Walsh, Ambrose breath fire and brimstone

By Ted Corbett

LONDON, JUNE 30. Exactly 50 years after ``dem little friends of mine, Ramadhin and Valentine'' beat England at Lord's two giants caused similar havoc for West Indies in the second Test on Friday. Three wickets were down for nine and five for 50 as controlled swing and pace from Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose left England desperate to avoid the follow-on at lunch and 100 for eight when bad light and rain brought play to a halt.

Walsh batted just long enough to give Caddick his first victim of the innings - but his 11th in four Tests which have brought some criticism for the poor standard of his bowling after his success in South Africa - and leave West Indies on 267. Once again the weather was grey and moist; a swinger's heaven made for the four West Indies fast bowlers.

Within half an hour it looked as if England might struggle to avoid the follow-on. Mark Ramprakash, whose wooden Test batting has been ascribed to ``freezing'' by that master of behaviour patterns Mike Brearley, flicked the ball to first slip off Ambrose to record his fifth Test nought at his home ground. Mike Atherton played one of the worst shots of a fighting Test career against Walsh and was also snapped up by Brian Lara.

England threatened to emulate its four wickets for two runs in Johannesburg last autumn but Michael Vaughan, on his home debut, squeezed four through the slips before he was bowled as he tried to close the gap between bat and pad against Ambrose's off- cutter. Hick batted his weight for 50 minutes against loose bowling when Frankly Rose took over from Walsh but at 37 Ambrose made one cut back as if it had a magnet attracted to an iron off stump and Hick was bowled for 25 that included five fours.

Stewart was dropped on nine at 47 for four and Reon King soon had Nick Knight caught at third slip. White and Stewart stood firm until lunch at 58 for five in 24 overs, of which 12 were maidens. White drove twice through the covers and Stewart hit another loose ball to the third man boundary so that the follow-on was avoided - at 68 for five - so that another full house had the chance to dream of an England success. Fat chance!

Stewart, who had been forced to grin weakly through his grill in an acknowledgement that Ambrose had him in a tangle, was caught behind from a reflex stroke to give Walsh his second wicket and Cork was in all kinds of bother as the ball swung past his outside edge or reared into his chest. White played easily, either avoiding the ball leaving him or showing a broad bat. He brought up the 100 with a push through third man off Walsh; three times in the next over Cork felt for Ambrose's outswinger and missed. From the fourth ball he set off when a single was always going to be tight and from cover Adams hit the stumps with a deadly throw. White was two yards short. It was a totally unnecessary disaster.

When play resumed after 35 minutes England was all out for 134, Walsh and Ambrose sharing four wickets apiece. Gough pulled Walsh into the grandstand for six and was dropped at slip off Ambrose on nine. Caddick was Walsh's fourth victim at 121.

During the lunch interval we saw the 100th Test presentations to the lords of Lord's; cricketers who had performed heroics here like Ian Botham, Gordon Greenidge, Gary Sobers and Massie. One day Walsh and Ambrose deserve to be among that number.

West Indies in trouble

LONDON, JUNE 30. West Indies is tottering at 39 for six in its second innings at Lord's on Friday. Sherwin Campbell (4), Adrian Griffith (1), Wavell Hinds (0), Brian Lara (5), Shivnarine Chanderpaul (9) and Ridley Jacobs (12) were the batsmen dismissed. Skipper Jimmy Adams (3) and Curtly Ambrose (0) were at the crease. Andy Caddick bagged four wickets.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Sport
Previous : Fritz, a tool for chess players
Next     : Improving ICC's financial position was his main
           gain