Toss holds the key

London-As England would have it, their innings defeat inside three days in the first Test at Edgbaston was caused by their loss of the toss and the behaviour of the pitch.

It was a typical assessment that ignored the fact that their batsmen raised only 179 and 125 on it, while their bowlers had 397 taken off them, of which 160 was raised by the last three wickets.

The Lord's pitch was again their concern yesterday on the eve of the second Test, an encouraging portent for the West Indies who already carry a significant psychological advantage.

It carried a greenish hue and, according to head groundsman Mick Hunt, contains moisture not far below the surface. With the unusually wet spring and early summer weather, the water table is high.

Hunt termed it 'like the square in April' and, if the weather forecast proves correct, it is unlikely to dry out over the first couple of days that are expected to be cool and showery.

England took an early decision yesterday to omit off-spinner Robert Croft, meaning they will carry four seam and swing bowlers, relying on batsmen Mark Ramprakash, Graeme Hick and Michael Vaughn for their occasional off-spin when necessary.

In the inaugural Test against Zimbabwe at Lord's in mid-May, England's bowlers so dominated their inexperienced opponents, they won by an innings and 202 runs.

Ed Giddins, who never looked like taking a wicket against the West Indies in the first Test, was reportedly unplayable with match figures of 14-5-43-7.

That performance may well save Giddins his place, in spite of his lacklustre performance in Edgbaston, and he, Darren Gough, Andy Caddick and the restored Dominic Cork would be far more threatening in similar conditions than on a hard, dry surface in hot sunshine.

But Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh are past masters at utilising helpful circumstances, whatever their nature.

Their age equates to experience and wisdom, not decline, and, as always, they hold the key, certainly to the early exchanges.

Reon King and Franklyn Rose, adjusting over by over to the length required in England, offer effective support.

The one certainty is that the captain winning the toss ' England's will again be Alec Stewart, filling in for the injured Nasser Hussain 'will want to let his bowlers have first go.

As it was at Edgbaston, the contest could be effectively decided by tea on the first day.

For his experience and proven competence, as much as his captaincy, Hussain's absence with a broken left thumb counterbalances Shivnarine Chanderpaul's, with strained ligaments in his right forearm, for the West Indies.

Hussain averages just under 38 from his 50 Tests, Chanderpaul just over 40 from his 43 and both must be replaced by Test fledglings.

Michael Vaughan, the only young England batsman to emerge with any credit from the winter's tour of South Africa, comes in for Hussain. But for a cracked finger, he would have been back in the team earlier.

Chanderpaul's stand-in should be Ramnaresh Sarwan, 20 last Monday, a batsman of such potential that, following his unbeaten 84 in his debut Test innings against Pakistan in May, Ted Dexter, the former England captain, committed to print his prediction that he would average in the 50s after a lengthy career.

It is a big billing. As gifted as he is, Sarwan is yet no Sachin Tendulkar or Brian Lara. But, at Lord's, he would have the game's most prestigious stage, on a very special occasion, to display his talents.

The match marks several anniversaries rolled into one on a ground where the atmosphere is always special.

It is the 100th Test at Lord's since the first, between England and Australia, in 1884.

It is the 100th year since the first West Indies tour of England and their first match at Lord's, against the MCC, in which Lebrun Constantine, the legendary Learie's old man, hit the first hundred for the West Indies in England.

It is the 50th anniversary of the first West Indies Test win over England in England, also at Lord's, and seven of those on either side then will be present now to see how their latest successors get on.

So will several West Indians of more recent vintage who were in the team that won the first World Cup on the ground 25 years ago.

It is not recorded what the response was to Constantine's hundred in 1900. But in 1950 the guitar-strumming, singing Lord Kitchener, accompanied by a group of happy West Indians beating bottle and spoon, shuffled across the hallowed turf and in 1975, hundreds upon hundreds of West Indians blew their horns, hammered their drums and skinned cuffins at every run and wicket.

That was all spontaneous and unofficial. In this Test, for the first time, a West Indian band the internationally acclaimed reggae group Third World out of Jamaica and other acts will provide on-field entertainment.

It is, indeed, the 21st century but many of the thoughts these next few days will be of the past, as much as the present.

England (from) Alec Stewart (captain), Mike Atherton, Mark Ramprakash, Graeme Hick, Michael Vaughan, Nick Knight, Craig White, Dominic Cork, Robert Croft, Andrew Caddick, Darren Gough, Ed Giddins.

West Indies Jimmy Adams (captain), Sherwin Campbell, Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds, Brian Lara, Shivnarine Chanderpaul or Adrian Griffith, Ridley Jacobs, Curtly Ambrose, Franklyn Rose, Reon King, Courtney Walsh.