Lara’s sonnet againstEngland revives WI

MANCHESTER, AUG 6: Brian Lara smashed a belligerent 112 as West Indies reached 305 for four, a lead of 159, at tea on the fourth day of th...

MANCHESTER, AUG 6: Brian Lara smashed a belligerent 112 as West Indies reached 305 for four, a lead of 159, at tea on the fourth day of the third Test against England at Old Trafford on Sunday. He and captain Jimmy Adams put on 138 for the fourth wicket to wrench back the initiative after England had taken a 146-run first-innings lead.

Lara’s century included 58 in boundaries one six and 13 fours and came off 158 balls. He was dismissed just before tea, run out by a direct hit by England captain Nasser Hussain after Adams had sent him back as Lara attempted to steal a single. Adams was 29 not out at the interval.

Struggling with a hamstring problem and short of match practice, Lara made an early entrance when, with 14 added to the touring team’s overnight total of 131 for one, Wavell Hinds edged Darren Gough to wicketkeeper Alec Stewart. Lara came in and showed his aggressive intent immediately, levelling the scores with a pull off Darren Gough through mid-on, then producing a delightful late cut to the boundary off the same bowler.

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Adrian Griffith, having batted for over four hours, matched him with a fine cover drive for four off Dominic Cork before falling lbw for 54 to off-spinner Robert Croft. With West Indies only 18 ahead on 164 for three, Croft tried to find turn in the bowlers’ footmarks outside the left-handers’ off stump. But Lara, despite struggling for his timing, refused to be dominated as he went for his shots. When Croft appealed for a bat-pad catch, Lara responded next ball with a huge straight six. His first 50 came off 64 balls and his second off 52.

England’s attempt to break through with the new ball backfired disastrously as Andy Caddick and Gough were both smashed out of the attack, 40 coming off the next seven overs. Lara miscued one on-drive from Caddick, only for the ball to rifle to the boundary through mid-off, and he followed that with a mistimed slash over cover, then an imperious, lofted straight four as 11 came off the over. Caddick glared at Lara and exchanged words with him again later, only for Adams to pull Lara away.

Just after the drinks break, Lara unleashed a beautiful cover-driven boundary off Cork to reach three figures, raising both his arms in triumph. It was his 14th Test hundred, six of them against England.

Scoreboard
West Indies (1st innings): 157
England (1st innings): 303
West Indies (2nd innings; overnight 131-1): S Campbell c Cork b White 55, A Griffith lbw b Croft 54, W Hinds c Stewart b Gough 25, B Lara run out 112, J Adams batting 29, R Sarwan batting 1; Extras: (b14, lb2, w2, nb11) 29. Total: (for 4 wkts, 106 overs) 305
Fall of wickets: 1-96, 2-145, 3-164, 4-302
Bowling: Gough 21-3-87-1, Caddick 16-4-49-0, Cork 18-8-28-0, Croft 33-6-84-1, White 15-4-36-1, Trescothick 1-0-2-0, Vaughan 2-1-3-0.

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