West Indies' pace bowler Courtney Walsh (right) celebrates with captain Jimmy Adams after taking the wicket of England's Graham Thorpe for zero yesterday during the second day's play of the third Test at Old Trafford. MANCHESTER -
THE history of cricket is filled with some master fast bowlers, and yesterday at Old Trafford Courtney Andrew "Cuddy" Walsh proved, for the umpteenth time, that apart from the world record number of wickets to back his claim, he is one of them.
The 37-year-old Jamaican champion is not and was never as fast as Australia's Jeff Thomson, he is and never was as versatile as Australia's Denis Lillee, and he is and never was as smooth as Michael Holding - the Rolls Royce from the West Indies.
Apart from being a man for all seasons, however, Walsh is also a man for the occasion, and with the five-match Test series against England tied at one-one, with the West Indies in trouble on the second day of the crucial third Test, there was no bigger occasion, no greater need for something brilliant from one of their bowlers, and the old master stepped up, delivered, and kept the West Indies in the fight - at least for a while.
Resuming on 87 for four after the rain-ruined first day, the West Indies lost their remaining six wickets for 70 runs in 29.1, were dismissed for only 157, and at that stage, the balance was in England's favour.
In seven overs of brilliance during which he snatched three wickets without conceding a run, however, Walsh, who finished with three for 26 off 16 overs, pegged them back, England were reeling at 17 for three in the 14th over and the contest was interestingly poised.
Unfortunately for the West Indies, as well as he bowled, Curtly Ambrose, Walsh's comrade at arms, failed to pick up a wicket, and with the support bowlers, including Franklyn Rose off whom two catches were dropped, once again failing to produce, England, fired by a magnificent unbroken fourth-wicket partnership of 179 in 44 overs between veteran Alec Stewart and newcomer Marcus Trescothick, recovered nicely, hopped to 196 for three at stumps, and with a lead of 39 runs, with seven wickets to come and with Stewart and Trescothick at the top of their form, were well on top.
In a fairy-tale celebration of his 100th Test match, the 37-year-old Stewart stroked 13 boundaries in a glorious performance during which he has so far batted for 181 minutes and faced 150 deliveries, and in a dream debut, the 24-year-old left-hander Trescothick struck one six - a perfect sweep against left-arm spinner James Adams, stroked six fours while batting for 246 minutes and facing 151 deliveries.
On a cold, grey Manchester day, Walsh destroyed Mike Atherton's dream of a grand celebration in his 100th Test when he removed him in his second over - caught by Sherwin Campbell at second slip - for one at one for one.
It was a beauty - the ball pitching middle stump, cutting away off the seam, and turning the Lancastrian around as he attempted to get behind it while playing back.
With Ambrose bowling as tight as a miser while giving away only two runs in his first five overs, England crawled to three for one off 10 overs and were lucky when, in Rose's first over, captain Nasser Hussain, on one at seven for one, hooked, and Walsh, at long-leg, stepped over the boundary rope after catching the ball.
England enjoyed a slice of luck in Rose's second over when Trescothick, on three at 16 for one, hooked, and Wavell Hinds, probably losing the ball some 30 yards away at backward square-leg, dropped the catch.
As if making up for his blunder, Walsh struck twice with successive deliveries in his seventh over, and the battle was on.
Hussain was the first to go - caught by captain James Adams in the slips, and with the crowd welcoming the return of Graham Thorpe with a rousing applause, Walsh trapped the left-hander leg before wicket with a beautifully disguised, well pitched slower delivery.
After that, however, it was all England as Stewart and Trescothick, who spent 43 nervous minutes and 25 deliveries searching for his first run in Test cricket, played some lovely strokes all around the wicket and rubbed out Wally Hammond and Douglas Jardine's partnership of 120 in 1928 as the best fourth-wicket effort against the West Indies.
Following in the footsteps of Colin Cowdrey of England, Javed Miandad of Pakistan, and Gordon Greenidge of the West Indies, Stewart became, up to now, only the fourth of the 23 players who have played a 100 Test matches to celebrate the occasion with a century - and he played some lovely shots - particularly against fast bowler Reon King who paid dearly for some erratic bowling.
At tea, England were 47 for three off 22 overs with Trescothick on 24 and Stewart on eight.
Shortly after the interval, however, Stewart, driving off the front-foot, cutting and driving off the back foot, punished King with five boundaries in two overs and set the mood for a final session during which, with Walsh resting through most of it plundered the Windies attack.
Stewart, who also treated Rose with scant respect as he chipped to his third Test century against the West Indies, his first against them at home, and his 14th against allcomers, was the pick of the two batsmen.
Trescothick, looking a good bet to notch his first century in his first Test innings, was not far behind, however, and the partisan crowd showed its appreciation for his elegant stroke play with ringing rounds of applause when, before tea, he cut and hooked Rose, and when, after the interval, he leaned forward and drove the pacer sweetly through the covers.
It was a day of unfulfilled promise for the West Indies as earlier in the proceedings the batsmen also started well before surrendering in the face of some splendid bowling by Dominic Cork who finished with four for 23 off 17.1 overs, Darren Gough - two for 58 off 21, and Andy Caddick with three for 45 off 24.
With Adams, attempting to bat for as long as possible and looking solid, with Ramnaresh Sarwan reeling off some fluent strokes, the West Indies survived the first 66 minutes without losing a wicket and were going well on 118 for four before losing six wickets for 39 runs in 14 overs.
Sarwan, hit under the heart by a 90-mile an hour delivery from Craig White with his score on 36, was the first to go - leg before wicket to Cork for 36 at 118 for five, Ridley Jacobs, who never looked like hanging around, was next - bowled offstump off his pad for five at 126 for six after an ambitious attempt to drive a well pitched delivery from Caddick, and when Adams, reaching forward to White and edging a catch to Thorpe at third slip, was cut down for 24 at 130 for seven that was that as far as the Windies innings was concerned.
By Tony Becca, Senior Sport Editor
