Date-stamped : 26 May95 - 18:23 England v West Indies, First One-day International Trent Bridge, 24-25 May 1995 ====> 24 May 95 Bishop`s return checks England Bowlers in need of an early breakthrough after West Indies pace attack gain upper hand, reports Christopher Martin-Jenkins, Cricket Correspondent NO ONE should be drawing any long-term conclusions from yesterday`s opening skirmish at Trent Bridge, in which the West Indies, efficient and athletic in the field and commandingly led by Carl Hooper with the bat, seemed to be well on the way to a successful pursuit of England`s 199 for nine when rain interrupt- ed play for the second time. Seventy-six for one with a ball to go of the 20th over, one short of the requirement to make a valid match, the West Indies should take the #7,500 prize which Texaco offer for each of these one- day internationals, in addition to their trophy. England, after an indifferent opening, will feel that the game can still be retrieved if they can bowl more tightly than they have so far, especially, no doubt, if they should get Brian Lara out quickly. Ticket-holders may return free today, but inevit- ably this will be one of those frustrating occasions when a `one-day` game finishes on the second day before a reduced crowd. England were put in by Richie Richardson when the day was still fresh and bright, but on a slow pitch there was never a time when they were scoring sufficiently fast to promise a demanding total. Only Alec Stewart and Mark Ramprakash reached the boundary, evi- dence of a lack of fluency by everyone else on a surface requir- ing perfect timing. Ian Bishop got some bounce and away movement Returning to international cricket after his long convalescence from a stress fracture of the back, Ian Bishop got some bounce and away movement, and the other fast bowlers were sensibly steady. Only one no-ball was bowled in the innings, a big im- provement on many a past West Indian performance, and when Hooper and Keith Arthurton were called on to bowl at a slower pace they were so effective that Richardson saw no reason to revert to Curtly Ambrose and Winston Benjamin. Mike Atherton has been in much more consistent form than Stewart so far this season, but his confidence was rapidly sapped yester- day as the new ball moved, just a little, off the seam for Am- brose and Courtney Walsh. He had been squared-up by balls leaving him more than once before Walsh found his outside edge in the 10th over, as he drove at a ball of ideal length which left him off the pitch. Stewart, having stroked an opening four past cover off the back foot facing Walsh, was into his stride by now and when Bishop in- itially drifted towards the leg side with his newly-developed, open-chested action, it was just what Stewart wanted. It did not take Bishop long to adjust his line, however, and the two spells he bowled either side of the lunch interval will have enhanced his confidence. Apart from a couple of short balls, decisively pulled for four by Stewart, there were no more easy pickings. Walsh, as so often in recent years, was the most effective bowler The cognoscenti in the Caribbean were saying long before Aus- tralia completed their conquest last month that the two Benjamins have not measured up to their predecessors as part of the `tradi- tional` four-man fast attack, and it was not just in Trinidad that Bishop`s return was welcomed. He is an intelligent, respect- ed cricketer who has worked hard to return, having decided against having back surgery. Walsh, as so often in recent years, was the most effective bowler. After Graeme Hick, never shaking off that look of slight somnolence which often seems to affect him early in a major in- nings, had given himself out caught behind, pushing forward at Benjamin, Walsh removed the potentially dangerous Graham Thorpe as he drove at a wider, fuller-length ball. England`s lunchtime position, 110 for three off 32 overs which had taken 21/4 hours, was not unpromising. Stewart had stroked 11 fours and Neil Fairbrother`s arrival, as always in a one-day match, had stimulated great expectations. Just as he was starting to bustle, however, Bishop produced an inswinger of full length which knocked back his leg stump as he shaped to drive. The most important dismissal now was obviously Stewart`s. It came unexpectedly as he opened up to turn Hooper to leg. The ball curved in the air and bowled him off his back pad, leaving Ramprakash, with 17 overs to go, as the only specialist batsman. He played very well until Walsh deceived him with a slow, dipping full toss which bowled him off his box, but the batting ability of the England tail, on this occasion at least, was not seen at its best. Phil DeFreitas, sent in ahead of Dominic Cork, was run out by a smart pick-up and throw by Ambrose at third man and Hooper`s swoop and direct hit from cover accounted even more brilliantly for Darren Gough. A target of 200 hardly looked very demanding and became consider- ably less so once DeFreitas and Angus Fraser had given Hooper and Sherwin Campbell every chance to show what delightful off-side players they are. Hooper played like the man in form he is, caressing boundaries through extra cover with a silky grace all his own. Campbell hit the ball equally hard, if, once or twice, in the air, sug- gesting perhaps a vulnerability in the gully area if the bowlers can put the ball in the right area when the Tests come. There is no substitute for accuracy, in any form of cricket, and even Hooper proved fallible when Cork, having conceded 12 runs in his