Report
Parsons reaches century for first time in years as rain wins at Taunton
Keith Parsons will remember the tedious final day that completed this rain-affected match long after it has been erased from the minds of slumbering spectators
Richard Latham
05-Aug-2000
Keith Parsons will remember the tedious final day that completed this rain-affected match long after it has been erased from the minds of slumbering spectators.
The 27-year-old local product, from Taunton, ended an eight-year wait for his first County Championship century by hitting an unbeaten 108 as Somerset batted all day to reach 368-3 in their second innings, a lead of 400.
When the declaration came to put the match out of its misery, Parsons and Peter Bowler had added 227 in an unbroken stand that was a Somerset record for the fourth wicket against Yorkshire.
Full postEngland fight back after early West Indies breakthrough
England went in to lunch on 253 for seven wickets, rather a disappointment when they had anticipated a strong strengthening of their lead over the West Indies
John Ward
05-Aug-2000
Old Trafford, lunchtime: West Indies 157; England 253/7
England went in to lunch on 253 for seven wickets, rather a disappointment
when they had anticipated a strong strengthening of their lead over the West
Indies. But, after an early West Indian breakthrough, they were forced to
fight their way back, with the calm figure of Michael Vaughan at the centre,
and by the interval were 96 runs ahead with three wickets left.
England resumed at their overnight score of 196 for three. The overnight partnership lasted exactly two balls; Alec Stewart (105) fished at Curtly Ambrose's second ball, just outside off stump, and snicked a regulation catch to keeper Ridley Jacobs. Walsh, at the other end, was as usual the ideal partner and two runs later removed the gallant Marcus Trescothick for 66, a little fortuitously: the ball moved in to the batsman and would have missed leg stump, but it struck him on the pad and rebounded on to the wicket. England were now 198 for five, much of their advantage gone already.
Full postA Day of Encouraging Fortunes for the West Indies
The figures speak for themselves
Colin Croft
05-Aug-2000
The figures speak for themselves. Curtly Ambrose: 27 overs 7 maidens 70 runs 4 wickets. Courtney Walsh: 27 overs 14 maidens 50 runs 4 wickets. Again, the "Old Boys" were magnificent. Again, the West Indies owe a tremendous debt to these absolutely unsinkable battleships, perhaps aging, but definitely still as dangerous, especially when given just a whiff of an advantage. With Ambrose's dismissal of English batting hero Alex Stewart with the 2nd ball of the 3rd day, for his overnight 105, that whiff was immediately present. When Walsh bowled Marcus Trescothick off of his pads, things smelled even better for the West Indies. Even without any real help from the back-up bowlers, Ambrose and Walsh saw their team through a good 3rd day.
This was enhanced even more when the West Indies openers, Sherwin Campbell and Adrian Griffith, with some panache, attitude and aptitude too, managed to defy the English fast bowling, and off spinner Robert Croft, for 96 runs, the best opening partnership so far this tour. Had Campbell not received the proverbial "unplayable" delivery, from the surprisingly quick Craig White, which Campbell actually did play, somewhat unintentionally with his bat handle, to backward point for Dominic Cork to take a brilliant running cum diving catch, the West Indies might have even closed without losing a wicket. To close at 131-1, and Adrian Griffith batting all of 3 hours 20 minutes for 41 not out, showed that the West Indies can muscle up some resolve. Only in deficit to the England lead of 146 by 15, the West Indies could look back on Day 3 as the turning point of Test 3.
While England did make 303, thanks to Stewart's 105, Marcus Trescothick's 66 and a wonderful rear-guard effort by the late order English batsmen, after the team had slumped to 210-6 from the overnight 196-3, England should have been disappointed at the final score. 400 seemed more possible.
Duncan Fletcher, England's Coach, explained Day 3:
Full postEngland dismissed for 303
England probably found the going harder than they would have liked on the third day
John Ward
05-Aug-2000
England probably found the going harder than they would have liked on the
third day. They lost three quick wickets, but some sound batting down the
order eventually enabled them to total 303 by the time they were dismissed
soon after 2.30, a lead of 146.
England resumed at their overnight score of 196 for three, but were soon to lose both opening batsmen. Alec Stewart (105) fished at Curtly Ambrose's second ball, just outside off stump, and snicked a regulation catch to keeper Ridley Jacobs, while Trescothick (66) was unluckily bowled off the pad by Walsh. When King bowled White (6) through the gate, England were 210 for six, and Michael Vaughan needed to consolidate with Dominic Cork.
When Ambrose took the second new ball just before lunch, he soon had Cork (16) caught at the wicket in similar fashion to Stewart; England 251 for seven.
Full postWest Indies fight back at Old Trafford
This was not as euphoric a day as the first two had been for England with West Indies top order batsmen making it a little more comforting for their side which had suffered the torment from England from the start of this third Test match
Andy Jalil
05-Aug-2000
This was not as euphoric a day as the first two had been for England with
West Indies top order batsmen making it a little more comforting for their
side which had suffered the torment from England from the start of this third
Test match.
Their second innings was much in contrast to the first as it took them within
fifteen runs of wiping off a large 146 run deficit. They went about their
business precisely as required under the circumstance with England bowlers
struggling to penetrate the defence of the opening partnership.
