Shiv shines for West Indies again

BIRMINGHAM, England (CMC):

SHIVNARINE CHANDERPAUL fashioned his seventh one-day international hundred and this time West Indies were able to close the deal for a 61-run triumph over England in the rain-affected second ODI yesterday.

In between brief interruptions for moderate showers, the West Indies struck gold, when they dismissed England for 217 in 46 overs after Chanderpaul, strategically promoted to No. 3 to play the kind of innings he did, set them up with an undefeated 116 off 122 balls.

Ravi Rampaul, who is making a return to international cricket during this series following three injury-plagued years, was the pick of the West Indies bowlers with an ODI career-best four wickets for 41 runs from his allotment of 10 overs.

Fidel Edwards supported with two for 43 from 10 overs and Daren Powell took two for 45 from 10 overs.

West Indies level

The victory draws the West Indies level in the three-match series which concludes on Saturday at Nottingham.

The West Indies continued to bowl with much more discipline than they did in the preceding four-Test series but Matt Prior managed the top score for England of 52 from 73 balls and Owais Shah gathered 45 from 64 balls.

Powell gave the West Indies an early breakthrough when Alastair Cook was caught at mid-off for 19, then Rampaul gained the benefit of the doubt to have Ian Bell lbw for two in the seventh over to leave England 30 for two.

As West Indies captain Chris Gayle rung the changes, Prior and Kevin Pietersen steadied the ship with a stand of 34 for the third wicket before Rampaul continued to impress.

The fast bowler bowled Pietersen for nine with a well-pitched, full-length delivery to leave England 64 for three before being given a break.

The West Indies continued to increase the pressure with consistent bowling and flawless fielding but Prior reached his 50 with a single to cover off Edwards and proceeded to add 49 for the fourth wicket with Shah before Powell had him caught at mid-wicket in the 25th over.

Tightened their grip

The West Indies knew they had tightened their grip on the match when Edwards had England captain Paul Collingwood adjudged lbw for one playing back and across to a fast, straight, full-length delivery in the next over.

But the West Indies were kept at bay when Michael Yardy came to the wicket and put on 54 for the sixth wicket with Shah before he was caught at deep mid wicket off Dwayne Bravo in the 37th over.

Rampaul then gained a dubious caught behind decision to remove Shah in the 38th over and added Dmitiri Mascarenhas caught at mid-on in the 40th over to claim his best figures in ODIs.

There was token resistance from the England tail-end with Stuart Broad making 22 and Ryan Sidebottom getting 15 in a late flurry.

Earlier, Chanderpaul continued his rich vein of form to anchor the West Indies to 278 for five from their 50 overs after they were sent in to bat on an easy-paced Edgbaston pitch under overcast skies.

The long-standing West Indies left-handed batsman crossed the landmark, when he worked his 114th delivery from James Anderson into mid-wicket for a single, after he had reached his 50 with a similar stroke off his 85th ball from Yardy.

Chanderpaul, whoscored 446 runs at an average of 148.66 in the preceding Test series, added a record 175 with Marlon Samuels for the third wicket at the ground.

Samuels curbed his natural instincts to gather 77 off 104 balls and helped Chanderpaul build upon the work of openers Gayle and fellow left-hander Devon Smith.

Gayle and Smith put on 50 for the first wicket but they were dismissed within four overs of each other for 36 and 17 respectively.

Smith was caught behind off Anderson top-edging a cut and Gayle was then caught at mid-on when he was deceived by a slower ball from Sidebottom and spooned the ball into the air.

The West Indies never got going in the late overs and lost three wickets for 32 runs inside the last four overs but this time they had enough for victory.

The visitors lost the opening match of the series by 79 runs on Sunday at Lord's in London.

West Indies innings

C. Gayle c Anderson b Sidebottom 36
D. Smith c Prior b Anderson 17
S. Chanderpaul not out 116
M. Samuels c Sidebottom b Broad 77
D. Smith lbw Broad 7
R. Morton c Bell b Sidebottom 3
D. Ramdin not out 2
Extras: (5lb, 15w): 20
TOTAL: (for five wkts): 278

Overs: 50.

Fall: 1-50, 2-67, 3-242, 4-257, 5-274.

Bowling: James Anderson 10-3-78-1 (4w), Ryan Sidebottom 9-1-56-2 (7w), Stuart Broad 10-0-49-2 (2w), Dmitri Mascarenhas 10-1-31-0, Paul Collingwood 5-0-30-0, Michael Yardy 6-0-29-0 (2w).

England innings

A. Cook c Edwards b Powell
19
M. Prior c Devon Smith b Powell 52
I. Bell lbw Rampaul 2
K. Pietersen b Rampaul 9
O. Shah c Ramdin b Rampaul 45
P. Collingwood lbw Edwards 1
M. Yardy c Dwayne Smith b Bravo 19
D. Mascarenhas c Powell b Rampaul 3
S. Broad c Ramdin b Edwards 22
R. Sidebottom run out (Dwayne Smith) 15
J. Anderson not out 3
Extras: (10lb, 13w, 4nb): 27
TOTAL: (all out): 217

Overs: 46.

Fall: 1-23, 2-30, 3-64, 4-113; 5-117, 6-171, 7-172, 8-179, 9-195, 10-217.

Bowling: Ravi Rampaul 10-0-41-4 (1nb, 2w), Daren Powell 10-0-42-2 (3w), Fidel Edwards 10-0-43-2 (3nb, 7w), Dwayne Smith 9-0-54-0 (1w), Dwayne Bravo 7-0-24-1.

Result: West Indies won by 61 runs.

Series: Three-match series tied 1-1 with one game to go.