The England cricket team has been celebrating their narrow victory over West Indies more out of relief than pleasure. For nearly a week some of them have had to endure rightful criticism for losing the replayed Test at Port-of-Spain. The thought of losing this one and probably the series has been a heavy burden to bare. Michael Atherton came in for some `stick' because he could not `pick up' the team as a leader should and bowlers Andrew Caddick and Dean Headley were left in no doubt about their below par bowling by the captain and coach David Lloyd's stinging attacks in public.Atherton chose to field and got it right on the first morning as the ball seamed around. Fraser did his usual stuff, bowling a straight, economical line and length. Caddick was not happy to be singled out by the captain and coach but maybe that was what he needed -- a big `kick up the backside' -- because he gave an improved performance. Only Lara batted with self-belief and Fraser and Caddick finished with five cheap wicketseach.
England could not capitalise on the frail West Indian batting. Partly because the ball was still playing tricks with some movement and uneven bounce partly because the batting line-up isn't special and mainly because Ambrose pressured everyone with sustained aggression. It took an enormous amount of guts, skill and luck to survive against the `big fella.' Stewart made a good 44. Thorpe and Butcher worked hard for some runs but finally it was Curtly Ambrose at his best that gave the West Indies a 14-run lead in a low-scoring match that was important.
In the West Indies dressing room, bowlers tried to get the batsmen out of trouble with the promise that if they gave him a big effort the batting would not fail twice. In view of the recent West Indian batting failures in Pakistan that was a big statement. Perhaps, he felt he alone could take on the England bowlers but the pitch was not getting that much easier and too many West Indian batsmen were lacking good footwork. The West Indies were soon introuble. Brian Lara got a beauty from Fraser that nipped back and kept a bit low to trap him lbw.
With only 25 overs to bowl on the third evening, the situation was crying out for aggression. Instead, Lara set mainly run-saving field-placings and the fast bowlers responded accordingly below their best. It was as if the West Indies felt all they had to do was take the field -- put the ball on a length and wait for the pitch to do the worst. Next morning, Lara kept to the same strategy. The pitch was still playing uneven but getting slower and lower as the effects of the Sun and two big rollers a day flattened it.
Batting without close fielders gave the batsmen the opportunity to get edges and not be caught out. This allowed the England batsmen to bat in a more relaxed frame of mind and the West Indies bowlers to get more frustrated and despondent. The damage was done with a superb opening stand of 129.
Psychologically, as much as the amount of runs that partnership was priceless for England. Stewartcarried on to make a valiant 83, in between rain showers and bad light. From a lost position, the West Indies upped their game and clawed themselves back into the match.The tension at times was fantastic as both sets of players realised how important was the win. In the end, England squeezed home not daring to think of the consequences if they had lost. But a win is a win -- by what margin, who cares and it keeps the series alive.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
