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Rain the winner in Port of Spain

Sunday, April 25 2004

The Manchester-like Trinidad weather had the final say after just an hour of the second one-day international between the West Indies and England when a torrential downpour left much of the outfield ankle deep.

Such was the ferocity and duration of the storm that tomorrow’s game between the two sides must now be in serious doubt.

Brian Lara, recovered from his troublesome finger injury, won the toss and chose to bat on a somewhat overcast, muggy morning at the Queens Park Oval. Play eventually got under way an hour late and when the requisite adjustment was made to the overs, it was decided the duration of the match would be 46 per side.

Darren Gough opened the bowling for England to Chris Gayle and as is often the case, gifted the first runs to the home side with a couple of wides resulting from deliveries which swung prodigiously. The first runs from the bat could easily have spelled the end for Gayle when an outside edge flew in the general vicinity of Andrew Flintoff at catchable height. The big all-rounder, standing at second slip, reacted very slowly and almost seemed to be still crashing to earth as the ball crossed the boundary at third man.

Steve Harmison also opened with a wide, then beat Shivnarine Chanderpaul twice in quick succession outside the off stump. At the other end, Chris Gayle, all bristling aggression, twice cracked Gough square through the off side, the second in particular a marvellous shot which brought the crowd very much to their feet.

Harmison’s first three overs went for just two runs off the bat and the seemingly requisite wide per over as he continued to maintain by and large an excellent length, although the occasional ball swinging down leg side indicated that he is still far from the finished article in this form of the game. In his fourth over, the big Durham man deservedly got his reward, finding the edge of Chanderpaul’s bat and Chris Read took the regulation catch as the first wicket went down on 25, the only batsman to look comfortable during the first game on this occasion contributing just 3.

A huge appeal for leg before wicket against Gayle saw the benefit of the doubt going as it should in the batsman’s favour, then an edge off Harmison went perilously close to Flintoff at slip. The dangerous Ricardo Powell was fortunate to avoid spooning a good bounder to square leg as the West Indies found themselves restricted to just 33 off the first 10 overs.

James Anderson commenced his first international appearance on the tour with a couple of wayward deliveries to Gayle, then continued his happy knack of taking wickets with awful deliveries when Gayle (20) slapped a wide one straight to Paul Collingwood at backward point. This brought Ramnaresh Sarwan to the crease at 34-2 and the man from Wakenaam Island immediately profited with a fine leg glance for four.

Harmison dropped short to Powell who belted the ball through cover off the back foot, then Sarwan repeated the exercise off a dreadful long-hop from the wayward Anderson as the young Lancastrian looked in dire need of match practice. Another short one from Anderson found its way to the boundary via the shoulder of Sarwan as the 50 was raised in the 15th over.

An over later, everyone was cooling their heels in the pavilion as the rain came down in absolute torrents. Within minutes, the outfield resembled the set of ‘Waterworld’, but at least the rain was marginally more entertaining than the Kevin Costner epic. A token gesture by the umpires to delay any abandonment did little to allay fears that we had seen the last of the cricket for today. An hour later, the inevitable decision was taken. If tomorrow’s game starts on time, I will eat this match report.

West Indies 57-2 v England

Match abandoned – no result.


Posted by Eddie