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Chanderpaul back to form to help WI wrap up the Series at Bourda

By CricketFundas
for CricketFundas.com

Published: May 7, 2006

Related Links : Zimbabwe in WI : Scorecard

Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the former West Indies Captain, who had been struggling to get decent scores for his side finally regained his touch to score a magnificent 93. Chanderpaul’s 93 which had come off just 82 balls took West Indies to the highest ever total in LOIs played in the Caribbean and the West Indies ended up a mammoth 333 for 6 in their 50 Overs after electing to bat first. Zimbabwe’s innings started off in a disastrous fashion losing two wickets in the 1st over of their innings and looked as if they were going to be bundled out cheaply. But good knocks from four of its batsmen meant that Zimbabwe put on a decent show managing 251 for 7 in their 50 overs. Once the West Indies knocked off that massive total, Zimbabwe were always out of the game and their batsmen are of course not interested in winning matches but are interested in showing that Zimbabwe has the resources to last all the 50 overs.

Zimbabwe in their chase lost Rinkie in the very first ball as the opener went onto the backfoot to a pitched up delivery from Fidel Edwards. And the bowler hit the stumps and celebrated by signaling ‘you can’t see that’. Edwards struck once again in the same over as the Zimbabwean Captain Terrence Duffin hung his bat outside the offstump to poke an away swinger. Two down for 1 were Zimbabwe but Fidel Edwards wasn’t getting the support at the other end from Tino Best who was simply wayward by spraying the ball on both sides of the wicket. Justice Chibhabha and Brendan Taylor showed their class and played some glorious drives as the West Indian bowlers started to look pedestrian and not really wicket taking bowlers. The part time bowlers, Dwayne Smith and Marlon Samuels got these two batsmen out and by then both had put up an impressive 54 runs for the 3rd wicket. Smith got Taylor trapped in front of the stumps and Chibhabha was deceived in the air as Marlon Samuels, the off spinner pushed it quickly into the blockhole. Chibhabha was out with Zimbabwe at 114 and he had kept the West Indies bowling at bay by putting on another good partnership – this time with Sibanda. Elton Chigumbura also came in and played well land he along with Sibanda scored half centuries but Zimbabwe were never trying to get anywhere near the huge target. Tino Best suffered in the hands of these talented Zimbabwean batsmen as he got smacked for 70 in his 10 overs. Fidel Edwards could just take one more wicket that of Chigumbura to end his 10 overs quota for 3 for 42. Marlon Samuels did what Chris Gayle does – rolling his off breaks and picking up a couple of wickets. Zimbabwe in the end lost the plot by 82 runs to lose the series 0-3 with three more games to go in this 7-ODIs Series.

West Indies had given debut to left handed opener Sewnarine Chattergoon, who couldn’t make good use of his opportunity as he was needlessly run out to a non existent single. Brian Lara, the Captain walked in at No.3 today and he along with Runako Morton played some superb shots and West Indies were in a great position to put up a total beyond 300. Interestingly Morton was declared as run out and then called back to bat in a Prosper Utseya over that lasted more than 12 minutes. Morton tried to set off for a non existent single to the right of the offspinner Utseya and was sent back by Lara and the bowler did well to pick that up and fire in a direct throw and Billy Bowden gave that as out. But after the TV replays were aired, it was clear that the keeper had disturbed the stumps with his gloves accidentally before the ball ahd crashed onto the stumps and Billy Bowden after learning what had happened decided to call Morton back. Both Lara and Morton fell after making their half centuries and both were out attempting to play shots rather than the bowlers bowling great deliveries. Chanderpaul and Sarwan then kept the scoreboard ticking with the ones and the twos and the occasional fours. After Sarwan was out slogging to long on. Chanderpaul opened his shoulders to pick up good amount of fours and sixes as he started to time the ball brilliantly and also found the gaps with ease. Chaderpaul’s efforts were given good finishing touches by Dwayne Smith who hit a monstrous six to help WI reach 333. Chanderpaul was looking good for a hundred but in the kind of mood he was, he didn’t care to block a yorker from Rainsford and instead looked to work it onto the onside for runs.

The West Indies should be pleased that their batsmen have fired on all cylinders but their bowlers need to bowl a good line and length especially the fast bowlers and also bowl the wicket taking deliveries. Zimbabwean batsmen haven’t yet folded within the 100-run mark and West Indies might be aiming at that in the remaining two matches. So the West Indies’ bowling needs to improve drastically if they have to win the next series which is against a much tougher opposition in India.