Atherton, Vaughan keep England on course

By Ted Corbett

LONDON, JULY 1. England's Michaels - Atherton and Vaughan - put on a second wicket stand of 92 that not only sent their side towards victory in the second Test against West Indies at Lord's but offered a glimpse of their potential as an opening partnership. Mark Ramprakash, downcast after his fifth Test nought on his home ground, will not keep the job into which he was press ganged for much longer. The pair knocked off half the 188 runs England needed for the win that would level the series at 1-1 before tea but, remembering the great feats of the Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh in snatching lost games for West Indies the big crowd was silent for most of the time as the batsmen headed for a grandstand finish. Walsh, changed to the pavilion end, broke the partnership by having Vaughan caught behind as the ball lifted but the supporters - forgetting Mexican Waves in their excitement - screamed when 100 came up. Graeme Hick might have been out twice in his first ten balls; the game had a long way to run. Another thick layer of rain cloud covered the ground, it had poured overnight and the portents were for a broken day, another factor against England as the West Indies quicks refreshed their batteries during each storm.

England's first three batsmen were cautious in the extreme when a few strokes, a stolen run or two might have broken up the intensity of the Ambrose-Walsh attack. Walsh no-balled off the first delivery of the day and Ramprakash pushed him away for a couple off the next. Then a pause. No more runs before Ramprakash was bowled by a Walsh in-ducker, one of his stock methods of getting through a batsman's guard.

Ramprakash looked shell-shocked. This is the ground on which he earns his living for Middlesex but as he walked out both of the match and probably of the England team for a while at any rate he had the air of a old-time prophet heading for the wilderness. Afterwards he sat on the balcony looking as any man has ever done before heading for the library with a last glass of whisky and a single bullet. His Test scores at Lord's are 24, 0,0,0, 12,0 4,24, 15, 0, 2. In other words 81 runs in nine years and 11 innings at 7.36.

Before lunch, when even the band of Christ's Hospital School wore long black gowns to emphasise England's gloom, Atherton and Vaughan made hard work of run-scoring. Atherton needed half an hour to get off the mark, meanwhile making it clear that England intended to go along a steep path towards their target of 188.

But after a pause for rain in the 11th over at 13 for one Vaughan had still not got off the mark and, in the 14th over when Walsh let rip a mighty appeal for lbw against Vaughan he had batted, without any noticeable strife, for 38 minutes. The crowd were right behind England - for once the ground was not empty just after lunch - even when only 25 had come from 15 overs and especially when Vaughan got off the mark with a straight drive for three from his 29th ball.

The sun broke through fitfully for the first time in the match and 188 began to look an easier target, as Atherton pushed Walsh for four through square leg and Vaughan pulled Ambrose to leg. Rose replaced Walsh - who had bowled nine overs for 25 runs - and Atherton promptly drove him through the covers and then reached for another outswinger and hung his head in shame.

Vaughan edged four past his leg stump and fifty came in an hour and a half. England's session so far. As Ambrose bowled his 12th barren over the suspicion grew that it must be their match too. When Ambrose went off he had bowled 13 overs for 13 runs with eight maidens. Atherton hit a glorious back foot cover drive off Rose as the stand reached three an over; more sunshine and a crowd of 30,000 hardly daring to breath much less leave their seats. Atherton had to jam his bat down on the ball three times and watch as it hopped around his stumps but England were on top for the first time in the series.

England 140 for six

LONDON, JULY 1. England was just 48 runs adrift of a remarkable victory over West Indies in the second Test with four wickets in hand at 140 for six. Nick Knight (2) and Dominic Cork (0) were at the crease. For the visitors veteran paceman Courtney Walsh took all the six wickets.

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