Harmison (7/12) rips apart Windies

KINGSTON: Fast bowler Steve Harmison skittled West Indies for their lowest ever Test total to set up a 10-wicket victory for England in the first Test yesterday. Harmison took seven for 12 in 12.3 overs as West Indies were bowled out for 47 in their second innings on the fourth day, leaving England needing just 20 to take a series lead. The visitors reached the victory target in 2.3 overs, before lunch on the fourth day. The previous lowest Test total by West Indies was the 51 they made against Australia in Port-of-Spain in 1999.

Resuming on eight without loss, West Indies were in disarray from the moment Graham Thorpe took a superb catch above his head in the slips off Harmison to remove opener Chris Gayle for nine. Ramnaresh Sarwan was unlucky to be adjudged leg before for a duck and Shivnarine Chanderpaul played on, also for a duck, as the hosts slumped to 15 for three. Captain Brian Lara, with the little finger on his right hand heavily strapped after he dislocated it on day two, failed to halt the slide. He also went for no score, easily caught by Andrew Flintoff at second slip off Matthew Hoggard.

Devon Smith, who hit a century in the first innings, was next to go, brilliantly caught and bowled by Hoggard for 12 to leave the home side reeling on 21 for five.  Ridley Jacobs hit a few lusty blows in a top score of 15 but his cameo ended when he gloved a Harmison lifter to Nasser Hussain at short leg. Harmison completed his second five-wicket haul in Tests by removing Tino Best for a duck, Simon Jones had Ryan Hinds caught behind for three and Harmison then quickly mopped up the last two wickets.

Scoreboard

WEST INDIES vs ENGLAND
West Indies 1st inns: 311
England 1st inns: 339
West Indies 2nd inns:
(Overnight 8 for no wicket)
C Gayle c Thorpe b Harmison 9
D Smith c & b Hoggard 12
R Sarwan LBW b Harmison 0
S Chanderpaul b Harmison 0
B Lara c Flintoff b Hoggard 0
R Hinds c Read b Jones 3
R Jacobs c Hussain b Harmison 15
T Best c Read b Harmison 0
A Sanford c Trescothick b Harmison 1
C Collymore not out 2
F Edwards c Trescothick b Harmison 0
EXTRAS (LB4, NB1) 5
Total 47
Fall of wickets: 13; 13; 15; 16; 21; 41; 41; 43; 43; 47.
BOWLING: Hoggard 9-2-21-2; Harmison 12.3-8-12-7; Jones 4-1-10-1 (NB1).

England 2nd inns:
M Trescothick not out 6
M Vaughan not out 11
EXTRAS (B1, NB2) 3
Total for no wicket 20
DID NOT BAT: M Butcher, N Hussain, G Thorpe, A Flintoff, C Read, A Giles, S Jones, S Harmison, M Hoggard.
BOWLING: Best 1.3-0-8-0 (NB1); Hinds 1-0-11-0 (NB1).
Result: England won by 10 wickets.
Man of the Match: S Harmison.