Cricket: Caddick reveals plan to counter Lara

Andy Caddick has, it seems, a plan for Brian Lara. Now all the big Somerset bowler has to do is put it into practice in the second Test which begins here in Trinidad tomorrow.

Caddick dismissed Lara the last time he faced him in the West Indies, in Antigua four years ago. Unfortunately, by then the outstanding Trinidad left-hander had made the considerable matter of 375 runs to pass Sir Garfield Sobers' world Test record score.

However, Caddick believes Lara, the new West Indies captain, could be under greater pressure to succeed than usual, with the two back-to-back Tests taking place on his home ground, the Queen's Park Oval.

"I've got a good idea of what I'm going to do," Caddick said. "I'm going to come across him. If it works, I'll use it the next Test. If it doesn't, I'll have to think of something else.

"If we knock him over early, he'll be under pressure," Caddick added. "He's only human, he's not God. We might start a bit of shaking and shivering by putting a bit of pressure on him."

England have inspected the Queen's Park pitch - their captain, Mike Atherton, went down on all fours to get a better view of the surface, while the team manager, Bob Bennett, and the assistant coach, John Emburey, also had a close look.

The opinion was favourable. It has a covering of grass, but that is not unusual two days before a Test and the Queen's Park administrator, Bryan Davis, the former West Indies and Glamorgan batsman, is certain that it will last five days.

The Antiguan authorities are also confident that their ground in St John's will be fit and ready for the last Test of the series, in March. The outfield has been dug up, but the laying of turf imported from the United States is expected to be completed today.

- David Field, Port of Spain