BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND: West Indian batsman Brian Lara acknowledges his half century against England yesterday.
Tony Becca, Senior Sport Editor
BIRMINGHAM
SHIVNARINE Chanderpaul is not the top batsman on the West Indies team. That distinction belongs to Brian Lara.
The 25-year-old Guyanese is, however, the next best, and yesterday at Edgbaston he proved it beyond the shadow of a doubt with a classy innings of 73 off 119 deliveries- an innings which set the stage for the West Indies dominance.
At close of the second day's play in the first Test of the 2000 Cornhill Test series, the West Indies were 336 for seven in reply to England's first innings 179, and with a lead of 157, with James Adams on 66 not out and batting well, with Franklyn Rose on 33 and striking the ball nicely, with three days to go, the tourists are in a good position from which to go for victory.
In a lovely display of stroke selection and timing, the left-hander found the gaps on either side of the wicket at will and stroked 12 sparkling boundaries - including a delicate stroke to backward square-leg off pacer Darren Gough to get off the mark, a magnificent straight drive off pacer Andy Caddick to reach 51 and two glorious drives, one through the covers and one to long-on, off offspinner Robert Croft.
As he had done 19 times before in 70 Test innings, however, just when he appeared set to tick off his third Test century, shortly after picking off the medium-pacer Ed Giddins and Croft for four boundaries in two overs, he was on his way to the pavilion.
That was the disappointment, and that was what detracted from what, as far as his technique and his dominance of the England bowlers were concerned, must be rated his best performance to date.
In a moment of carelessness, Chanderpaul failed to move his feet, attempted a backfoot square-cut at a short, wide delivery from the gentle medium-pace of Andrew Flintoff, and edged a catch to wicketkeeper Alec Stewart.
That stroke ended a fifth-wicket partnership of 94 off 217 deliveries between himself and Adams, with the quiet, dependable Adams as a perfect foil at the other end, that stroke probably prevented the West Indies from really dominating the day's action, and that stroke forced captain Adams, 25 not out off 114 deliveries at the time, to cover his face with his gloves in obvious disappointment.
As brilliantly as he batted, however, Chanderpaul was not the only star.
In a performance which exemplified the new spirit in the team, the West Indies also owed their position of strength to Sherwin Campbell who scored 59, to Lara who celebrated his return with a fine 50, and to the captain himself who, after playing the supporter's role while Chanderpaul was in and taking over at the dismissal of his former roommate, batted for 278 minutes while facing 205 deliveries and stroking five boundaries.
Resuming at 50 for two with Campbell on 28, Lara on six and the contest nicely balanced, the West Indies started in style with Campbell and Lara stroking the ball sweetly and adding 68 runs, including 11 boundaries, off 14 overs in the first hour.
Campbell, started the proceedings with a delicate stroke off Gough to the thirdman boundary, drove the pacer to the cover boundary, and when Lara, after spending three overs before facing his first delivery of the morning, drove Caddick to backward point and then through extra-cover, the West Indians on hand settled in for a batting treat.
Gough, however, robbed them of it with two wickets for six runs in 17 deliveries.
After conceding 15 runs in two overs from the City End, Gough returned after 44 minutes from the Pavilion End, and after 15 minutes cut down both Campbell as the West Indies slipped to 136 for four.
With the third-wicket partnership on 99 after 173 deliveries, Gough ripped out Campbell's offstump at 123 for three - the batsman playing forward with both feet behind the crease and going his way after batting for 155 minutes, facing 120 deliveries and stroking seven boundaries.
Thirteen runs later, Lara reached forward defensively, edged an away cutter to Stewart, and without waiting on umpire Venkataraghavan's verdict, tucked his bat under his arm and walked away after batting for 143 minutes, facing 93 deliveries and stroking nine boundaries.
England, however, had to wait another 150 minutes and 36 overs for another wicket, and when it came at 230 for five, it was a gift. By then, however, the West Indies, leading by 51, were in control.
For Adams, however, it is always the more the safer, and with the out-of-form Ridley Jacobs edging Caddick to Stewart in the second over of the second new ball and falling for five at 237 for six, the left-hander who loves to lead by example changed gear, reeled off some wonderful strokes, and inspired Curtly Ambrose to stay with him.
With Adams driving Gough through cover and through extra-cover, with Ambrose stretching his long legs down the pitch and hitting Giddins overhead, the pair posted 55 for the seventh-wicket before the left-handed Ambrose, after batting for 82 minutes, facing 50 deliveries and smashing three boundaries, shouldered arms against Croft, was hit on the back leg and umpire David Shepherd sent him off leg before wicket for 22 at 292 for seven.
Franklyn Rose, probably disappointed that he was asked to bat after Ambrose, probably deciding to show that he is no rabbit, ended the day in style with a huge six over long-off off Croft and four boundaries in two overs from Gough.
SCOREBOARD
England first innings 179
West Indies first innings
(overnight 50-2)
S.Campbell b Gough 59
C.Gayle lbw b Gough 0
W.Hinds c Hussain b Caddick 12
B.Lara c Stewart b Gough 50
S.Chanderpaul c Stewart b Flintoff 73
J.Adams not out 66
R.Jacobs c Stewart b Caddick 5
C.Ambrose lbw b Croft 22
F.Rose not out 33
Extras (lb-11, nb-5) 16
Total (for seven wickets) 336
Fall of wickets - 1-5, 2-24, 3-123, 4-136, 5-230, 6-237, 7-292
Bowling: Gough 30-5-98-3, Caddick 26-6-81-2, Giddins 15-3-68-0, Croft 19-4-40-1, Flintoff 19-9-38-1
