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Windies last pair hang on for thrilling draw
St JOHN's, ANTIGUA: Windies last pair Daren Powell and Fidel Edwards defied England for 60 balls and 36 minutes in fading light here Thursday to spur the West Indies to a thrilling draw in the 3rd Digicel Test at the Antigua Recreation Ground.
The pace duo produced a resolute display against an aggressive England attack as the home team, 143 for three overnight, batted throughout the final day to reach 370 for nine and ensure that they retain a 1-0 lead with two to play in the five-match Digicel Series 2009.
Ramnaresh Sarwan earlier hit a brilliant 106 and Shivnarine Chanderpaul a typically determined 55 to give the home team a fighting foundation.
Morning rain caused a delay of an hour and 15 minutes before Sarwan, the eventual Man of the Match, and Chanderpaul resumed their overnight association and confidently dulled the visitors throughout the first session and a half.
The Guyanese pair had to battle hard but was rewarded as both passed landmarks in the second session. Sarwan, in brilliant form this Digicel Series 2009, passed his 13th Test ton and Chanderpaul, short of runs before this, completed a typically resolute half century.
But England hit back immediately after taking the second new ball as Stuart Broad (3-69) grabbed both Sarwan and Chanderpaul to shift the momentum. Sarwan struck 12 fours off 196 balls in 252 minutes before he played back to one that kept a bit low and lost his off stump.
Chanderpaul fell soon afterwards as he probed outside off stump and deflected a catch to wicket-keeper Matt Prior. The left-hander hit five fours off 165 balls in four hours. The West Indies sipped tea nervously at 279-5 but the lower order rallied after the break despite England's purposeful approach. Brendan Nash, the last of the specialist batsmen, fell soon after the break, leg before to Swann as he prodded forward. Nash hit four fours in 23 off 49 balls.
Denesh Ramdin (21) and Jerome Taylor (11) also provided aggressive resistance before both fell to a fired-up James Anderson (2-68) to tilt the balance back towards England. Taylor clipped a catch to midwicket while Ramdin tried to force through the off side and dragged back onto his stumps.
At 322 for eight with 21 overs still remaining, the largely English crowd of close to 4,000 were preparing to celebrate, chanting and cheering their team on. But Sulieman Benn and Powell started the defiance in a ninth wicket stand of 31 that spanned seven overs.
The lanky left-hander reached 21 when the tide turned again as Swann earned an LBW verdict against an uncertain Benn forward prod. Powell and Edwards were left with 14 overs to negotiate but, by now, the light was fast fading.
England threw everything at them, including an injured, but determined Andrew Flintoff. But both batsmen, with a few nervous strokes and questionable runs, managed to see their team home.
Umpires Daryl Harper of Australia and Rudi Koertzen of South Africa, with skies darkening, eventually offered the pair the light at 6:02 p.m. with four overs still remaining to signal the draw.
SCORECARD - FINAL DAY
England 1st innings 566-9 dec (A. Strauss 169, P. Collingwood 113)
West Indies 1st innings 285 (R. Sarwan 94, G. Swann 5-57)
England 2nd innings
(overnight 31-1)
A. Strauss c Smith b Edwards 14
A. Cook c Smith b Hinds 58
J. Anderson c Ramdin b Powell 20
0. Shah b Powell 14
K. Pietersen c Ramdin b Benn 32
P. Collingwood b Hinds 34
M. Prior not out 15
S. Broad run out (Ramdin/Benn) 1
A. Flintoff c Hinds b Benn 0
S. Harmison not out 7
Extras (b12, lb3, w5, nb6) 26
Total (8 wkts dec., 50 overs) 221
Fall of wickets: 1-23 2-69 3-97 4-145 5-189 6-195 7-201 8-206
Bowling: Edwards 9-1-36-1 (nb5, w1), Taylor 9-2-34-0, Powell 7-0-33-2, Benn 14-1-58-2 (nb1), Hinds 11-1-45-2.
West Indies 2nd innings
C. Gayle lbw b Swann 46
D. Smith lbw b Harmison 21
R Sarwan b Broad 106
RO Hinds c Shah b Broad 6
S Chanderpaul c Prior b Broad 55
BP Nash lbw b Swann 23
D Ramdin b Anderson 21
JE Taylor c Bell b Anderson 11
SJ Benn lbw b Swann 21
DBL Powell not out 22
FH Edwards not out 5
Extras (b 21, lb 7, w 1, nb 4) 33
Total (9 wickets; 128 overs) 370 (2.89 runs per over)
Fall of wickets: 1-59 (Smith, 18.4 ov), 2-81 (Gayle, 23.4 ov), 3-96 (Hinds, 28.5 ov), 4-244 (Sarwan, 81.4 ov), 5-261 (Chanderpaul, 87.2 ov), 6-287 (Nash, 96.3 ov), 7-313 (Taylor, 106.1 ov), 8-322 (Ramdin, 110.6 ov), 9-353 (Benn, 117.6 ov)
Bowling: JM Anderson 25-6-68-2, SCJ Broad 21-3-6-69-3, GP Swann 39-12-92-3, SJ Harmison 22-3-54-1, A Flintoff 15-5-32-0, KP Pietersen 3-0-15-0, OA Shah 3-0-12-0
Player of the match: RR Sarwan (West Indies)
Fifth day highlights:
# With a drawn Test, England and West Indies have played 7 Tests at St.John's. West Indies have won three while the remaining four have failed to produce results.
# Of the 22 Tests played at St.John's, West Indies have won 7 and lost 3 while the remaining 12 could not produce results.
# Chanderpaul (55 off 165 balls) recorded his 13th fifty against England - his 51st in Tests.
# Chanderpaul has performed exceptionally well against England - 1827 in 27 Tests, including four centuries and 13 fifties at an average of 50.75.
# Ramnaresh Sarwan (106) registered his third century against England - his 13th in Tests.
# Sarwan, during the course of his aforesaid innings, completed his 3,000 runs at home - 3092 at an average of 46.84, including 9 centuries and 18 fifties, in 41 Tests.
# Sarwan is the leading run-getter in the present series - 307, including two centuries, in three innings at an average of 102.33.
# Sarwan got his third MOM award - his first two awards were against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
# Swann (8 for 149) produced his best figures in a Test match. |
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Cric Contest Ratings |
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 Tests
ODIs
T-20
Combined |
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First ever Premier Ratings. Who leads whom? A unique formula devised by the criccontest team.  |
| Mohandas Menon |
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