Flintoff (5/58) rips out West Indies

BRIDGETOWN: All-rounder Andrew Flintoff grabbed a first-ever five-wicket haul yesterday, as England enjoyed a satisfying first day of the third Cable & Wireless cricket Test against the West Indies at Kensington Oval. Flintoff, in his 32nd Test, took five for 58 as the home team was bowled out for 224. England, leading 2-0 in the four-match series, lost out-of-form Marcus Trescothick in reaching 20-1 by the close of play. Steve Harmison, England’s star in the first two Tests, helped Flintoff limit the West Indies innings with three for 42 to take his series tally to 19. “It’s taken a while,” Flintoff said. “Hopefully I can kick on from here.”

The experienced home team middle order had its best showing of the series, led by Ramnaresh Sarwan (63), Shivnarine Chanderpaul (50) and captain Brian Lara (36). But none of the rest passed 20, as the last seven wickets tumbled for 57 runs. England, backed by a contingent of travelling fans that accounted for more than half the 15,000-strong crowd, began throwing its punches early after sending the West Indies to bat first on a lively pitch. “With all the English people here, it’s been a great feeling,” Flintoff said. “It’s like playing in England, flags everywhere and a lot of English faces.” New ball pair Matthew Hoggard and Harmison dismissed both openers within the first 45 minutes to send the West Indies to lunch on 20/2. Hoggard gained the initial breakthrough as Chris Gayle was ruled leg before by umpire Rudi Koertzen of South Africa at 6-1. The left-handed batsman appeared unlucky as TV replays indicated the ball was high and headed down leg side. Gayle’s new opening partner, Daren Ganga, lived a charmed life before he fell to Harmison for 11 at 20-2. The Trinidadian right-hander, returning to the side for the injured Devon Smith, survived a very clear leg before appeal and was dropped before he, too, was out to a dubious leg before decision.

This time, Australian Darrell Hair ruled that a shotless Ganga was leg before. Lara and Sarwan brought the West Indies back in a fluent partnership of 68 either side of lunch. Both batsman registered their highest scores of the series. But just as Lara seemed set for more, Flintoff cut him short. The star left-hander hit six fours off 71 balls when he edged to gully where Mark Butcher held a comfortable catch. England should also have had Chanderpaul when ten, at 107, but his edge to third slip was put down by Butcher off Flintoff. That let-off allowed the Guyanese pair of Sarwan and Chanderpaul to forge another meaningful association that helped the West Indies take tea well set at 155-3. But England struck back hard in the final session. Harmison made the crucial breakthrough when Sarwan edged to Flintoff at second slip. The West Indies vice-captain hit seven fours off 146 balls in 206 minutes. His stand with Chanderpaul was worth 79 in just under two hours.

Flintoff quickly accounted for Ridley Jacobs (six) to expose the tail, and the innings folded swiftly once Chanderpaul was also a Flintoff victim. Jacobs fended a nasty lifter to cover, while Chanderpaul edged to second slip. Chanderpaul’s even half-century spanned 99 deliveries and included five fours off 161 minutes. Simon Jones claimed Pedro Collins (seven) to another slip catch as the West Indies deteriorated rapidly. Tino Best counter-attacked in a feisty 17 off 21 balls, but Flintoff finished things off with two wickets in successive balls. Best gloved a bouncer to third slip before last man Fidel Edwards edged to wicket-keeper Chris Read. Edwards returned to lift the outnumbered home crowd as he bowled Trecothick off the inside edge. But England captain Michael Vaughan (12 not out) and Mark Butcher survived a testing half-hour before close to ensure no more casualties.   

Scoreboard
WEST INDIES vs ENGLAND
West Indies 1st inns:
C Gayle LBW b Hoggard 6
D Ganga LBW b Harmison 11
B Lara c Butcher b Flintoff 36
R Sarwan c Flintoff b Harmison 63
S Chanderpaul c Thorpe b Flintoff 50
R Hinds c Jones b Harmison 5
R Jacobs c sub (Collingwood) b Flintoff 6
T Best c Butcher b Flintoff 17
P Collins c Trescothick b Jones 7
C Collymore not out 1
F Edwards c Read b Flintoff 0
EXTRAS (LB14, W1, NB7) 22
Total 224
Fall of wickets: 6; 20; 88; 167; 179; 197; 198; 208; 224; 224.
BOWLING: Hoggard 16-5-34-1; Harmison 18-6-42-3; Flintoff 16.2-2-58-5 (NB3); Jones 16-1-55-1 (W1); Giles 9-1-21-0.

England 1st inns:
M Trescothick b Edwards 2
M Vaughan not out 12
M Butcher  not out 3
EXTRAS (NB3) 3
Total for one wicket 20
Still to bat: N Hussain, G Thorpe, A Flintoff, C Read, A Giles, M Hoggard, S Jones, S Harmison.
Fall of wicket: 8.
BOWLING: Edwards 5-1-9-1 (NB2); Collins 5-3-10-0; Collymore 1-0-1-0 (NB1); Hinds 1-1-0-0.