West Indies Courtney Walsh (right) and Curtly Ambrose walk from the field for the last time in an England Test series, after bowling out England second innings on the fourth day of the fifth Test at the Oval, London yesterday. LONDON:
THE 2000 Test series between the West Indies and England comes to an end at The Oval today, and although the Windies still have a chance, barring a miracle similar to that when the man from Galilee turned water into wine, when it is all over it should be celebration time for the homesters who have not beaten the visitors in 31 years.
Two-one up in the five-match series, England need only to draw the fifth and final Test to take the Wisden Trophy and to sip some champagne.
For England to be denied their celebration, the West Indies, who have won 10 of the 13 contests since 1969, have to win the Test match and share the series, but although it is not impossible, based on the state of affairs and the generally poor performance of their batsmen during the series, it is highly improbable.
At stumps on yesterday's fourth and penultimate day of the Test match, the scoreboard read, England 281 and 217, the West Indies 125 and 33 without loss, and with England leading by 341, with only today's last day to go, the odds are stacked against victory for the West Indies - even with the memory of 1984 at Lord's when the West Indies, set 342 to win in 330 minutes, raced to 344 for one with Gordon Greenidge scoring 214 not out and Larry Gomes 92 not out.
The odds, in fact, are against the West Indies even drawing the game.
Apart from the problem of batting out a full day to save it, the odds are against the West Indies, finding so many runs in a day on a worn Oval pitch and against a competent attack.
After the riveting action of the first three days, yesterday's fourth day was crucial: it was the day during which England, starting on 56 for two and leading by 212 runs, could bat themselves into an invincible position and during which the West Indies could make one final charge.
As it turned out, it was a day that belonged entirely to Michael Atherton who battled bravely in England's cause, and to Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose who led the West Indies assault.
If, as expected, England win or draw the match and end up celebrating, captain Nasser Hussain and his men should lift their glasses in a special toast to former captain Atherton who stood guard while scoring an invaluable 108, and if, as hardly expected, the West Indies win the game and deny Hussain what other West Indies team have denied 12 England captains - from Ray Illingworth to Atherton - since 1969, captain Adams and his men should lift hats to Walsh and Ambrose who, in their hunt together, finished with figures of four for 73 off 38 overs and one for 36 off 22 respectively.
Resuming on 36, Atherton, the 32-year old opening batsman ticked off his 15th century, his fourth against the West Indies and his first in England before, after batting for 446 minutes, facing 331 deliveries and stroking 14 boundaries, missed batting undefeated through the entire innings of a Test match for the second time when he was last man out.
The England master, who scored 94 not out against New Zealand in Christchurch in 1996-97, was caught by wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs off none other than Walsh - the man who tested his quality, and his resolve, throughout his vigil.
On a day when England sought to bat the West Indies out of the game - to the extent that they did not score a run in the first six overs and scored only 47 from 31 before lunch, a day when, after sitting pretty at 121 for three with the lead then 277 with seven wickets in hand, they lost wickets, including the unnecessary run out of Craig White at 163 for seven, at regular intervals, Atherton was at his best.
Known around the world as a craftsman, Atherton set about frustrating the West Indies bowlers with copybook defensive strokes, before, after midway the performance, he paraded a range of strokes which included a pull, a drive, and a hook off Nixon McLean after his first 50, a backfoot drive off Ambrose, and a lovely backfoot square-drive off Walsh.
With the West Indies hopes on their shoulders, Walsh, who conceded only four runs from his first nine overs while removing Graham Thorpe for 10 without addition to the overnight score, and Ambrose, who conceded six off his first six, started right on the penny and with a little luck, especially as far as Walsh was concerned, may well have handed the Windies a better chance of victory.
They were magnificent, and the crowd gave them a rousing send-off as they left the field - partly because of their brilliance on the day, mostly because, as he has insisted, Ambrose is in his last Test match, and although he had said nothing, because this match is likely, more than likely, to be the last one at The Oval for Walsh.
Set 374 to win in 104 overs, the West Indies, represented by a confident Sherwin Campbell and a positive Adrian Griffith, started promisingly and if their approach in the 14 overs shared by Darren Gough, Andy Caddick, and White is anything to go by, not only do they believe they have a chance to knock off the third highest total ever set a team to win a match - they also believe that like Australia who scored 362 for seven to beat the West Indies at Bourda in 1978, like Australia who scored 404 for three to beat England at Headingley in 1948, and like India who scored 406 for four to beat the West Indies at Queen's Park Oval in 1976, they can do it.
The left-handed Griffiths, 17 not out, started with a front-foot square-drive off Gough, and the right-handed Campbell, 15 not out, finished with a backfoot square-cut off Caddick.
SCOREBOARD
England first innings 281
WI first innings 125
England second innings
(overnight 56-2)
M.Atherton c Jacobs b Walsh 108
M.Trescothick c Lara b Ambrose 7
N.Hussain lbw b McLean 0
G.Thorpe c Griffith b Walsh 10
A.Stewart c Campbell b Nagamootoo 25
M.Vaughan lbw b Walsh 9
G.Hick c Campbell b Walsh 0
C.White run out 18
D.Cork lbw b McLean 26
A.Caddick c Jacobs b McLean 0
D.Gough not out 1
Extras (b-1, lb-7, nb-5) 13
Total 217
Fall of wickets: 1-21, 2-29, 3-56, 4-121, 5-139, 6-139, 7-163, 8-207, 9-207
Bowling: Ambrose 22-8-36-1, Walsh 38-17-73-4, McLean 22-5-60-3, Nagamootoo 19-7-29-1, Adams 7-3-11-0
WI second innings
S.Campbell not out 15
A.Griffith not out 17
Extras (nb-1) 1
Total (for no wicket) 33
Bowling: Gough 5-1-14-0, Caddick 7-1-18-0, White 2-1-1-0.
By Tony Becca
Senior Sport Editor
