England go after magnificent seven

LONDON: England will start tomorrow’s Fourth Test against West Indies as overwhelming favourites to clinch a magnificent seventh successive victory. After seeing off a rugged New Zealand 3-0 earlier in the summer, Michael Vaughan’s exciting side have outclassed their Caribbean guests with embarrassing ease.

Victory at the Oval would not only complete a 4-0 whitewash, the first over the Windies at home since 1928, it would equal England’s best winning Test sequence set in that same year. England captain Michael Vaughan has enjoyed a dream start to the job since taking over from Nasser Hussain during last year’s home series against South Africa. Despite starting his reign with two defeats in his first three Tests in charge, England have only lost once since, to a Muttiah Muralitharan-inspired Sri Lanka in Colombo.

Vaughan, who has a refreshingly straightforward attitude to the job, puts it all down to a winning mentality. “We’re in the habit of winning,” Vaughan said after Monday’s defeat of West Indies. “When the match can go either way, we firmly believe it’s going to go our way.” That attitude was never more evident than against West Indies on Sunday. With the visitors on 88 for one, an overall lead of 153, Brian Lara’s young side appeared to be closing in on a morale-boosting victory. Past England teams may have crumbled, but not this one.

The revitalised slow left-armer Ashley Giles had dangerous opener Chris Gayle brilliantly caught by Matthew Hoggard at long-on and when Lara fended off a ferocious Andrew Flintoff snorter to Andrew Strauss in the slips the game turned on its head and the tourists were bowled out for 165.  A victory target of 230 was still formidable on a wearing pitch, but the confidence instilled by several high-scoring run chases this year propelled England to victory in front of 15,000 joyful fans.