, but he has a pivotal role to play over the next five days. He was the leading seamer in West Indies, finishing with 15 wickets at 30.58 in tough conditions, but it's his all-round skills that are now being touted. "I see him as an allrounder," Andrew Strauss said and Broad will bat at No. 7 after being promoted there in Trinidad.
Fidel Edwards produced some of the most hostile spells in the recent Caribbean series and was the quickest bowler on either side. He, like Gayle, has been at the IPL so will quickly have to switch from Twenty20 into Test mode. He has become used to bowling on the flat pitches in West Indies, so give him some life in early-season England and he'll be a real handful.
Team news
England's only unanswered question is whether to try something different and name two spinners for a May Test. In fact, they haven't played two spinners at home since facing New Zealand, at Old Trafford, in 1999. Given the run of six draws at this ground they need to try something to take 20 wickets, but two twirlers are still unlikely. So it means debuts for Graham Onions (headline writers get ready) and Tim Bresnan with both knowing a good performance will set up their summer.
England (probable) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Alastair Cook, 3 Ravi Bopara, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Paul Collingwood, 6 Matt Prior (wk), 7 Stuart Broad, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 Graham Onions, 11 James Anderson
Chris Gayle confirmed that Sulieman Benn will start, but other than revealed nothing about his final XI. He hasn't had much time to think about it. In the top order there is the problem of finding someone to partner Gayle with both Devon Smith and Dale Richards out of form. Lendl Simmons has been in the runs, but he was originally picked as a middle order player. In the bowling there are two uncapped quicks in the squad - Andrew Richardson and Nelon Pascal - but the temptation will be to strength the batting with an allrounder. Darren Sammy has played one previous Test in England and took 7 for 66 on debut at Old Trafford so could come into the reckoning.
West Indies (possible) Chris Gayle (capt), Devon Smith, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Lendl Simmons, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Brendan Nash, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Darren Sammy, Jerome Taylor, Sulieman Benn, Fidel Edwards
Umpires: Steve Davis (Australia) and Asoka de Silva (Sri Lanka)
Pitch and conditionsLord's has turned into a batting paradise in recent years and the last six Tests have all been drawn. There is a tinge of green to the latest surface, but that doesn't necessarily mean there will be any more life for the quicks and they don't have a habit of breaking up for the spinners, either. The forecast is promising with Wednesday meant to be cloudy but dry and just a few showers possible on Thursday.
Stats and Trivia
England haven't won the first Test of a series for 14 series, dating back to their innings-and-261-run demolition of Bangladesh at Lord's in 2005.
Andrew Strauss and James Anderson will be the only two players in the match who have experienced winning a Lord's Test.
England didn't manage to take 20 wickets in any Test during the winter as they lost two and drew five matches (including the abandoned Test in Antigua).
If Tim Bresnan and Graham Onions debut it will be the first time since 1993, at Trent Bridge against Australia, that two specialist seamers have made their England debuts in the same game. Back then it was Mark Ilott and Martin McCauge. The 2009 vintage will be hoping for longer England careers.
Tickets and travel
There are tickets available for all five days - visit www.lords.org for more information. Meanwhile there are engineering works on the London Underground with the Jubilee Line due to be suspended over the weekend, so no service to St John's Wood station.
Quotes"From our point of view these are two massive Test matches given what happened in West Indies. We want revenge, we want to win back that Wisden Trophy."Andrew Strauss comes out fighting at the start of the summer
"They are under a bit of pressure to do well leading up to the Ashes. We are just trying to stick to the basics and if we can put the pressure on them in that first session, whatever we do, then build on it there's a situation where they might crumble."Chris Gayle is hoping to use England's poor recent record to his advantage .