first over, found a ball of perfect length to pitch on the middle stump and hit the off. Rain arrived for the third time soon after and although the umpires did their best to get things going again, a short additional session of 17 balls was all that proved possible after tea. ====> more West Indies could pay for `lost` ball - Peter Deeley VISITORS to Trent Bridge were perplexed last night by the mystery of the missing ball. One delivery short of ensuring a result if the weather prevents this first Texaco international resuming to- day, the West Indies batsmen accepted the umpires` offer of bad light. After 19.5 overs their run rate, 3.8, is superior to England`s 3.6. But the series` conditions state that the side batting second must complete 20 overs - otherwise the game is declared No Result. In that case if the rain continues to fall on Nottingham, West Indies could have cost themselves #3,750, because the prize money of #7,500 is shared between the two sides if the match is uncom- pleted. Third umpire, Peter Willey, confirmed last night that Brian Lara had asked to come off when the light was offered by bowler`s um- pire David Shepherd. "Lara had asked for the light before," he said. It seems that many on the ground - players and officials included - had not looked at the small print. Ray Illingworth, on the oc- casion of his debut as England manager, said: "I didn`t know. I haven`t got the book out yet." When told that if there is no play today England would come out of the game undefeated, he said laughingly: "Well, that`ll do then. I`ll settle for that." Not that Illingworth is countenancing defeat yet. "It`s still an open game. If we can get a wicket or two ... they have a longish tail. It's a bit of a struggle for us at the moment." ====> 25 May 95 Campbell`s class shows in opening examination - C.Martin-Jenkins West Indies beat England by 5 wkts England 199-9; West Indies 201-5 (52.4 0vers) WITH strokes of style and panache worthy of a much larger audi- ence than the 1,200 or so scattered around Trent Bridge, Sherwin Campbell and Brian Lara hurried the West Indies to a five-wicket win in the first Texaco Trophy match with a second-wicket partnership of 114. There were 14 balls in hand when they overhauled England`s skimpy 199 for nine. For the second of the three games, at the Oval today, the 1,000th officially recognised one-day international since Jan 5, 1971, there would be nothing to be lost by England if they were to re- place one of the seamers with Peter Martin on the quicker Oval surface. Alan Wells, too, might legitimately be given a chance to show that he is in the party more than just as a theoretical al- ternative to Mike Atherton as captain. Darren Gough, alone of England`s bowlers, caused the slightest consternation and it was he, with a slower leg-break, who dismissed Lara when the issue was virtually resolved, Atherton running back 20 yards from mid-on to take a beautifully judged over-the-shoulder catch. Richie Richardson drove Gough to cover in the next over, the 48th, and Jimmy Adams, having been startled by Gough`s first-ball bouncer, was palpably leg before to Dominic Cork three overs later, with nine still needed. Campbell was then run out in the 52nd over through slick combined work by Shaun Udal and Alec Stewart so England finished the match on a more upbeat note than perhaps they deserved. Richardson`s total lack of form is the one worrying feature of the tour The late slide apart, this was a comfortable West Indian win and Richardson`s total lack of form so far - his first-class scores have been 1, 4 and 0 - is the one worrying feature of the tour. He batted without a helmet yesterday as if to try to rediscover his old carefree approach but he is, despite his insouciance, still a little careworn. It is nothing that a big-match hundred and a Test win would not cure, but for as long as he is struggling for runs England will have at least one vulnerable point for which to aim. There are not many others. Campbell`s innings of 80 surely means that he and Carl Hooper will be opening in the Tests too. He has taken his chances so well that Stuart Williams, preferred to him some- what unfairly it seemed when a change was made after Australia`s win in the Barbados Test in April, looks likely to be a passenger for the time being. For a time Campbell matched Lara yesterday for flair and power of stroke. Like so many West Indian players, and Bajans perhaps in particular, he revels in the sheer, almost narcissistic pleasure, of stroking a straight ball to mid-off with the left elbow high and the full blade of a clean bat presented to the bowler. This is not to say, however, that his inexperience may not be exposed in the Tests. He sometimes hits the ball in the air on either side of the pitch and he is not yet the finished article. The late flurry of wickets and Gough`s bowling apart, there was little else to cheer England. Having batted without inspiration, their bowling was made to look ordinary on this slow pitch. Phillip DeFreitas and Cork were neither quick enough nor con- sistent enough in line and length, Fraser lacked the pace if not the accuracy and Udal, though he bowled with nice rhythm, was eventually put in his place as Lara sauntered to his fifty with drives for six, four and six in rapid succession. Winning the one-day series has proved in the past to be a dubious honour, but unless England smarten up their act at the Oval to- day, the West Indies may establish an unstoppable momentum. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)