Harmison destroys Windies again

West Indies vs England - 2nd Test Day 1
West Indies 189 - 8 (Gayle 62, Harmison 5-48)


For the second time this week, Steve Harmison destroyed the West Indies batting line-up, taking 5 for 48 in another inspired performance. Whilst his final analysis may not be as spectacular as his 7 for12 in Jamaica, in a way this was even more impressive. On Sunday, no one got in and everything went for him from the start. Today, he turned the innings around after the home side's openers had put on 100. For England's supporters, if his performance on Sunday was almost too good to be true, today was giddy confirmation that he is maturing into a high quality bowler who can consistently deliver the goods. After Brian Lara had again won the toss and elected to bat on what looks like a pretty friendly strip, WI really should be heading towards a score in excess of 400. Instead, they will do well to make 200. And that is almost entirely down to Harmison.

And yet, for almost two hours, nothing had seemed less likely. Devon Smith and Chris Gayle survived an awkward start to take WI racing towards 100. Gayle was in spectacular form, regularly dispatching to the ropes anything that was remotely short, full or wide. Hoggard and Harmison came and went. Giles briefly appeared only to be subjected to a brutal assault by Gayle. With Flintoff and Jones looking ineffectual, some of us remembered 10 years ago when England, after being dismissed for 46, were put back on course an opening stand of 171 from Atherton & Stewart in the next test, which, of course, they went on to win. However, immediately after reaching 100 without loss, the wheels came off the WI innings in spectacular fashion.

Ten minutes before lunch, Vaughan recalled Harmison, but not at the end from where he had operate at the start of the day. Almost immediately, Gayle fished at a wide one and helped the ball on its way through to Read. It was a decent ball, but this was a tame dismissal that changed the course of the day. Having reached 62 and treated the bowlers with something close to contempt, Gayle should have gone on to make it really count. Instead, he opened the door which allowed England to get back into the game, and Harmison didn't so much sneak through as take it off its hinges. At the start of his next over, he had Devon Smith plumb LBW for 35 missing a straight one and, four balls later, he produced the ball of the day to send back Lara for another duck - a brute of a delivery that one of the world's greatest batsman could only glove onto his helmet before it found its way to the tumbling Giles in the gulley. 100 for 0 had become 110 for 3 and, having spent most of the pre-lunch session under the cosh, England were now on top.

Despite several interruptions for rain, England's bowlers then spent the rest of the day working through the remainder of the WI batting. In the few overs possible between lunch and tea, Chanderpaul continued his wretched series being caught behind for 2 flashing at a wide one from Jones. Dwayne Smith and Sarwan managed a revival of sorts, with Smith in particular occasionally reclaiming the initiative with some audacious strokes. However, having pulled Harmison for six, we tried to repeat the shot and was easily caught by Hussain who had been specifically placed at mid-wicket. Later in the same over, Sarwan's resistance ended when he edged to Flintoff who held a sharp catch at second slip. Best then edged Hoggard's routine out-swinger to Read and Sanford managed to get run out to reduce the home side to 165 - 8. Thereafter, Jacobs and Collins took them to 189 without further loss, although Jacobs was badly missed by Vaughan shortly before the close.


Posted by David