Sorry for the massive delay. Amended schedule put in first post.
1st Test: West Indies v Cricket Web XI
at CWBCC Stadium
Scorecard
Ball By Ball
One brutal partnership, as well as the grit of David Kennett and the continued presence of Wilson and the spinners, helped Cricket Web XI secure an evenly-fought first Test match of the series at CWBCC Stadium. As usual, West Indies bowled well in patches, yet failed to create enough pressure during the mammoth 272-run fourth-wicket stand which took Cricket Web XI into a confident and ultimately winning position.
It certainly didn't look that way after Dwayne Bravo's early burst, however. After Taylor and Lawson wasted the new ball, Collymore got one to bend back at Mørk, who trudged back for 20. Mamesh, however, blazed to a 34-ball fifty,
Pickup opted to send his openers in first, and after seeing off Taylor and Edwards things were set for a huge total. Instead, Corey Collymore got the first breakthrough with a decent in-nipper, before Dwayne Bravo tucked in. The first ball of his spell smacked into Young's middle stump, as the newly recalled player went back for six; Cloete entered by thumping Collymore for six, but after lunch Bravo returned to have Mamesh caught at mid off and Cloete bowled off the inside-edge. Butler also went to Bravo, and Wilson lasted only thirteen balls before falling to Mohammed's first ball of the series.
At 180 for seven - Collymore had got one to move away from Halsey - the situation looked desperate. Yet, Rob Dauth, well short of first-class form, once again improved his game to the Test arena. Lashing out boundaries, he struck 34 runs while Kennett heroically avoided getting out, ending with the top score of 71. Kennett then went on the attack, ending with a very credible 17 not out, while Pickup dragged Collymore to mid on and Gayle took care of Thomas with his fifth ball.
In response to the CW total of 253, Ganga and Gayle played measured and patient cricket. Only four boundaries were hit during the opening ten overs, and no one gave a chance until Gayle in the eleventh over; Cloete dived at second slip, but failed to reach. Butler created a difficult chance with his first ball, but from then on Gayle and Ganga attacked, and by the close of play they had reached 119.
The Webheads did not give up and earned rewards on the second day. Daren Ganga gave up the inevitable chance while on 62, and Gayle followed shortly afterwards, held by Cloete at slip. Wilson then struck twice in his first over of a new spell, taking out Chanderpaul and Samuels, but the in-form man Morton continued to frustrate the Webheads. By lunch, he had littered the cover boundary with hits, and stood with a creditable 57; at the other Bravo had eked out 11, and West Indies trailed by only seventeen.
Dwayne Bravo was the mainstay of the innings, gritting out 109 balls as he put on 52 with Dave Mohammed. But a key throw resulted in the run out of Bravo, Wilson yorked out the tail, and the last three wickets fell in seven balls, without anyone having scored a run.
In spite of being buoyed by the early incisions and two no-balls from Lawson in the opening over, however, things went badly wrong once again. Young and Mørk were both guilty of passive pad-play and rightly given out, while Mamesh whiffed at a regulation wide one and got a tiny edge to Ramdin. At 56 for three, it looked like the West Indies would continue their good run against the Webheads.
After five sessions of relative dominance, however, West Indies failed to turn the screw. Cloete and Butler added 109 before the day was over; they continued in the same fashion the next morning, playing positively and brutally as they ground their opponents into the ground in a batting masterclass. Cloete gave one difficult chance, on 115, before Ganga held a fine catch on 151, to break the stand of 272 for the fourth wicket. Butler had registered a flawless hundred before lunch, choosing a reckless but effective route, as he thumped twenty fours and three sixes during his excellent 173. Though the new ball helped Taylor and Collymore, the lead was up to 378 when Butler finally gave the outside edge, and with Wilson and Halsey further proving the point, Cricket Web notched up 513 runs despite most of the top order leaving for scores below 25.
With two days to go and a world record 456 to win, the result was inevitable. Cricket Web worked out three men before stumps, including Chanderpaul, who once again failed to pick the left-arm outswing of Wilson and nicked feebly to Young at point for a duck. Though Gayle continued to make runs, he fell at the stroke of lunch to give the Webheads the upper hand in that session of play, too. Bravo and Ramdin lived charmed lives during their one-hour thermopylaic stand, and though the tail had a little more luck than in the previous innings, Halsey eventually ran through to bowl them out for 316. Ramdin, who had shepherded the tail well after a couple of chances early on, was denied the half-century as Mørk held the final catch and sent the Webheads into jubilation.
Cricket Web XI 253 all out (59.5 overs)
RJ Dauth 71, T Mamesh 58; DJ Bravo 4-68, CD Collymore 3-50
West Indies 311 all out (83.3 overs)
CH Gayle 86, D Ganga 62, RS Morton 58; MW Wilson 4-49, DM Kennett 3-52
Cricket Web XI 513 all out (105.3 overs)
CR Butler 173, A Cloete 151, MW Wilson 57; JJC Lawson 4-133, CD Collymore 3-79
West Indies 316 all out (83 overs)
CH Gayle 82, DJ Bravo 68; NS Pickup 3-59, TC Halsey 3-59, MW Wilson 2-38
Cricket Web XI won by 139 runs
Man of the Match: M. W. Wilson (CW XI)
