Prior powers England against Windies
Matt Prior’s one-day international best of 87 was the highlight of
England’s record total against the West Indies of 328 for seven at
Edgbaston here on Tuesday.
Together with Owais Shah, who made an entertaining 75, wicket-keeper
Prior put on 149 in 126 balls for the third wicket as England surpassed
their previous ODI best against the West Indies of 306 for five at The
Oval in 1995.
It was further proof, after their six-wicket win at Bristol on
Sunday, that England could function effectively without injured stars
Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen.
England captain Andrew Strauss (52) and Ravi Bopara (49) gave the
hosts a solid start after West Indies captain Chris Gayle won the toss
and chose to field in a match the tourists had to win to end the series
all square at 1-1.
But first change Fidel Edwards, in his first over of the series,
almost took a wicket when Strauss on 16, cut to backward point where
Kieron Pollard, diving forward, failed to hold the difficult, low
chance.
England’s fifty came up in 62 balls and Bopara continued to find the
boundary with some superb square-cuts and drives in a spell of four
fours in nine balls faced.
But Bopara was one short of his fifty when, after pushing forward
with an angled bat against Dwayne Bravo, the ball struck his pad before
rolling onto his stumps.
Bopara’s runs had come off 54 balls with seven fours and England were
now 81 for one off 15 overs.
England captain Strauss though did get to fifty, off 65 balls with
seven fours, but his next ball saw him stumped by wicket-keeper Denesh
Ramdin off giant left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn.
Strauss’s Middlesex colleague Shah forced the pace by hammering
Edwards so hard for four through mid-wicket that Ramnaresh Sarwan had to
go off injured, after getting a hand to the bal. Shah completed a
run-a-ball fifty in flamboyant fashion with a wristily pulled six off
Bravo, that also brought up a century partnership with Prior.
England’s batting powerplay yielded 55 runs in five overs. Shah then
made the most of a free-hit to launch Jerome Taylor for six only to hole
out next ball with England 289 fir five in the 46th over.
Paul Collingwood, on his 33rd birthday, took England past 300 with a
four off Taylor before next ball striking the paceman for six.
BIRMINGHAM, England, Tuesday, AFP
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