Swann on song with 5 for 57
England firmly on top:
Offspinner Graeme Swann grabbed 5-57 as England claimed a big
first-innings lead and kept firmly on top of West Indies on day three
Tuesday of the third cricket test.
Swann, playing his third test, helped dismiss the home team for 285
in reply to the visitor’s first innings of 566-9 declared at Antigua
Recreation Ground. Andrew Flintoff collected 3-47.
When England reached stumps on 31-1 in its second innings, it had
stretched its advantage to 312 runs.
“I’m so happy with five,” Swann said. “I came off after I got four
and I said to (captain) Andrew (Strauss) it didn’t bother me.
But I was just lying to myself because it felt unbelievable when I
took five.
“The seamers did such a good job with the reverse swing I thought I
might not get back on. So I was delighted to get the chance in the end.”
Swann was only the second spinner to claim a five-wicket haul in 22
tests at the ARG, following the world’s top wicket-taker, Muttiah
Muralitharan, who took 5-34 in 1997.
One of Swann’s wickets was Ramnaresh Sarwan, who holed out to
midwicket on 94 while trying to bring up his hundred with a six.
Sarwan admitted it was a poor choice at a crucial time.
“I’m very disappointed I got out on 94. To get out at that time and
at that position in the game put us back as well,” Sarwan said.
“I was actually trying to hit it straight but for some reason my bat
spun in my hand.
“It’s not a shot that I really want to talk about too much because
I’m really disappointed I played that shot at that particular time.
“I thought I worked pretty hard throughout the whole innings. I was
concentrating pretty hard and to play a shot like that at that point of
the game was really disappointing.”
ENGLAND 1st Innings 566-9 declared
WEST INDIES 1st Innings
(overnight 55-1)
Chris Gayle c Anderson b Harmison 30
Devon Smith b Swann 38
Daren Powell c Collingwood b Swann 22
Ramnaresh Sarwan c Flintoff b Swann 94
Ryan Hinds c Prior b Flintoff 27
Shivnarine Chanderpaul c Prior b Broad 01
Brendan Nash c Collingwood b Flintoff 18
Denesh Ramdin c and b Swann 00
Jerome Taylor c and b Flintoff 19
Sulieman Benn lbw b Swann 00
Fidel Edwards not out 01
EXTRAS: (17b, 5lb, 2w, 11nb) 35
TOTAL: (all out) OVERS: 89.2. 285
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-45, 2-109, 3-130, 4-200, 5-201, 6-251, 7-251, 8-278, 9-279.
BOWLING: James Anderson 19-1-55-0 (2w, 2nb), Andrew Flintoff 14.2-3-47-3 (3nb), Steve Harmison 12-3-44-1 (5nb), Stuart Broad 14-4-24-1, Graeme Swann 24-7-57-5, Kevin Pietersen 2-0-14-0, Paul Collingwood 4-0-22-0.
ENGLAND 2nd Innings
Andrew Strauss c Smith b Edwards 14
Alastair Cook not out 04
James Anderson not out 04
EXTRAS: (5w, 4nb) 09
TOTAL: (for 1 wicket) 31
Overs: 7.
STILL TO BAT: Owais Shah, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff, Matt Prior, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, Steve Harmison.
BOWLING: Fidel Edwards 4-0-18-1 (4nb, 1w), Jerome Taylor
3-0-13-0.
ST. JOHN’S, Antigua (AP)
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