Chanderpaul leads WI challenge

At the peak of his powers, Shivnarine Chanderpaul struck 136 not out – his second consecutive unbeaten ton – and kept West Indies afloat in the final Test against England. West Indies posted a competitive 287 in their first innings, then struck late blows bowling to stunt a fierce fightback by England, led by a pugnacious half-century from Andrew Strauss.

After scoring 116 not out in the previous Test, Chanderpaul was majestic and confident in compiling his 16th Test hundred against the progressively less fired-up England attack. He hit 18 fours and a six in the 257-ball effort, playing well alongside a succession of partners through the lower order. Most prominently, Chanderpaul united with Corey Collymore in a stand of 58 for the final wicket. Much to the frustration of England, Collymore fought for 53 balls and scored 13. It was his first venture into double figures in Test cricket since 2004, and somewhat welcome in West Indies pressing forward competitively.

Overnight batsman Dwayne Bravo was pressured early in the day, largely at the will of Matthew Hoggard, then was out to his tormentor for 44. The dismissal was set up by both Hoggard and wicketkeeper Prior with great precision. First Hoggard zipped the ball consistently past the bat, then Prior came up to the stumps to add further pressure. When Hoggard finally dropped short, Bravo miscued his pull shot and was bowled with West Indies poised on 141-5.

Marlon Samuels took guard on the back of his controversial accusations of discrimination, set to play his first innings of the tour. For all the nerves he displayed, his balance was pristine until his demise, and he scored 3 boundaries in 19 from 64 balls. Again the bowling of Ryan Sidebottom proved most effective of the England bunch. He bowled Samuels and followed up soon after lunch with the wicket Denesh Ramdin (13). Again West Indies looked in a sorry state, tattering at 219-7 in the day’s second session. Powell and Edwards fell in quick succession, with the latter the fifth victim of Sidebottom in a maiden Test five-wicket haul. Figures of 5 for 88 were just reward for the left-armer in his recall series.

The measure of resistance continued encompassed in and almost exclusive to the powers of Chanderpaul. His hundred was courageous and resolute as always. A deserving milestone a day after he reached 7000 Test runs. But even as he soldiered on with Collymore for the last wicket, West Indies’ innings looked a tame and aimless showing. And when Monty Panesar dismissed Collymore to end the innings on 287, it was a score that flattered the team in as much as it honoured the contribution of its topscorer.

England came out with the bat looking intent on forcing a contest from the heavily rain-affected match. Out of form and low on confidence, Andrew Strauss hardly showed it in his charge to 72 at stumps. There were moments of luck – flashing over the slips on more than one occasion – but in sum, Strauss looked a much-improved entity and a man far closer to his golden class of old. He laced 11 boundaries in highlighting his 121-ball innings. For once it was Alastair Cook who fell first, and to a soft dismissal at that. The opening batsman had just hit the typically wayward Fidel Edwards for two solid boundaries, then glanced a ball to Ramdin behind the stumps with 13 to his name. The muted celebration of Edwards seemed that of a man willing an almost tedious Test match to completion, even on the evening of the third day. It was a complete contrast to the mode of West Indian expression at the call of stumps, furthering the Jekyll and Hyde notion of the West Indies team.

The England captain took guard in Cook’s place. Michael Vaughan looked shaky at the outset, then settled into some flow with a couple of flashy shots for boundaries. But he returned to the pavilion for 19, edging Edwards loosely to second slip. The dismissal opened the door for a West Indies fightback, continued with Collymore removing grabbing the edge of Hoggard’s similarly loose prod, as the nightwatchman was caught at slip for 0. First up, Kevin Pietersen left the ball as it jagged back into him and practically kissed offstump – a lucky escape. It was a lapse in judgment, but only a momentary escape. An over later against Edwards, Pietersen feathered an under-edge to Ramdin, attempting to pull the fast bowler with a flair of arrogance.

The wicket came to the last ball before stumps, leaving the game fascinatingly poised. Having lost 3 for 11 in the final stretch of day three, England will resume tomorrow trailing West Indies by 167 runs with 6 wickets in hand, and two days remaining in the game.

West Indies 287
Shivnarine Chanderpaul 136*, Dwayne Bravo 44, Chris Gayle 28
Ryan Sidebottom 5-88, Matthew Hoggard 2-58

England 120-4
Andrew Strauss 72*, Michael Vaughan 19
Fidel Edwards 3-40, Corey Collymore 1-35