There were times when both Sherwin Campbell and Adrian Griffith played and
missed, especially at the earlier part of their innings, but neither could be
removed. There were some upish shots from Campbell, in particular, which went
perilously close to the outstretched hands of in-fielders but the batsman
steadily picked up the runs.
Full postWest Indies reduce first innings deficit
England probably found the going harder than they would have liked on the third day
John Ward
05-Aug-2000
Old Trafford, tea: West Indies 157 and 35 for no wicket; England 303
England probably found the going harder than they would have liked on the third day. They lost three quick wickets, but some sound batting down the order eventually enabled them to total 303 by the time they were dismissed soon after 2.30, a lead of 146. By tea the West Indies had reduced the deficit to 111 without losing a wicket.
England resumed at their overnight score of 196 for three, but were soon to lose both opening batsmen. Alec Stewart (105) fished at Curtly Ambrose's second ball, just outside off stump, and snicked a regulation catch to keeper Ridley Jacobs, while Trescothick (66) was unluckily bowled off the pad by Walsh. When King bowled White (6) through the gate, England were 210 for six, and Michael Vaughan needed to consolidate with Dominic Cork.
Full postWest Indies fightback should ensure close contest
In a fascinating day's cricket, the balance swung from one side to the other almost from beginning to end
John Ward
05-Aug-2000
Old Trafford, close of play: West Indies 157 & 131/1; England
303
In a fascinating day's cricket, the balance swung from one side to the other
almost from beginning to end. England lost three quick wickets, but some
sound batting down the order eventually enabled them to recover and total
303, a lead of 146. West Indies fought back again, however, showing much
more application with the bat second time round, and had scored 131 of these
for the loss of only Sherwin Campbell by the close. With two days to play
and England to bat last, the match is now wide open.
England resumed at their overnight score of 196 for three, but were
soon to lose both overnight batsmen. Alec Stewart (105) fished at Curtly
Ambrose's second ball, just outside off stump, and snicked a regulation
catch to keeper Ridley Jacobs, while Trescothick (66) was unluckily bowled
off the pad by Walsh. When King bowled White (6) through the gate, England
were 210 for six, and Michael Vaughan needed to consolidate with Dominic
Cork.
Full postVasu powers Chemplast to victory over ONGC
The KSCA Diamond Jubilee Tournament saw yet another strong side from Chennai advance as Chemplast beat ONGC by 4 wickets at the Chinnaswamy Stadium
Anand Vasu
05-Aug-2000
The KSCA Diamond Jubilee Tournament saw yet another strong side from Chennai advance as Chemplast beat ONGC by 4 wickets at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. When ONGC won the toss, skipper Vadhera opted to bat first. His decision looked like the right one when openers Gagan Khoda and Manoj Mudgal put together a 50 run opening partnership. Mudgal (31) was castled by Balajee and soon after the wickets began to fall at regular intervals.
Left arm spinner Diwakar Vasu got his act together, trapping his opposition captain LBW with the score on 76. Rizwan Shamshad and Virendra Sehwag both failed to make significant contributions. With the score on 143, Khoda, who was holding one end up was dismissed one run short of his half century. Vasu then scalped three quick wickets, getting rid of the tail. He ended with 4/36 off his 10 overs. 202 was all ONGC could muster before they were all out in the last of their allotted 50 overs.
In response, Chemplast began badly, losing Badrinath before he could open his account. Punjab cricketer Dinesh Mongia played a solid knock, making 59 in the middle order. Batting around him, Jacob Martin (27), Vasant Saravanan (32) and Ajay Kudua (36) took Chemplast to a four wicket victory with a little more than an over to spare.
Full postPakistan book place in showpiece under-15 final
Pakistan ended England's interest in the Costcutter U15 World Challenge by winning their semi-final at Chelmsford by 58 runs
Dave Bracegirdle
05-Aug-2000
Pakistan ended England's interest in the Costcutter U15 World Challenge by winning their semi-final at Chelmsford by 58 runs.
In search of 191 for a place in Thursday's showpiece final at Lord's England lost bost openers inside the first 8 overs. Nottinghamshire's Samit Patel compiled a stylish 48 but when he fell in the 29th over his side were marooned still 100 short of their victory target with only 4 wickets left.
There was still time of the sizeable crowd to witness an astonishing phenomena as Pakistan's ambidextrous bowled Muhammed Naeem demonstrated that he could bowl with both arms. During the course of the same over he bowled left arm around the wicket to the right-handed Nick Swetman and then right arm over the wicket to the left-handed Tom New.
A partnership of 32 for the 7th wicket threatened to give England an outside chance in the last ten overs but then three suicidal run-outs effectively ended their hopes.
Full postEngland, due to Alec Stewart's brilliance, fully in control
"Things really did not go according to plan
Colin Croft
04-Aug-2000
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Courtney Walsh Photo © CricInfo |
"Things really did not go according to plan. I had hoped that we could have been batting at least until tea on the 2nd day. That did not happen, and we really did not get it right when we went out to bowl. We started off okay, with Courtney (Walsh) and Curtly (Ambrose) bowling fairly well. It just did not happen after that, as England scored much too quickly for our liking. That is now behind us, so we have to concentrate on how we should approach the 3rd day, with how we should bowl and how we should back the bowlers up in the field. I do not think that our fielding was anything to write home about as well."
Jimmy Adams, the West Indian captain, seemed somewhat perplexed at the end of the 2nd day. He continued:
Full post