Atherton makes merry

By Ted Corbett

LONDON, SEPT.3. Michael Atherton became the only batsman this summer to reach 500 runs as he made his second fifty of the fifth and final Test at the Oval today. By tea, with England 325 in the lead, he was 89, close to his 15th Test century.

This innings tells two stories. First, we can discount the tabloid version of his plan to retire next summer. He will do that only if his injured back gets worse or his form is dreadful about the time his long-term Lancashire contract ends in September.

Secondly, it shows that in a season when only Sherwin Campbell has reached 250 runs - in five Tests compared with Atherton's seven - he is still the superb, cantankerous, ornery opening batsman who has played more than 100 Tests, and led England in 51, in the last 11 years. This series with West Indies has belonged to the bowlers - Courtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose, Darren Gough, Andrew Caddick, Dominic Cork and Craig White - who have taken wickets at fewer than 22 runs each.

Yet for six hours on a trying pitch against two great bowlers - and two triers - Atherton played out a chanceless innings as England built up an aggregate that would put victory beyond West Indies.

Play before lunch consisted of 47 runs in 32 overs for the loss of Graham Thorpe; negative Test cricket at its least attractive. England did not want to lose wickets in the face of the possibility that Brian Lara might make a huge score and win the match in the fourth innings. A strange attitude behind a first innings lead of 156 but then professional sportsmen, who spend their lives talking about adopting a positive approach are curiously negative people most of the time.

Thorpe was out because he failed to realise that Adrian Griffith had been moved to backward square leg 20 yards from the ball and paddled the ball straight into his hands. At 56 for three England had to be cautious but once the long burst from Walsh and Ambrose was finished there was plenty of opportunity to push the score along. Instead Atherton and Stewart milked singles and a boundary only rarely. They were never in any danger but at lunch they had advanced to just 103 for three or a lead of 259.

A capacity crowd made their own entertainment afterwards, confirming the opinion I have formed this summer that the British public, used to defeat for so many years regard cricket in much the same way they see the theatre. They are more pleased if England win but they have lost the passion of fans and take delight in applauding overseas players. Of course they know most of them from county cricket.

Stewart was out quickly after lunch when a long hop from Nagamootoo bounced and he edged it to slip. There were forecasts that the new ball, due eight overs later, would see off England's middle order but that strange captain Jimmy Adams did not even ask for it. Instead he brought back Walsh at the Vauxhall End where he had Michael Vaughan lbw and, two balls later, Graeme Hick caught at slip. So much for playing seven batsmen in this game.`

At last Adams took the new ball but White tore Walsh's bowling to pieces as he went briskly to 18 before he was run out by a direct hit from Griffith - dud fielder in Leeds turned ace marksman - from cover.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Sport
Previous : Tejas Bakre emerges sole leader
Next     : Selectors leave one and all 'stumped'