Chanderpaul digs in for West Indies

Andrew Miller at Lord's

Shivnarine Chanderpaul continued in his rich vein of obdurate form to reach the close of the third day at Lord’s on 34 not out from 95 balls, as West Indies recovered from the loss of three wickets for no runs to give themselves a fighting chance going into the fourth day of the first Test. By the close they trailed by 35 runs with six wickets still standing, and with the prospect of bad weather hanging over the remaining two days of the game.

In the course of his two innings in the match, Chanderpaul has amassed 121 unbeaten runs from 270 balls in more than six-and-a-half hours of crease occupation. The only half-chance he offered came shortly before the close of play, when Tim Bresnan reviewed an lbw appeal without success. Chanderpaul responded with two fours in a row, before shrinking back into his shell to the close.

“You can never expect Lord’s to deteriorate, and with Chanderpaul in the middle you know you have to work hard in the series, let alone the innings,” said Ian Bell, who earlier made 61 in England’s first innings of 398. “Against the No. 1 batter in the world we expected him to fight against our attack. But with two wickets away from the allrounders and bowlers, so we’ll have the opportunity, however we get the 20 wickets.”

One man who does know how to get Chanderpaul out is West Indies’ debutant fast bowler, Shannon Gabriel. He prised him from the crease when Guyana played Trinidad at Port-of-Spain in March, but not before Chanderpaul had consumed 186 balls in a four-hour 80.

“He plays the ball late and sometimes you stray a bit and he clips you off leg or pushes you through cover,” said Gabriel. “But Shiv and Marlon Samuels are two experienced players,  so hopefully they can bat for as long as possible tomorrow and put us into a better position. I back our bowlers to do a job tomorrow.”

Bell, who endured an arduous winter in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, was relieved to launch the series with a composed half-century, and credited the amount of cricket he’s been playing so far this season for his success. Apart from his regular appearances for Warwickshire, he stepped into the England Lions game against West Indies at Northampton, after Ben Stokes withdrew with injury.

“I wanted to start the season well,” said Bell. “I haven’t been short of cricket with Warwickshire and the Lions, and I just wanted to keep going. It was good to spend some time in the middle against the attack I was going to face in this match, and I was pleased to make a contribution to a first-innings lead.”

Date: 19/05/2012 19:23:34 by AMiller
In: Today | England |