West Indies captain Jimmy Adams (right) and Courtney Walsh watch practice at Headingley yesterday. LEEDS:
THE fourth Test between the West Indies and England opens at Headingley this morning and although each match so far has been fought as if it were the last, with the countdown on the way, with hardly any room for mistakes, both teams are gunning for the victory which they believe could be the decider.
With two matches to go in the five-match series, the contest, following the drawn third Test at Old Trafford, is delicately balanced at one-one, and with the fifth and final Test scheduled for The Oval and what traditionally is the best batting pitch in England, the consensus is the winners at Headingley will be the winners of the series.
A draw at The Oval, however, is not a given - not with the obvious weaknesses of so many batsmen on both sides and victory at Leeds is considered so important by both teams because of the simple reason that while the losers would have to win at The Oval to share the series, the winners would be in an impregnable position and needing only a draw in the final Test to walk away with the honours.
According to the bookmakers, the West Indies are favourites to win the match and the series. England, however, are quietly confident they can beat this West Indies team - even though they are not as bubbly as they were after their victory at Lord's when they nailed the West Indies for 54 or after the first two days at Old Trafford when, with Alec Stewart and Marcus Trescothick on the go, they appeared on the road to victory.
England's one fear is their batting and with the Headingley pitch unlikely to assist spin they have dropped offspinner Robert Croft and appear set to go for a combination of seven batsmen and four pacers.
The seven batsmen are expected to be Mike Atherton, Trescothick, captain Nasser Hussain, Graham Thorpe, Stewart, Michael Vaughan and Graeme Hick, and the four pacers, Darren Gough, Andy Caddick, Dominic Cork and Craig White.
With Hick and Vaughan available to bowl some offspin and White rated an allrounder, the England team looks nicely balanced.
Quantity, however, is never a substitute for quality and apart from the problems of where to bat Hussain whose Test average this season - against Zimbabwe and the West Indies - is a meagre 12.6 and whose first-class average is 8.2, where to bat Vaughan who opens for Yorkshire, and which of the specialist batsmen to bat at number seven, England's main concern will be how to survive West Indies pacers Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose.
With all his problems against Walsh and Ambrose, Atherton will have to open the batting. That is a given.
Apart from Hussain's technical flaws, however, England must be concerned about a batsman with such poor form going in at number three against Walsh and Ambrose - especially if Atherton falls early, and although they are likely to play brave and leave the captain in his preferred position in the batting order, England must be thinking of moving Vaughan up to number three, dropping Hussain down to number six, and based also on his bad experiences against Walsh and Ambrose, using Hick at number seven.
You can run but you cannot hide, however, and in the case of Hick, who fell to Walsh for a pair of zeroes in the first Test, it may not matter where he bats. Chances are Walsh or Ambrose will be ready for him wherever he appears.
England must also be worried about Brian Lara.
The world record holder was not at his sparkling best at Old Trafford. His century innings was a masterpiece, however, and his habit of stringing centuries together when he is in form is such that despite the news that he is still suffering from eye problems, he could have another one or two up his sleeves.
Pterygium or no pterygium, England are unlikely to forget that after an inauspicious start in 1995, the master batsman reeled off scores of 145, 152 and 179 in the last three Test matches.
The West Indies, however, also have their problems.
With Lara looking hungry for runs, determined to play his part in the hunt for victory and ready for action, with Adrian Griffith coming good in the second innings at Old Trafford, and with Sherwin Campbell, Wavell Hinds and captain James Adams in good form, there is, for the first time in the series, a level of confidence in the batting as far as the team management is concerned.
As happy as they are with the performance at Old Trafford, however, the West Indies should be a bit concerned with Ramnaresh Sarwan.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul is still out of action due to an injury to his right elbow, and as promising as he is, as much as he deserves to be in the line-up, Sarwan looked vulnerable during the Old Trafford Test when Gough and Caddick cornered and peppered him with some well directed short-pitched deliveries.
The plan, it appears, is to attack the youngster with short-pitched deliveries,and if that continues at Headingley, Sarwan, a lovely driver, may have to demonstrate how well he can hook, pull and cut.
Another problem is the support for Walsh and Ambrose.
So far, Franklyn Rose and Reon King have failed to perform as expected and with Rose injured and out, it is now up to Nixon McLean to step up and perform.
The fastest bowler in the party, McLean has taken 25 first-class wickets on the tour at an average of 18, but for the one-day internationals he has been bowling well, and this could be his chance to step into the limelight.
The West Indies main concern, however, is the fitness of Ambrose.
The veteran fast bowler has been complaining of a niggling back problem since Old Trafford, and yesterday he looked uncomfortable during a short spell in the nets.
"He will play," said manager Ricky Skerritt in the afternoon. "Our only fear is that he may not be his usual self."
Who will it be?
According to captain Adams, it will be the West Indies.
"We are going for it," said the skipper. "The guys are as confident as ever, and don't worry about Amby: he is a warrior."
It could all depend on the conditions, however. If it is sunny and warm as it was yesterday, it could be the West Indies. Leeds, however, can be cold, very cold, when it is cold and the cloud is thick, the ball seams and swings a lot, and if it does, it could easily be England.
There are two things in the West Indies favour, however, One is the presence of a trio of champions - Lara, Walsh and Ambrose - in their line-up, and one is the Headingley record of both teams.
In the past three years, England have drawn one - with Pakistan in 1996, lost one - by an innings and 61 runs to Australia in 1997, and won one - over South Africa by 23 runs in 1998.
In the head-to-head, however, while England have won three of the 10 matches at Headingley, the West Indies have won six - including three of the past four.
By Tony Becca
Senior Sport Editor
