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News

Giles takes five as England cruise to victory

Five wickets from Ashley Giles helped England to a convincing victory against West Indies in the opening Test at Lord's

The Bulletin by Liam Brickhill
26-Jul-2004
England 568 and 325 for 5 dec beat West Indies 416 and 267 (Chanderpaul 97*, Giles 5-81) by 210 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details


Ashley Giles celebrates the big wicket of Brian Lara - and his 100th Test wicket © Getty Images
Ashley Giles powered England to a comprehensive victory in the opening Test at Lord's. He collected 5 for 81 - his first five-for in this country - as West Indies were bowled out for 267 in their second innings, with Shivnarine Chanderpaul again left stranded not out on 97.
England secured a 1-0 lead in the four-Test series mainly thanks to Giles, who later collected the Man of the Match award. He took the crucial wicket of Brian Lara before lunch, and despite Chanderpaul's innings, in which he fell three runs short of what would have been his second century of the match, the game was wrapped up shortly before tea when Andrew Flintoff had Fidel Edwards caught behind.
West Indies had resumed at 114 for 3 following a short rain delay this morning, and they started confidently as both Chanderpaul and Lara took advantage of any bad balls they received. Lara, in particular, found that playing his natural aggressive game was the best form of defence against Stephen Harmison, slashing a wide ball behind point, and clipping the next delivery off his legs for consecutive boundaries to bring up the fifty partnership. Lara had a slice of luck in Harmison's next over, though, as he just managed to kick the ball away from his stumps after a vicious lifter came off his ribs and bounced back towards the wicket.
West Indies had another scare after the morning drinks break when a ball from Hoggard spat off a length, hit Chanderpaul painfully on the elbow, and looped to gully. England appealed for the catch, thinking the ball had come off the glove or handle of the bat, but Daryl Harper was unmoved. Chanderpaul was in some discomfort, but soldiered on after some treatment from the West Indies physio.
However, England then struck the vital blow, as Giles took his 100th Test wicket with a ball that turned sharply to beat Lara's attempted drive and cannoned into middle stump (172 for 4). Giles was in the middle of an inspired spell, and six overs later he undid Bravo with a flighted ball that he tapped back for an easy return catch (194 for 5). Ridley Jacobs survived a close shout for lbw first up, but in the next over he edged Hoggard straight to Graham Thorpe in the slips, and the England bowlers had their tails up (195 for 6).
Harmison was aggressive after lunch, whizzing the ball past Omari Banks's nose and then throwing down the stumps after Banks had tapped the ball back defensively a few deliveries later. Banks was rightly given not out, though both of his feet were in the air when the ball hit the stumps, he had already made his ground and was taking evasive action. However, Harmison made amends in his next over as he beat Banks for pace and bowled him all ends up (200 for 7).
Tino Best then completely lost his head after a few words with Flintoff at first slip, and was stumped two balls later after charging down the wicket at Giles, and England were making steady progress towards the finishing line (203 for 8).


Brian Lara: made a bright start, but was bowled by Giles for 44 © Getty Images
At the other end, Chanderpaul went to a heroic, but ultimately futile, half-century with consecutive boundaries off Harmison, and kept the runs flowing with three boundaries in three balls off Hoggard two overs later. He had taken a number of blows to the arms and hands in his innings, and received yet another painful hit, on the inside knee for a change, from Simon Jones that had him calling for the physio once again.
But Chanderpaul had other problems, namely that he was running out of partners. Pedro Collins was out his depth against Giles as he struggled gamely for 38 deliveries, surviving a multitude of lbw shouts, a stumping, and an appeal for caught behind, before eventually becoming Giles's fifth victim when Geraint Jones took advantage of a second stumping chance (247 for 9).
Chanderpaul raced into the nineties with consecutive fours, behind point and through the covers, off Simon Jones, as the clouds rolled in over Lord's, but Edwards, who had clung on for 24 balls, then edged Flintoff behind to Geraint Jones to signal the end of the match, and start England's celebrations.