Tags:
Journalism of Courage
SHARJAH, December 19: Mission accomplished.8217; That might well have been Mathew Fleming8217;s line as England pulled a rabbit out of the hat at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday. A brilliant 70-run stand in just seven overs between this great nephew of Ian Fleming and Graham Thorpe smashed West Indies hopes in the Akai-Singer Champions trophy cricket tournament. England won with three wickets and 11 deliveries to spare in a thrilling encounter.
The West Indies were front runners for 95 of the 98.1 overs of the match. But then came the twist in the tale that saw the England 0078242; rob West Indies of a certain win at gun-point.
England who stated before the start of the tournament that they were here on a learning mission, seemed to have their charge for too late. Chasing 236 for a win they were 165 for six in the 41st over when Fleming and Thorpe joined hands to work their magic.
They batted like the seasoned professionals they are and ensured that it would be the West Indies rather than they who panicked. At the conclusion of the match the West Indies were still wonderstruck how they had been outsmarted.
The winners, who seemed to be stumbling yet again on the threshold of glory, showed what efficient team work could achieve even against individual brilliance.
England did not lose heart at conceding 235. They fought till the very end before pulling off a sensational win.
The West Indies score was not an easy target on this slow paced wicket.
Besides, the outfield, decidedly heavy, made any total beyond 225 difficult to get, especially against a West Indian attack that had the repertoire to serve either pace or spin and was backed up by smart fielding.
The West Indies outcricket was a joy to behold in the initial stages. Their sponsor, NRI Vijay Malya, sported their colours and enthusiastically cheered for them mostly from the dressing room. With a Steel Band from Trinidad also striking out loudly from the stands, the West Indies made inroads into an English line-up that ran deep.
Yet again spinners Carl Hooper and Rawl Lewis put the brakes on a rival batting line-up in this tournament with steady bowling. But Walsh erred badly in taking off Lewis after he had sent down seven overs and bringing him back late in the match. The dew did the West Indies in as Lewis and the other bowlers struggled to get a proper grip on the ball. England simply pressed home the advantage.
England lost opener Alistair Brown early. But Alec Stewart, their most consistent batsman here, and the left handed Nick Knight added 74 runs for second wicket witrh a slow and steady display. The fall of three quick wickets, to a run out and the two spinners considerably hampered England8217;s run chase.
But Graham Thorpe virtually changed the complexion of the game with some hectic running between the wickets and the occasional big hit. Skipper Adam Hollioake first, and later that inevitable hero, Fleming, yet again, kept their cool even as the asking rate climbed over seven an over to put West Indies under tremendous pressure.
The win came in the 49th over and capped a fine week of close matches. It was worth US 40,000. Thorpe was declared man of the match and Hooper the man of the series.
Earlier, the West Indies made light of Brian Lara8217;s cheap dismissal to make a healthy 235 for seven.
Lara was done in by wicket-keeper Stewart8217;s slight of the hand. The wicketkeeper gathered the ball, waited for batsman Lara to drag his backfoot foot on the crease and flicked off the bails to stump him.
Openers Stuart Williams and Shivnaraine Chanderpaul had, however, given the West Indies a sound start after they had opted to bat first. Their 97-run partnership enabled the team to weather the cheap dismissal of Lara.
Hooper, and later Phil Simmons played short but efective innings to take the Windies to a competitive total.
Mark Ealham and Mathew Fleming once again bowled well for England, but the Caribbean cricketers could feel done in by umpire KD Francis who seemed to have adjudged Holder leg before at a crucial stage of the match. The batsman, in fact had inner edged the ball on to his pads.
