da heads bet： Lord’s-For once, and for all their customorary endeavour, CurtlyAmbrose and Courtney Walsh couldn’t quite complete another rescuemission for the West Indies again foisted on them by their weakbatsmen
da betway： Tony Cozier02-Jul-2000Lord’s-For once, and for all their customorary endeavour, CurtlyAmbrose and Courtney Walsh couldn’t quite complete another rescuemission for the West Indies again foisted on them by their weakbatsmen.Once more, the champion fast bowlers defied their combined age of 73to send down 45 overs and five balls between them as England scrapedtogether the 188 they needed to win the second Test by two wicketsyesterday before an engrossed Saturday crowd that filled Lord’s for aspellbinding contest befitting of the famous ground’s 100th Test.Just as they ‘ and the many West Indian greats assembled for theanniversary of the historic 1950 victory ‘ had been let down by thebatting on the previous evening in the West Indies stunning, all-outsecond innings 54, Ambrose and Walsh got little assistance from theiryounger, support bowlers. There none at all from lady luck as Englandlevelled the series with the eighth wicket pair, Man of the MatchDominic Cork and Darren Gough, together in a partnership of 31.To Walsh went the individual spoils, six for 74 from his 23.5 overs.It was the 21st time he had claimed at least half the oppositionwickets, the fourth in successive Tests, further proof that he is asgood now, in many ways better, than he has every been.Ambrose’s return from 22 magnificent overs was the last Englandwicket, Andy Caddick. On a day when the gods treated him moredeservingly, he would have had all ten and the West Indies would betwo up with three Tests remaining.Only 22 runs came off him. The first was a gentle push by MichaelAtherton through midon off his 27th ball of the day, an indignity thatso infurated him he kicked the ground and cursed himself.There were no more than a handful of loose balls – and only by his ownstandards .He passed probing bats, rapped pads and found edges that skidded paststumps or wide of fielders with such regularity that even the mostdiligent observers lost count. After one cruelly fruitless over to thedefiant Atherton, he plucked his white towel from his pocket and wavedit, in frustration if not surrender.But he and Walsh cannot continue saving lost causes by themselves.They need the backing of those who can relieve them when they need torest. In this match, this was worryingly lacking from Franklyn Roseand Reon King.Rose could not improve on his costly inconsistency of the firstinnings. His 16 overs cost him 67 and, after his one testing spelljust after tea, he returned near the end to be pulled over squarelegfor six and driven over midon for four by Cork in the same over thatdrew England to withint 16 of their target and obliged captain JimmyAdams to recall the tired Walsh.King, limping slightly, was used for only eight overs. Either captainJimmy Adams didn’t trust his fitness or wasn’t willing to risk hisyoung pretenders together.In keeping with the earlier proceedings, neither team gained adefinite advantage until the result was formalised just after seveno’clock by the ebullient Cork’s cut boundary off a weary Walsh.It was the perfect ending for Cork’s return to the Test team after anabsence of 18 months on the ground where he marked his Test debut inthe corresponding Test five years ago. His unbeaten 33 added to hismatch return of seven wickets that, as in 1995, earned him the Man ofthe Match award.The initiative shifted one way then the next throughout another gray,misty day. After a start delayed by 50 minutes by light rain, MarkRamprakash dragged Walsh back into his stumps in the fifth over to endwhat could be his last Test innings. But England were seeminglycoasting during a second wicket partnership of 93, the highest of thematch, between their best and most experienced batsman, MichaelAtherton, and their youngest and newest, Michael Vaughan.Both rode their luck, repeatedly searching in vain for deliveries thatleft them sharply on pitching, especially from Ambrose. Vaughan gainedumpire John Hampshire’s favour on a close lbw against Walsh before hehad scored and would have been run had Rose hit the stumps with hisunderarm flick on follow through as the batsmen sprinted a singlke.England were still in the ascendacy at 109 for two at tea, even afterVaughan fished at Walsh’s leg-cutter to be caught behind.Walsh shifted the balance by removing Graeme Hick and Atherton withintwo balls and a run of each other in his third over on resumption.Hick edged uncertainly to Brian Lara at first slip and Atherton, onthe backfoot to an off-cutter, was lbw after two hours 25 minutes oftypical defiance that featured the type of battle with Ambrose thathas been going on since they first confronted each other in 1991.Another 20 runs were raised between Alec Stewart, the stand-incaptain, and the left-handed Nick Knight but the expectant crowd washushed by the fall of three wickets for nine runs in 23 balls thatleft England 149 for seven, 39 away from their target with only thebowlers remaining.Stewart was lbw to Walsh in similar fashion to Atherton. Walsh alsohad Craig White, given out caught behind by umpire Venkataraghavan,possibly off his body, after edging close enough to Lara at first slipit took the television replay to determine on the claimed catch.When Rose found Knight’s edge for the second time in successive oversand Ridley Jacobs held the catch he had earlier dropped, England haddeclined to 149 for seven and only the fast bowlers remained.By now, Walsh was tiring, Rose could find no reliable control and Corkchose attack as the best method. He cut Walsh to the cover boundaryand drove him straight for an all-run four with the labouring King inpursuit, ending his spell of 12-2-39-5 and bringing back Ambrose.Ambrose immediately had Caddick lbw with his sixth ball but Cork wouldnot be contained.His two blows for six and four off Rose brought England closer andforced Adams to recall Walsh for one last try. With six needed, Corkdrove a foot short of the diving Adams at midoff, the finalfrustration for Ambrose who continued to pass the bat to theaccompaniment of oohs and aahs around the ground.Rose missed the stumps with a throw from cover that would have foundGough well short of his crease with five needed and, next ball,Shivnarine Chanderpaul at cover fumbled a stroke, allowing the pair tocomplete a single that should never have been.The force was now with England and soon the victory as well.
