Edwards shakes up England bats

KINGSTON: West Indies fast bowler Fidel Edwards shook up England with his hostile pace yesterday, but Mark Butcher and Nasser Hussain helped the tourists share honours on the rain-shortened second day of the opening Cable and Wireless cricket Test. Butcher scored 58 and Hussain made an unbeaten 41 as England closed the day’s play on 156 for three. Edwards, who was consistently clocked at over 90 mph (145 kph), captured all three wickets for 50 off 16 overs. Earlier, the West Indies added no runs to their overnight score of 311 for nine before Matthew Hoggard took his third wicket to end the West Indies innings. Hoggard had Edwards caught by Andrew Flintoff at second slip, one-handed low to his left. But Edwards soon returned to make a more meaningful contribution, reducing England to 33 for two in a fine new-ball spell. In his test debut a year ago, the 22-year-old paceman took five wickets against Sri Lanka also at Jamaica’s Sabina Park.

Yesterday Edwards sent the off stump of Marcus Trescothick cart-wheeling 15 yards as the batsman dragged on. In the next over, captain Michael Vaughan (15) was snapped up at first slip by his opposite number, Brian Lara. Barbadian mate Tino Best helped Edwards put on the pressure, hitting both Butcher and Hussain on the helmet but failing to claim any wickets. Butcher and Hussain lunched at 51 for two, and in the second session slowly rebuilt the innings with a third-wicket 119-run partnership. Butcher played some trademark strokes all around the ground, while Hussain never matched his partner’s fluency but helped the team reach 145 for two by the tea. Steady rain during the second interval forced a delay of  almost two hours in afternoon play, during which only 3.1 overs were possible.

It was enough time for Edwards to give the West Indians a key strike with the dismissal of Butcher, who edged to wicket-keeper Ridley Jacobs two balls after he was let off at first slip by Lara off the same bowler. Lara’s lost chance did not prove costly on the field, but the West Indies captain dislocated the little finger on his right hand attempting the catch. The 34-year-old went to hospital for an X-ray. Butcher struck six boundaries off 139 balls in three hours, 20 minutes. Hussain, the experienced Essex batsman, counted five fours off 106 deliveries in three hours, 15 minutes.
Graham Thorpe was unbeaten on one at the close. (AP)