NOTTINGHAM, England – West Indies gave another whole-hearted effort to completely outplay England, win the third One-day International by 93 runs on Saturday, and clinch their three-match bilateral series 2-1.
Runako Morton and West Indies captain Chris Gayle both made 82 to lead the way, as the visitors, choosing to bat, totaled 289 for five from their allocation of 50 overs.
Daren Powell then collected four wickets for 40 runs from his allotment of 10 overs and Fidel Edwards snared three for 30 from his 10 overs, as West Indies dismissed England for 196 in 44.2 overs.
Ravi Rampaul, playing in his first international series following a three-year injury layoff, had the privilege of sealing the victory, when he gained an lbw verdict to dismiss left-handed batting bunny Monty Panesar for 13.
The victory allowed West Indies to end a disruptive tour on a successful note, after England completely dominated them and they lost the preceding four-Test series 0-3, and then shared two Twenty20 Internationals with their hosts.
Before returning to the Caribbean, West Indies make a brief stopover in Ireland, where they will contest three ODIs at Dublin’s Clontarf Cricket Club against the Netherlands on Tuesday, Scotland on Thursday, and the hosts on Saturday.
Anxious to compensate for his limited form on much of the tour, Gayle curbed his natural instincts after he had the fortune with the toss at Trent Bridge on Saturday, and he set things up for his side with a sedate innings.
He was fortunate however, that Alastair Cook dropped him on four at extra cover off Liam Plunkett, and Ian Bell put him down on 20 at point off James Anderson.
Gayle continued merrily mixing periods of tranquility with murderous intent, after fellow left-handed opener Devon Smith was caught at backward point off Anderson for 13 in the third over.
Gayle added 77 for the second wicket with Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the eventual Man-of-the-Series, in the first of two significant partnerships he shared in the innings.
When Chanderpaul was dismissed for the first time in the series for 33 caught at deep mid wicket off Plunkett in the 21st over, and Marlon Samuels was caught behind off the same bowler for nine in the 23rd over, the West Indies’ innings appeared at the crossroads.
The visitors were 108 for three in the 23rd over, but Morton arrived and, under the guidance of Gayle, played responsibly, and the two put on 85 for the fourth wicket before the West Indies captain offered a gentle return catch to Plunkett in the 42nd over.
West Indies were 193 for four after 42 overs, and they owed their final total to a combination of some enterprising batting, as well as mediocre bowling from the home team which conceded 116 runs from the final 10 overs.
In the closing overs, West Indies ran aggressively, particularly from Dwayne Bravo, whose 42 came off 24 balls, and Morton added the kind of meat with the bat to beef up the visitors’ total.
Plunkett, one of two changes to the England line-up, was his side’s most successful bowler with three for 59 runs from 10 overs and Anderson snared two for 51 from the same number of deliveries.
Powell then made sure England’s response got off to a shaky start, when he had Matt Prior caught behind for one in the third over.
He then tightened the noose, when he removed Cook caught at backward point for 18, and claimed Kevin Pietersen for a two-ball duck with the old “two-card trick”.
Powell’s first ball to Pietersen was a vicious bouncer that sailed over the ‘keeper’s head for four byes, but he followed up with a well-pitched ball moving away which the avaricious England batsman chased, and edged to second slip, where he was caught to leave the hosts teetering on 33 for three in the ninth over.
West Indies saw the first real signs of resistance from England, when Bell and Owais Shah brought some stability with a stand of 39 for the fourth wicket, but Edwards made the breakthrough in the 18th over.
Bell was caught low down at backward point for 27, when arrogantly drove at a delivery outside the off-stump and sliced the ball to arguably the best West Indies fielder, Dwayne Smith.
Shah survived a few close shaves to add 72 with England captain Paul Collingwood for the fifth wicket, but gloved a sweep shot and was caught behind for the home team’s top score of 51.
Collingwood has often proven to be England’s savior in these kinds of situations, playing aggressively, but he was bowled when he played back and inside-edged a delivery from Bravo that moved back sharply to essentially end any chances of an fightback.
The England captain was the first of four wickets that fell for nine runs in the space of 24 balls that left the last wicket pair of Monty Panesar and Anderson to face fields of six slips and a gully in a stand of 25 before Rampaul brought the curtain down on a tour on which West Indies almost seemed jinxed before it started.
