Another close call

Glamorgan - 'We're getting pretty used to close games, 'Jimmy Adams observed with some understatement after the West Indies' latest scrape yesterday.

In his short tenure as captain, Adams himself has become a past master at changing his expression from frowning concern to beaming relief.

The phenomenon was in evidence again yesterday as his team turned what would have been a discouraging defeat a week before the first Test against England into narrow victory over Glamorgan, an ordinary county team resting two key players in preparation for tomorrow's Benson & Hedges Cup final at Lord's.

'It was very good mental preparation for what's coming up,' Adams said. 'A tough game will help us get ready for the Tests.'

Even so, it's time for something more relaxing in the next match, over three days, against familiar opponents, Zimbabwe, at Arundel starting tomorrow.

As was generally the case in the Caribbean recently, their struggle was of their own making.

On a turning pitch of low bounce on which the preceding three totals averaged 133, Glamorgan's goal of scoring 134 on the last day was daunting, if not downright impossible.

But the West Indies played lacklustre cricket for an hour and the Welsh side got to within 21 before losing their last four wickets without scoring a run, three to Nixon McLean whose overall five for 30 provided welcome competition for the support roles to Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh come Thursday.

Had Glamorgan pulled it off, it would have been their first win over the West Indies since the 1939 tour and, in the process, would have earned them the sponsors' prize money of £11 000.

As their openers, the Australian Test left-hander Matthew Elliott and the right-handed Steve James, a two-Tests wonder for England, added 49 in the first hour against bowling, fielding and effort that brought back awful memories of New Zealand, the mission didn't seem so unrealistic.

A few precious runs were gifted by slack fielding and Brian Lara dropped Elliott at first slip off King, two-handed off a straightforward edge.

Along with a later fluffed run-out chance, it was another indication that he is still understandably match rusty.

Just when things were getting out of hand, James, captain for the match, got into a disagreement over a single with his partner and couldn't regain his ground at the non-striker's end before Corey Collymore tossed his return to Adams over the stumps.

It was the break the West Indies needed to shake them out of their lethargy.